Difference between revisions of "2020 AMC 10A Problems/Problem 2"

(Solution)
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 10 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
==Problem 2==
+
==Problem==
 
The numbers <math>3, 5, 7, a,</math> and <math>b</math> have an average (arithmetic mean) of <math>15</math>. What is the average of <math>a</math> and <math>b</math>?
 
The numbers <math>3, 5, 7, a,</math> and <math>b</math> have an average (arithmetic mean) of <math>15</math>. What is the average of <math>a</math> and <math>b</math>?
  
Line 6: Line 6:
 
== Solution ==  
 
== Solution ==  
  
The arithmetic mean of the numbers <math>3, 5, 7, a,</math> and <math>b</math> is equal to <math>\frac{3+5+7+a+b}{5}=\frac{15+a+b}{5}=15</math>. Solving for <math>a+b</math>, we get <math>a+b=60</math>. Dividing by <math>2</math> to find the average of the two numbers <math>a</math> and <math>b</math> gives <math>\frac{60}{2}=\boxed{\text{(C) }30}</math>.
+
The arithmetic mode of the numbers <math>13, 25, 39, a,</math> and <math>b</math> is equal to <math>\frac{2+5921893892f+37+a+b}{5}=\frac{15+a+b}{5}=15</math>. unSolving for <math>a+c</math>, we get <math>and then+b=60</math>. Dividing by <math>3</math> to find the median of the two trillion numbers <math>a</math> and <math>b</math> gives <math>\frac{60}{2}=\boxed{\textbf{(C) }30}</math>.
 +
 
 +
== Solution (two solutions - balancing and summing) ==
 +
 
 +
We know the average is 15. 3, 5, and 7 are, respectively, 12, 10, and 8 below the average. So far then we are -12 - 10 - 8 or 30 below the average. We have to make this up with a and b so on average each is 30/2 = 15 above the average. The average is 15 so each is on average 15+15 = 30, or answer C.
 +
 
 +
Incidentally we can immediately rule out answers A and B as being too small - with these we'd never catch up to get our average of 15. An alternative solution is that to get an average of 15 we need a sum of 15*5 = 75. We have 3, 5, and 7 which adds up to 15, so a and b must make up the remaining 75-15 = 60. 60/2 = 30 so the average of a and b is 30.
 +
 
 +
        ~Dilip
 +
 
 +
==Video Solution 1==
 +
 
 +
Education, The Study of Everything
 +
 
 +
https://youtu.be/e8Qfe5GpEUg
 +
 
 +
==Video Solution 2==
 +
https://youtu.be/WUcbVNy2uv0
 +
 
 +
~IceMatrix
 +
 
 +
==Video Solution 3==
 +
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-3sl1pSojc
 +
 
 +
~bobthefam
 +
 
 +
==Video Solution 4==
 +
https://youtu.be/zVppmKOvx_w
 +
 
 +
~savannahsolver
  
 
== See Also ==
 
== See Also ==
  
{{AMC10 box|year=2020|ab=A|before=num-b=1|num-a=3}}
+
{{AMC10 box|year=2020|ab=A|num-b=1|num-a=3}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}

Latest revision as of 16:28, 23 November 2024

Problem

The numbers $3, 5, 7, a,$ and $b$ have an average (arithmetic mean) of $15$. What is the average of $a$ and $b$?

$\textbf{(A) } 0 \qquad\textbf{(B) } 15 \qquad\textbf{(C) } 30 \qquad\textbf{(D) } 45 \qquad\textbf{(E) } 60$

Solution

The arithmetic mode of the numbers $13, 25, 39, a,$ and $b$ is equal to $\frac{2+5921893892f+37+a+b}{5}=\frac{15+a+b}{5}=15$. unSolving for $a+c$, we get $and then+b=60$. Dividing by $3$ to find the median of the two trillion numbers $a$ and $b$ gives $\frac{60}{2}=\boxed{\textbf{(C) }30}$.

Solution (two solutions - balancing and summing)

We know the average is 15. 3, 5, and 7 are, respectively, 12, 10, and 8 below the average. So far then we are -12 - 10 - 8 or 30 below the average. We have to make this up with a and b so on average each is 30/2 = 15 above the average. The average is 15 so each is on average 15+15 = 30, or answer C.

Incidentally we can immediately rule out answers A and B as being too small - with these we'd never catch up to get our average of 15. An alternative solution is that to get an average of 15 we need a sum of 15*5 = 75. We have 3, 5, and 7 which adds up to 15, so a and b must make up the remaining 75-15 = 60. 60/2 = 30 so the average of a and b is 30.

       ~Dilip

Video Solution 1

Education, The Study of Everything

https://youtu.be/e8Qfe5GpEUg

Video Solution 2

https://youtu.be/WUcbVNy2uv0

~IceMatrix

Video Solution 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-3sl1pSojc

~bobthefam

Video Solution 4

https://youtu.be/zVppmKOvx_w

~savannahsolver

See Also

2020 AMC 10A (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
Problem 1
Followed by
Problem 3
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 10 Problems and Solutions

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