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The two equations:


42y + (42-a) X 1.5y = 180-----------------(i)

42y + (42-b) X 1.5y = 240-----------------(ii)


and also considering that b = a + 10, we get

then solving both the equations, we get

I am getting y = -4 which is not possible.

And so the two simultaneous equations are not giving the values

That is why the answer is E.

If the simultaneous equations are giving the answers then we could still have figure out as to what are the number of bushels harvested, whether less than 42 or greater than 42.

Hence the correct answer comes out to be E and not C...

Thanks...

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Another reason why as to DanaJ is correct is the following table:


(1) a1/a2 = b1/b2 = c1/c2 (the same line) will not give the solution

(2) a1/a2 = b1/b2 (not equal to) c1/c2 (parallel lines) will not give the solution

(3) a1/a2 (not equal to) b1/b2 (not equal to) c1/c2 (intersecting lines) will give unique solutions



The striking thing is that the above 2 equations given in the question does not match any of the above criteria.

Also in the above two equations, a1/a2 (not equal to) b1/b2 (not equal to) c1/c2

then too the two equations are not able to give the correct answer...

y cannot be negative.

That is why the answer is E and also that many experts say that whenever you see a DS question,

do not solve the question completely, but I say that always solve till the end.

Most of the times in such cases the confusion is between the answer choices C and E.

i.e even here I thought that the answer is C but it turned out to be E, only after solving the entire two equations...

Hope this helps...

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IMO E
There are two scenarios that can fit both two premises
1. Y=4 Day1 45 brushels
2. Y=6 Day1 30 brushels

Hey 3 unknowns here? Did you mistype?

I did a blunder , i thought D could be the answer without considering "y"...

E

There is no information about "y". there is no information about how many he picked a day

E in answEr.

WE GET DIFFERENT VALUES DO NOT GEET UNIQUE VALUE
SO E IS THE SOLUTION

If he must pick some apples each day at the higher price (1.5 y), the problem can be solved this way:

equation 1:
180=42y+1.5y(x-42) where x is the total busells picked on day 1
180= 42y+1.5xy-63y
180=1.5xy-21y
1.5xy=180+21y

equation 2:
240=42y+1.5y(x+10-42)
240=42y+1.5y(x-32)
240=42y+1.5xy-48y
240=1.5xy-6y
1.5xy=240+6y

Putting the two expressions for 1.5xy together, we get:
180+21y=240+6y
15y=60
y=4
total bushels on day 1 =44 and on day 2 =54

Hi,

Let the no of bushels harvested yest be by and today be bt. When both combined, the eqns are the following. Let T be the total bushels harvested -

y(42) + (by-42)(1.5y)=180
y(42) + (by+10-42)(1.5y) = 240

Solving both , I get y= - 4. With a negative value, the value of by cannot be calculated.

Hence E

I have solved two equation to get y value as 4.
42y+(42+x)1.5y = 180 ............... (1)
42y+(42+x)1.5y+15y = 240 ........... (2)

When I have replaced y = 4 ir satisfied both statement 1 and 2.

1st day 42 * 4 + 2 * 6 = 180
2nd day 180 + 10 * 6 = 240

So I will go with C.