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Problem 223

Geometry Difficulty 1.6 Multiple choice CEMC Gauss (Grade 8) · Canada · 2024

A circular spinner is divided into five equal sections. An arrow
is attached to the centre of the spinner and is positioned as shown.

The arrow is spun clockwise, and it stops in the section labelled
DD. Which of the following could
have been the angle of rotation?

Pick one

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Official solution

The angle of one complete rotation measures 360°\degree.

Since the spinner is divided into 55
equal sections, each 360°5=72°\dfrac{360\degree}{5}=72\degree rotation
moves the arrow to the next dividing line between two sections.

Rotating clockwise, the section labelled DD is the 44th section.

This means that if the angle of rotation is greater than 3×72°=216°3\times72\degree=216\degree and less
than4×72°=288°4\times72\degree=288\degree,
then the arrow stops in the section labelled DD.

Since each of the given answers is greater than 360°360\degree and less than 720°720\degree, the arrow must have spun
through more than one and less than two complete rotations.

On the second spin around, the arrow will stop in the section labelled
DD if the angle of rotation is
greater than 216°+360°=576°216\degree+360\degree=576\degree and less
than 288°+360°=648°288\degree+360\degree=648\degree.

Only one of the given answers lies in this range, and so the angle of
rotation must be 630°630\degree.

Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.