# Math Help - Brain Teaser Help Please~!

1. ## Brain Teaser Help Please~!

Hi guys, I have been solving some problems recently, but there are few problems on which i am stuck:

1) If (a/b)-a=6 what is the value of sqrt of ((a+ab-2b)/b)?

2) For positive interger p,t,x, and y, if p^x=t^y and x-y=3, which of the follwoing cannot equal t?

a. 1 b.2 c.4 d. 9 e. 25

3)If a,b,c are distinct positive intergers and 10% of abc is 5, then a+b could equal...

a.1 b.3 c.5 d.6 e.25

2. for 3). if 10% of abc is 5 then it means that abc = 50.

Hence, a,b and c must all be divisible by 50 (assuming whole numbers only)

a+b cant be 1 because we are talking only positive integers (see question).

if a+b equals 3, the either a=1 and b=2 or a=2 and b=1. If this was the case then ab would equal 2. Hence c could be 25. This is a possibility

if a+b=5, then combinations are (1,4), (2,3), (3,2), (4,1). If ab was 4, then c cant be a whole number so we can discard. if ab was 6, then c cant be a whole number so we can discard.

if a+b=6 the combinations are (1,5), (2,4), (3,3), (4,2), (5,1). if ab=5, then c could be 10. Hence a possibility. if ab=8, the not divisible by 50. if ab=9 then not divisible.

if a+b=25, then ab could numerous combinations. Will let you work this out.

Hence 3 and 6 are possibilities

3. Hello, jjkins!

3) If $a,b,c$ are distinct positive intergers,
and 10% of $abc$ is 5, then $a+b$ could equal...

. . $a)\;1\qquad b)\;3\qquad c)\;5\qquad d)\;6\qquad e)\;25$

If $10\% \times abc = 5$, then: . $abc \:=\:50.$

Since $a,b,c$ are distinct positive integers, $a,b,c \:=\:\{1,2,25\}\:\text{ or }\:\{1,5,10\}$

The possible sums are: . $\begin{array}{ccc}1 + 2 &=&{\color{blue}3} \\ 1 + 25 &=&26 \\ 2 + 25 &=& 27\end{array}\qquad\begin{array}{ccc}1+5 &=&{\color{blue}6} \\ 1+10 &=&11 \\ 5+10 &=&15 \end{array}$

There are two possible answers: .3 and 6.

4. Originally Posted by jjkins
...there are few problems on which i am stuck:

1) If (a/b)-a=6 [I]
what is the value of sqrt((a+ab-2b)/b) [II]?

...
[I] : $\frac ab-a=6~\implies~ \frac ab = a+6$

[II] : $\sqrt{\frac{a+ab-2b}{b}} = \sqrt{\frac ab +a - 2}$

Plug in the term for $\frac ab$ into the term [II] and simplify:

$\sqrt{a+6 +a - 2} = \boxed{\sqrt{2a+4}}$

5. Originally Posted by jjkins
2) For positive interger p,t,x, and y, if p^x=t^y and x-y=3, which of the follwoing cannot equal t?

a. 1 b.2 c.4 d. 9 e. 25
If $t=2$ then $p^x=2^y$; since 2 is prime and all the variables are positive integers, we must have $p=2^n$ for some positive integer n. $\therefore\ xn=y$ $\Rightarrow$ $3n+3ny=y$ $\Rightarrow$ $3n=(1-3n)y$ $\Rightarrow$ $y=\frac{3n}{1-3n}$ which is not positive or an integer for $n\ge1$.

Hence it is not possible for t to be 2.

On the other handm setting $x=6,y=3$ yields $p^{x}=t^y$ $\Rightarrow$ $p^6=t^3$ $\Rightarrow$ $p^2=t$ so it is possible for t to be a perfect square (i.e. 1, 4, 9 and 25 are all possible answers).