Difference between revisions of "2011 AMC 12A Problems/Problem 8"

(Solution)
m (Solution 3 (the tedious one))
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<math>A+B=25, B+D=25, D+E=25, D+E+F=30, E+F+G
 
<math>A+B=25, B+D=25, D+E=25, D+E+F=30, E+F+G
 
=30</math>, and <math>F+G+H=30</math>.
 
=30</math>, and <math>F+G+H=30</math>.
 
  
 
We can then add and subtract the equations above to be left with the answer.
 
We can then add and subtract the equations above to be left with the answer.

Revision as of 00:02, 12 July 2020

Problem

In the eight term sequence $A$, $B$, $C$, $D$, $E$, $F$, $G$, $H$, the value of $C$ is $5$ and the sum of any three consecutive terms is $30$. What is $A+H$?

$\textbf{(A)}\ 17 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 18 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 25 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 26 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 43$

Solution

Solution 1

Let $A=x$. Then from $A+B+C=30$, we find that $B=25-x$. From $B+C+D=30$, we then get that $D=x$. Continuing this pattern, we find $E=25-x$, $F=5$, $G=x$, and finally $H=25-x$. So $A+H=x+25-x=25 \rightarrow \boxed{\textbf{C}}$


Solution 2

Given that the sum of 3 consecutive terms is 30, we have $(A+B+C)+(C+D+E)+(F+G+H)=90$ and $(B+C+D)+(E+F+G)=60$

It follows that $A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H=85$ because $C=5$.

Subtracting, we have that $A+H=25\rightarrow \boxed{\textbf{C}}$.


Solution 3 (the tedious one)

From the given information, we can deduct the following equations:

$A+B=25, B+D=25, D+E=25, D+E+F=30, E+F+G =30$, and $F+G+H=30$.

We can then add and subtract the equations above to be left with the answer.

$(A+B)-(B+D)=25-25 \implies (A-D)=0$

$(A-D)+(D+E)=0+25 \implies (A+E)=25$

$(A+E)-(E+F+G)=25-30 \implies (A-F-G)=-5$

$(A-F-G)+(F+G+H)=-5+30 \implies (A+H)=25$

Therefore, we have that $A+H=25 \rightarrow \boxed{\textbf{C}}$

See also

2011 AMC 12A (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 7
Followed by
Problem 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
All AMC 12 Problems and Solutions

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