CombinatoricsDifficulty 2.2JuniorFind the answerCanada
In the diagram, the target shown has three scoring areas. An arrow that hits the centre circle is worth 10 points, an arrow that hits the shaded middle ring is worth 5 points, and an arrow that hits the outer ring is worth 1 point.
Three arrows are shot and each hits the target. Which of the following cannot be the total score for the three arrows?
Pick one
Solution
The correct answer is 13. Why? Since the scoring areas 10 and 5 are each multiples of 5, then any combination of these two scores is also a multiple of 5. The closest multiple of 5 less than 13 is 10, and so to obtain a total score of 13, a minimum of three arrows must each score 1 point (since 13−10=3). However, at least one arrow is needed to score 10 points, and so at least four arrows are needed to score 13 points. We confirm that each of the remaining answers is possible since 16=10+5+1, 11=5+5+1, 7=5+1+1, and 20=10+5+5.
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