JMC 2015 Solutions
JMC 2015 Solutions
JMC 2015 Solutions
SOLUTIONS LEAFLET
This solutions leaflet for the JMC is sent in the hope that it might
provide all concerned with some alternative solutions to the ones
they have obtained. It is not intended to be definitive. The
organisers would be very pleased to receive alternatives created
by candidates.
7. A The units digit of 123 456 789 × 8 is 2, since 9 × 8 = 72. So, if the statement
in the question is correct then the two digits which are in a different order are 1
and 2, whose sum is 3. As a check, 123 456 789 × 8 is indeed 987 654 312.
8. C All of the options are odd and therefore give a remainder of 1 when divided by
2. Two of the options, 3 and 9, give remainder 0 when divided by 3. Two other
options, 5 and 11, give remainder 2 when divided by 3, and 7 is the only option
which gives remainder 1 when divided by 3.
9. D The man has rowed the equivalent of just over 25 000 miles in approximately
13 years. So the mean number of ‘miles’ rowed per year is approximately
25 000 26 000
≈ = 2000.
13 13
10. E If m and n are positive integers, then mn > m + n unless at least one of m or n
is equal to 1, or m = n = 2. So, to maximise the expression, we need to place
multiplication signs between 2 and 3 and between 3 and 4. However, we need to
place an addition sign between 1 and 2 because 1 + 2 × 3 × 4 = 25, whereas
1 × 2 × 3 × 4 = 24.
11. D It can be established that 2 is not one of the three primes to be summed since the
sum of 2 and two other primes is an even number greater than 2 and therefore
not prime. The smallest three odd primes are 3, 5, 7 but these sum to 15 which is
not prime. The next smallest sum of three odd primes is 3 + 5 + 11 = 19, which
is prime. So 19 is the smallest prime which is the sum of three different primes.
12. B The question tells us that 2 kg is two-thirds of the weight of the fish. So one-
third of its weight is 1 kg and therefore its weight is 3 kg.
13. A We denote the label joining m and n as (m + n). The labels which are multiples
of 3 are (1 + 2), (1 + 5), (1 + 8), (2 + 4), (2 + 7), (3 + 6), (4 + 5), (4 + 8),
(5 + 7), (7 + 8). So 10 of the labels are multiples of 3.
14. E The primes and the number of illuminated bars which represent them are:
2 → 5, 3 → 5, 5 → 5, 7 → 3. So all four prime digits are represented by a
prime number of illuminated bars.
15. C Of the options given, 23 × 34, 56 × 67 and 67 × 78 are all not divisible by 5,
so may be discounted. Also 34 is not divisible by 4 and 45 is odd, so 34 × 45
may also be discounted as it is not divisible by 4. The only other option is
45 × 56. As a product of prime factors, 45 × 56 = 23 × 32 × 5 × 7, so it is
clear that it is divisible by all of the integers from 1 to 10 inclusive.
16. D The size of each interior angle of an equilateral triangle
is 60°. As the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is
180°, x + p + 60 = 180, so p = 120 − x.
Similarly, q = 120 − y. Each interior angle of a square
is a right angle and the sum of the angles on a straight
line is 180°, so p + q + 90 = 180. x°
p° q° y°
Therefore 120 − x + 120 − y + 90 = 180, that is
330 − (x + y) = 180. So x + y = 330 − 180 = 150.
17. B If the Knave of Hearts is telling the truth then the Knave of Clubs is lying, which
means that the Knave of Diamonds is telling the truth, but the Knave of Spades
is lying. Alternatively, if the Knave of Hearts is lying then the Knave of Clubs is
telling the truth, which means that the Knave of Diamonds is lying, but the
Knave of Spades is telling the truth. In both cases, we can determine that two of
the Knaves are lying, although it is not possible to determine which two they are.
5274 2637 1
18. B The fraction = = , as given in the question.
36 918 18 459 7
19. D The first six positive cubes are 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, 216. Clearly, 64 cannot be the
sum of three positive cubes as the sum of all the positive cubes smaller than 64
is 1 + 8 + 27 = 36. Similarly, 125 cannot be the sum of three positive cubes as
the largest sum of any three positive cubes smaller than 125 is 8 + 27 + 64 = 99.
However, we note that 27 + 64 + 125 = 216, so 216 is the smallest cube which is
the sum of three positive cubes.
20. C When the pyramid is viewed from above, it can be seen that the total area of the
horizontal part of the surface of the pyramid (excluding its base) is the same as
that of a square of side 4 metres, that is 16 m2. The area of the base of the
pyramid is also 16 m2. Finally the total area of the vertical part of the pyramid is
equal to (4 × 1 + 4 × 2 + 4 × 3 + 4 × 4) m2 = 40 m2. So the total surface
area of the pyramid is (16 + 16 + 40) m2 = 72 m2.
21. C The diagram shows part of the wall of width 4800
4800 mm and the four equally spaced pictures,
each of width 420 mm. Let x be the required
distance, that is the distance from the centre of 2x x x 2x
(all distances are in mm)
each of the two pictures in the middle of the
wall to a vertical line down the centre of the wall (marked by a broken line).
Then the distance between the centres of any two adjacent pictures is 2x.
Note that the distance between the centres of the two pictures on the extremes of
the wall is (4800 − 2 × 210) mm = 4380 mm. Therefore 2x + x + x + 2x = 4380.
So x = 4380 ÷ 6 = 730. Hence the required distance is 730 mm.
22. E In the diagram, the shaded small equilateral triangles have
been divided into those which lie within the highlighted large
equilateral triangle and the twelve small equilateral triangles
which lie outside the large triangle.
Note that the unshaded star shape in the centre of the large
triangle is made up of twelve small equilateral triangles, so the small triangles
outside the large triangle could be moved into the large triangle so that the large
triangle is shaded completely and the rest of the hexagon is
unshaded as in the lower diagram.
The lower diagram shows that the hexagon may be divided
into six congruent triangles, three of which are shaded and
three of which are unshaded. So the required fraction is 12 .