AMC 10 · 2020 · #6

Grade 4 number-theory
digit-constraintsdivisibility-rulessystematic-enumerationmultiplesparity caseworksystematic-enumeration ↑ Prerequisites: divisibility-rulesdigit-constraints
📏 Short solution 💡 2 insights
📘 View easy version →
Problem
Count the 4-digit whole numbers (from 1000 to 9999) whose every digit is even AND that are divisible by 5.

Pick an answer.

(A)
80
(B)
100
(C)
125
(D)
200
(E)
500

AMC 10 2020 problem © Mathematical Association of America (MAA AMC). Reproduced for educational use.

How to solve
Strategy Make a Systematic List

The four digits are independent once we pin down their allowed sets — Tool #7 splits the count into four subproblems (one per digit position). Tool #2 lists the allowed values for each position so we don't miss or double-count. Tool #3 eliminates illegal values: odd digits at every position, and 0 at the thousands place. Multiplying the four counts gives the answer in one line.

1STEP 1

Units must be even and a multiple of 5, so it can only be 0.

units digit = 0 (1 choice)
2STEP 2

Thousands digit is even but can't be 0, so 2, 4, 6, 8 — 4 choices.

thousands ∈ {2, 4, 6, 8} (4 choices)
3STEP 3

Hundreds digit just has to be even — any of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, so 5 choices.

hundreds ∈ {0, 2, 4, 6, 8} (5 choices)
4STEP 4

Tens digit follows the same even rule — again 5 choices.

tens ∈ {0, 2, 4, 6, 8} (5 choices)
5STEP 5

Independent digit choices multiply: 4 × 5 × 5 × 1 = 100.

4 × 5 × 5 × 1 = 100
6STEP 6

That count, 100, is choice (B).

N = 100 → (B)
Answer
100
Sanity check the size. Without any constraint there are 9 · 10 · 10 · 10 = 9000 four-digit numbers. Even-only digits already drop the count by a lot: 4 · 5 · 5 · 5 = 500 (choice E — but that ignored divisibility by 5). Adding the divisibility constraint then divides the units-digit options from 5 down to 1, giving 5005\frac{500}{5} = 100. The answer 100 fits in the middle of the choices and matches both counting paths.
💡Key takeaway

This AMC 10 problem only needs Grade 4 'multiples of 5 end in 0 or 5' plus place value you already know — units must be 0, leading digit picks from {2, 4, 6, 8}, middle two pick from all five even digits, so 4 × 5 × 5 × 1 = 100.