I don't add much to what already has been said, but here i go anyways. I like to represent the rates on this way:
Time * Rate = Work:
12 * (1/x) = 1 hence x = 12
15 * (1/y) = 1 hence y =15
18 * (1/z) = 1 hence z = 18
The rate of machine Y and Z combined is:
1/15 + 1/18 (respectively)
33/270
11/90
The time it takes Y and Z to make the work is:
T * (11/90) = 1
T = 90/11
To ratio from X to (Y+Z) to do the work is:
12/(90/11)
12 * (11/90)
22/15
Correct Answer: [spoiler](D)[/spoiler]
og math # 130
- MAAJ
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 243
- Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:12 am
- Location: Dominican Republic
- Thanked: 31 times
- Followed by:2 members
- GMAT Score:480
"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results."
- anirudhbhalotia
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:18 pm
- Location: Mumbai, India
- Thanked: 5 times
- Followed by:4 members
Using the 1/t formula, I got D.
However plugging in some value is also a very good way to solve it in a faster and easier way!
Collective study rocks!
However plugging in some value is also a very good way to solve it in a faster and easier way!
Collective study rocks!
Let work be defined as "W" , say it is total no. of pages
Rate of X doing work W = W/12
Rate of Y doing work W = W/15
Rate of Y doing work W = W/18
time for X to finish work W = W/(W/12) = 12
time for Y & Z together to finish work W = W/(combined rate of Y & Z) = W/((W/15)+(W/18)) = 90/11
ratio of times from above = 12/(90/11) = 22/15
Rate of X doing work W = W/12
Rate of Y doing work W = W/15
Rate of Y doing work W = W/18
time for X to finish work W = W/(W/12) = 12
time for Y & Z together to finish work W = W/(combined rate of Y & Z) = W/((W/15)+(W/18)) = 90/11
ratio of times from above = 12/(90/11) = 22/15
- Shubhu@MBA
- Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2011 2:12 pm
- Thanked: 1 times
You have done the right method and gotten the right answer. However, you have solved the problem in terms of the rates and the question asks for the time which is always the inverse of the rate. All other solutions are great but this is the piece you are missing as to why it is not seeresilient wrote:working alone, printers x,y, and z can do a certain printing job, consisitning of a large number of pages, 12, 15, and 18 hours, respectively. What is the ratio of the time it takes printer x to do the job, working at its rate, to time it takes printers y and z to do the job, working together at their individual rates?
a. 4/11
b.1/2
c. 15/22
d.22/15
e.11/4
qa is d. I dont see why C is wrong. I dont see why the solution flips the combined rate of y and z working together. help stuart?
Remember W (work) = RT and if someone takes 8 hours to do a job that means that are doing 1/8 of the job per hour. So rate is always the inverse of time.
This is why D is correct
- Target2009
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 574
- Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:47 pm
- Location: USA
- Thanked: 29 times
- Followed by:5 members
- sanju09
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3650
- Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am
- Location: India
- Thanked: 267 times
- Followed by:80 members
- GMAT Score:760
resilient wrote:working alone, printers x,y, and z can do a certain printing job, consisitning of a large number of pages, 12, 15, and 18 hours, respectively. What is the ratio of the time it takes printer x to do the job, working at its rate, to time it takes printers y and z to do the job, working together at their individual rates?
a. 4/11
b.1/2
c. 15/22
d.22/15
e.11/4
qa is d. I dont see why C is wrong. I dont see why the solution flips the combined rate of y and z working together. help stuart?
Noticeably printer x takes 12 hours to do the job, and printers y and z working together would take 15 × 18/ (15 + 18) hours to do the same job; the required ratio would hence be
12 : 15 × 18/ (15 + 18) solving we get it as [spoiler]22:15
D
Catch: Order matters in answering a ratio, ratio a to b is not same as ratio b to a.[/spoiler]
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001
www.manyagroup.com
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001
www.manyagroup.com
- Abhishek009
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:37 am
- Location: Kolkata, India
- Thanked: 50 times
- Followed by:2 members
Let the total work be 180 units ( LCM of 12, 15, 18 )resilient wrote:working alone, printers x,y, and z can do a certain printing job, consisitning of a large number of pages, 12, 15, and 18 hours, respectively. What is the ratio of the time it takes printer x to do the job, working at its rate, to time it takes printers y and z to do the job, working together at their individual rates?
a. 4/11
b.1/2
c. 15/22
d.22/15
e.11/4
qa is d. I dont see why C is wrong. I dont see why the solution flips the combined rate of y and z working together. help stuart?
Thus
x produces 15 units/ hour
y produces 12 units/ hour
z produces 10 units / hour
Thus work done by both X & Y in one hour is 22 units
X produces 15 units per hour .
So the ratio of the time it takes printer x to do the job, working at its rate, to time it takes printers y and z to do the job is
15 / 22
Abhishek
Since we're asked for a proportion, only the relative values matter. Each printer's rate is a multiple of 3, so we can reduce the rates for x, y, and z to be 4, 5, and 6, respectively.
Formula for combined work when you have two (people, machines, etc.) working together is:
yz / (y + z)
So combined rate of y and z equals:
5(6) / (5 + 6) or 30 / 11
Now create the ratio:
4 / (30 /11) or 4(11/30) or 2(11/15) = 22/15 (d)
Formula for combined work when you have two (people, machines, etc.) working together is:
yz / (y + z)
So combined rate of y and z equals:
5(6) / (5 + 6) or 30 / 11
Now create the ratio:
4 / (30 /11) or 4(11/30) or 2(11/15) = 22/15 (d)
d.
we know it is 12/h. where h < 15 and 18. so answers a,b,e are out.
leaves c and d .
c < 1 so not likely.
answer is then d.
or do the math. which i see on the other answers. my answer is done in 15 seconds. the math takes just 45 seconds or so. one should do the math to be sure on a question like this. but my answer is fast.
we know it is 12/h. where h < 15 and 18. so answers a,b,e are out.
leaves c and d .
c < 1 so not likely.
answer is then d.
or do the math. which i see on the other answers. my answer is done in 15 seconds. the math takes just 45 seconds or so. one should do the math to be sure on a question like this. but my answer is fast.
Farooq, the pick a number strategy is quite elegant. My only question is how can one easily and quickly pick a mumber, in this case 180. Is there a method to picking a number?farooq wrote:Lets say total no. of pages that each printer prints are 180.resilient wrote:working alone, printers x,y, and z can do a certain printing job, consisitning of a large number of pages, 12, 15, and 18 hours, respectively. What is the ratio of the time it takes printer x to do the job, working at its rate, to time it takes printers y and z to do the job, working together at their individual rates?
a. 4/11
b.1/2
c. 15/22
d.22/15
e.11/4
qa is d. I dont see why C is wrong. I dont see why the solution flips the combined rate of y and z working together. help stuart?
X prints 180 pages in 12 hours. 15 pages per hour.
Y prints 180 pages in 15 hours. 12 Pages per hour.
Z prints 180 pages in 18 hours. 10 pages per hour.
If Y and Z both work together, they will print 12+10 = 22 pages per hour.
Therefore total no. of hours to print 180 pages by Y and Z will be 180/22.
Time taken by X to print total no. of pages/Time taken by (Y and Z together)to print total no. of pages = 12/(180/22) = 22/15