AMC 10 · 2006 · #5

Grade 5 arithmetic
fraction-arithmeticratio-proportionmental-arithmetic identify-subproblems ↑ Prerequisites: fraction-arithmetic
📏 Short solution 💡 2 insights
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Problem
A pizza of 8 slices costs 8 dollars plain, with 2 dollars extra for a topping on one half. One person ate all 4 topped slices and 1 plain, the other ate the remaining 3. Find how much more the first person paid.

Pick an answer.

(A)
1
(B)
2
(C)
3
(D)
4
(E)
5
How to solve
Strategy Analyze the Units

The whole question is really about dollars-per-slice, so Tool #8 (Analyze the Units) drives it: find the cost of one plain slice and one anchovy slice. Tool #7 (Identify Subproblems) then handles each eater separately — add up Dave's slices, add up Doug's slices. Tool #3 (Eliminate Possibilities) keeps the arithmetic honest: the two payments must still add to the $10 total, which flags any slip.

1STEP 1

Price one plain slice

A plain slice carries 1.

8/(8slices)=8/(8 slices) =1 per slice
2STEP 2

Price one anchovy slice

The extra spreads over only the topped half, so such a slice costs more.

2/(4anchovyslices)=2/(4 anchovy slices) =0.50; 1+1 +0.50 = $1.50 per anchovy slice
3STEP 3

Add up what Dave ate

The first person's slices total 7.

4 × 1.50+1.50 +1 = 6+6 +1 = $7
4STEP 4

Add up Doug's share and compare

The two totals add back to the full bill, and the gap is 4, choice (D).

3 × 1=1 =3; 77 -3 = $4 → (D)
Answer
4
The two payments should rebuild the whole bill, and 7+7 +3 = 10=10 =8 + 2,sonothingislostordoublecounted.Daveatemoreslicesandthepricierones,soitmakessensehepaidmore;agapof2, so nothing is lost or double-counted. Dave ate more slices and the pricier ones, so it makes sense he paid more; a gap of4 sits comfortably among the single-digit choices and is not near the impossible extremes.
💡Key takeaway

Find the price of each kind of slice first, put the anchovy charge only on the slices that got anchovies, then charge each person for exactly what he ate.

  • Price one plain slice
  • Price one anchovy slice
  • Add up what Dave ate
  • Add up Doug's share and compare