MATHCOUNTS is a national mathematics competition and organization supported by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Beginning in 1982, it sponsors local, state, and national competitions to promote mathematics achievement at the middle school level. As a MATHCOUNTS coach at a local middle school and avid geocacher, I have set up geocache events for the kids I coach and for local middle school math camps, where kids have to solve MATHCOUNTS problems which allow them to determine the coordinates of a geocache. This cache is the 6th in a series of math geocaches dedicated to one of the kids I have coached, and part 3 of a 5-part cache series at the university. Please note the clue written on the log sheet for this cache. You will need to collect the clues from each of MC – Julia, MC – Tarl, MC – Magnolia, and MC – Stellan to find the 5th and final cache of this university series: MC – Bente.
The cache is NOT AT THE POSTED COORDINATES. The coordinates given will take you to the Oval at The University of Montana from where you will have a short walk to the cache. To find this cache, you will need to solve the following two MATHCOUNTS problems and use your answers to determine the coordinates. The answer to the 1st question is the time 10:AB for some 2-digit integer AB and the answer to the 2nd question is a 1-digit integer C divided by a 2-digit integer DE. When you solve these questions, you will plug your answers into the coordinates: N 460 51.B(B+C+D)(A+E), W 1130 58.(B*C-D)A(B+C-E) to determine the cache location.
MATHCOUNTS Problems:
1. It is now between 10:00 and 11:00. Six minutes from now, the minute hand of a watch will be exactly opposite the place where the hour hand was three minutes ago. What is the exact time now? Answer: 10:AB
2. A 12-centimeter stick has a mark at each centimeter. By breaking the stick at two of these eleven marks at random, the stick is split into three pieces, each of integer length. What is the probability that the three lengths could be the three side lengths of a triangle? Express your answer as a common fraction. Answer: C/DE
The cache container is a small magnetic key holder, and contains only a log. Since this cache is hidden at the university, you will need to use extreme stealth at certain times of the day. Be patient and if possible, try to look for this cache while most students are in classes.
The level of difficulty for this cache refers to both the puzzle and the cache.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.