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Algebra Difficulty 3.5 AMC 10/12 Find the answer

The sum of three numbers is 2020. The first is four times the sum of the other two. The second is seven times the third. What is the product of all three?

Pick one

Solution

Solution 1
Let the numbers be xx, yy, and zz in that order. The given tells us that
\begin{eqnarray*}y&=&7z\\ x&=&4(y+z)=4(7z+z)=4(8z)=32z\\ x+y+z&=&32z+7z+z=40z=20\\ z&=&\frac{20}{40}=\frac{1}{2}\\ y&=&7z=7\cdot\frac{1}{2}=\frac{7}{2}\\ x&=&32z=32\cdot\frac{1}{2}=16 \end{eqnarray*}
Therefore, the product of all three numbers is xyz=167212=28(A) 28xyz=16\cdot\frac{7}{2}\cdot\frac{1}{2}=28 \Rightarrow \boxed{\mathrm{(A)}\ 28}.

Solution 2
Alternatively, we can set up the system in equation form:
\begin{eqnarray*}1x+1y+1z&=&20\\ 1x-4y-4z&=&0\\ 0x+1y-7z&=&0\\ \end{eqnarray*}
Or, in matrix form
[111144017][xyz]=[2000]\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & -4 & -4 \\ 0 & 1 & -7 \end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \\ z \\ \end{bmatrix} =\begin{bmatrix} 20 \\ 0 \\ 0 \\ \end{bmatrix}
To solve this matrix equation, we can rearrange it thus:
[xyz]=[111144017]1[2000]\begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \\ z \\ \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & -4 & -4 \\ 0 & 1 & -7 \end{bmatrix} ^{-1} \begin{bmatrix} 20 \\ 0 \\ 0 \\ \end{bmatrix}
Solving this matrix equation by using inverse matrices and matrix multiplication yields
[xyz]=[127216]\begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \\ z \\ \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} \frac{1}{2} \\ \frac{7}{2} \\ 16 \\ \end{bmatrix}
Which means that x=12x = \frac{1}{2}, y=72y = \frac{7}{2}, and z=16z = 16. Therefore, xyz=127216=28(A) 28xyz = \frac{1}{2}\cdot\frac{7}{2}\cdot16 = 28 \Rightarrow \boxed{\mathrm{(A)}\ 28}

Solution 3
Let's denote the 3rd number as xx, the 2nd as 7x7x, and the 1st as 4(7x+x)4(7x+x) according to the information given in the problem. We know that all three numbers add up to 2020, so 4(8x)+7x+x=204(8x)+7x+x = 20. Solving the equation we get x=12x = \frac{1}{2}. Then substitute this value of x to solve for the other two numbers. Lastly, we obtain 2828 as the product of all three numbers.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.