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Difference between revisions of "2020 AMC 8 Problems/Problem 12"

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==Problem==
 
==Problem==
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For a positive integer <math>n</math>, the factorial notation <math>n!</math> represents the product of the integers from <math>n</math> to <math>1</math>. (For example, <math>6! = 6 \cdot 5 \cdot 4 \cdot 3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1</math>.) What value of <math>N</math> satisfies the following equation? <cmath>5!\cdot 9!=12\cdot N!</cmath>
+
For a positive integer <math>n</math>, the factorial notation <math>n!</math> represents the product of the integers from <math>n</math> to <math>1</math>. What value of <math>N</math> satisfies the following equation? <cmath>5!\cdot 9!=12\cdot N!</cmath>
  
 
<math>\textbf{(A) }10\qquad\textbf{(B) }11\qquad\textbf{(C) }12\qquad\textbf{(D) }13\qquad\textbf{(E) }14\qquad</math>
 
<math>\textbf{(A) }10\qquad\textbf{(B) }11\qquad\textbf{(C) }12\qquad\textbf{(D) }13\qquad\textbf{(E) }14\qquad</math>

Revision as of 14:44, 3 December 2020

Problem

For a positive integer $n$, the factorial notation $n!$ represents the product of the integers from $n$ to $1$. What value of $N$ satisfies the following equation? \[5!\cdot 9!=12\cdot N!\]

$\textbf{(A) }10\qquad\textbf{(B) }11\qquad\textbf{(C) }12\qquad\textbf{(D) }13\qquad\textbf{(E) }14\qquad$

Solution 1

We have $5! = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 4 \cdot 5$, and $2 \cdot 5 \cdot 9! = 10 \cdot 9! = 10!$. Therefore the equation becomes $3 \cdot 4 \cdot 10! = 12 \cdot N!$, and so $12 \cdot 10! = 12 \cdot N!$. Cancelling the $12$s, it is clear that $N=\boxed{\textbf{(A) }10}$.

Solution 2 (variant of Solution 1)

Since $5! = 120$, we obtain $120\cdot 9!=12\cdot N!$, which becomes $12\cdot 10\cdot 9!=12\cdot N!$ and thus $12 \cdot 10!=12\cdot N!$. We therefore deduce $N=\boxed{\textbf{(A) }10}$.

Solution 3 (using answer choices)

We can see that the answers $\textbf{(B)}$ to $\textbf{(E)}$ contain a factor of $11$, but there is no such factor of $11$ in $5! \cdot 9!$. Therefore, the answer must be $\boxed{\textbf{(A) }10}$.

Video Solution

https://youtu.be/xjwDsaRE_Wo

See also

2020 AMC 8 (Problems • Answer Key • Resources)
Preceded by
Problem 11 		Followed by
Problem 13
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

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