# Difference between revisions of "2016 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 15"

## Problem

What is the largest power of $2$ that is a divisor of $13^4 - 11^4$?

$\textbf{(A)}\mbox{ }8\qquad \textbf{(B)}\mbox{ }16\qquad \textbf{(C)}\mbox{ }32\qquad \textbf{(D)}\mbox{ }64\qquad \textbf{(E)}\mbox{ }128$

## Solution

First, we use difference of squares on $13^4 - 11^4 = (13^2)^2 - (11^2)^2$ to get $13^4 - 11^4 = (13^2 + 11^2)(13^2 - 11^2)$. Using difference of squares again and simplifying, we get $(169 + 121)(13+11)(13-11) = 290 \cdot 24 \cdot 2 = (2\cdot 8 \cdot 2) \cdot (3 \cdot 145)$. Realizing that we don't need the right-hand side because it doesn't contain any factor of 2, we see that the greatest power of $2$ that is a divisor $13^4 - 11^4$ is $\boxed{\textbf{(C)}\ 32}$.

## Video Solution

~ pi_is_3.14

 2016 AMC 8 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources) Preceded byProblem 14 Followed byProblem 16 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