# Difference between revisions of "2013 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 13"

## Problem

When Clara totaled her scores, she inadvertently reversed the units digit and the tens digit of one score. By which of the following might her incorrect sum have differed from the correct one?

$\textbf{(A)}\ 45 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 46 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 47 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 48 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 49$

## Solution

Let the two digits be $\text{ab}$.

The correct score was $10a+b$. Clara misinterpreted it as $10b+a$. The difference between the two is $|9a-9b|$ which factors into $|9(a-b)|$. Therefore, the difference is a multiple of 9, the only answer choice that is a multiple of 9 is $\boxed{\textbf{(A)}\ 45}$.

## See Also

 2013 AMC 8 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) Preceded byProblem 12 Followed byProblem 14 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 AJHSME/AMC 8 Problems and Solutions

The problems on this page are copyrighted by the Mathematical Association of America's American Mathematics Competitions.

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