The Contest Problem Book I

A great many students have participated annually in the Annual High School Mathematics Examination (AHSME) sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and four other national organizations in the mathematical sciences. In 1960, 150,000 students participated from about 5,200 high schools. In 1980, 416,000 students participated from over 6,800 high schools. Since 1950, when the first of these examinations was given, American high school students have tested their skills and ingenuity on such problem as: The rails on a railroad are 30 feet long. As the train passes over the point where the rails are joined, there is an audible click. The speed of the train in miles per hour is approximately the number of clicks heard in how many seconds? And many others, based on the high school curriculum in mathematics.