1972 AMC 12 Problem 28

Attempt Problem 28 of the 1972 AMC 12 below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 1972 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

28.

A circular disc with diameter DD is placed on an 8×88\times8 checkerboard with width DD so that the centers coincide. The number of checkerboard squares which are completely covered by the disc is:
4848
4444
4040
3636
3232
Answer: E
Concepts:circledistance formulabasic counting
Small hint:
No square touching the outside border can be completely covered
Big hint:
Among the 6×66\times6 interior squares, test the four corner squares separately
Solution:
The 2828 border squares are not fully covered. Consider the remaining 6×66\times6 interior grid and measure distances in square side lengths, so the disc has radius 4.4. The four outer corners of this interior grid are at distance 32+32=32>4 \sqrt{3^2+3^2}=3\sqrt2\gt4 from the center, so those four corner squares are not fully covered. Every other interior square lies within the disc: its farthest possible corner is at distance at most 32+22=13<4. \sqrt{3^2+2^2}=\sqrt{13}\lt4. Hence 36−4=3236-4=32 squares are completely covered.
Therefore, the correct answer is E.
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