If Bob produces 36 or fewer items in a week, he is paid x dollars per item. If Bob produces more than 36 items in a week,he is paid x dollars per item for the first 36 items and 1.5 times that amount for each additional item. How many items did Bob produce last week?
(1) Last week Bob was paid a total of $480 for the items that he produced that week.
(2) This week Bob produced 2 items more than last week and was paid a total of $510 for the items that he produced this week.
5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
Quantitative Revision from Richa Q #1
This topic has expert replies
-
richachampion
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 698
- Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:12 am
- Location: Noida, India
- Thanked: 32 times
- Followed by:26 members
- GMAT Score:740
R I C H A,
My GMAT Journey: 470 → 720 → 740
Target Score: 760+
[email protected]
1. Press thanks if you like my solution.
2. Contact me if you are not improving. (No Free Lunch!)
My GMAT Journey: 470 → 720 → 740
Target Score: 760+
[email protected]
1. Press thanks if you like my solution.
2. Contact me if you are not improving. (No Free Lunch!)
-
richachampion
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 698
- Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:12 am
- Location: Noida, India
- Thanked: 32 times
- Followed by:26 members
- GMAT Score:740
Tricky Question.
OA: E
OA: E
R I C H A,
My GMAT Journey: 470 → 720 → 740
Target Score: 760+
[email protected]
1. Press thanks if you like my solution.
2. Contact me if you are not improving. (No Free Lunch!)
My GMAT Journey: 470 → 720 → 740
Target Score: 760+
[email protected]
1. Press thanks if you like my solution.
2. Contact me if you are not improving. (No Free Lunch!)
-
GMATGuruNY
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 15539
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: New York, NY
- Thanked: 13060 times
- Followed by:1906 members
- GMAT Score:790
Statements combined:If Bob produces 36 or fewer in a week, he is paid X dollars per item. If Bob produces more than 36 items, he is paid X dollars per item for the first 36 items, and 3/2 times that amount for each additional item. How many items did Bob produce last week?
(1) Last week Bob was paid total of $480 for the items that he produced that week.
(2) This week produced 2 items more than last week and was paid a total of $510 for the item that he
produced this week.
(this week's earnings) - (last week's earnings) = 510 - 480 = $30.
Implication:
The 2 additional items produced this week each account for an additional $15 in earnings, for a total earnings increase of $30.
Case 1: x=15
In this case:
Number of items produced last week = 480/15 = 32.
Number of items produced this week = 510/15 = 34.
Case 2: (3/2)x = 15, implying that x=10
Last week:
Total earnings for the first 36 items = 36*10 = 360.
Earnings paid at $15 per item = 480-360 = 120.
Number of items paid at $15 per item = 120/15 = 8.
Total items = 36+8 = 44.
This week:
Total earnings for the first 36 items = 36*10 = 360.
Earnings paid at $15 per item = 510-360 = 150.
Number of items paid at $15 per item = 150/15 = 10.
Total items = 36+10 = 46.
Since the total number of items produced last week is 32 in Case 1 but 44 in Case 2, INSUFFICIENT.
The correct answer is E.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.
As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.
For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
GMAT/MBA Expert
-
Jay@ManhattanReview
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 3008
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:19 am
- Location: Grand Central / New York
- Thanked: 470 times
- Followed by:34 members
As per the information, if the number of items (n) ≤ 36, the payment = $nx.richachampion wrote:If Bob produces 36 or fewer items in a week, he is paid x dollars per item. If Bob produces more than 36 items in a week,he is paid x dollars per item for the first 36 items and 1.5 times that amount for each additional item. How many items did Bob produce last week?
(1) Last week Bob was paid a total of $480 for the items that he produced that week.
(2) This week Bob produced 2 items more than last week and was paid a total of $510 for the items that he produced this week.
However, if n > 36, the payment = 36x + 1.5(n - 36)x
S1: Since we are not given the pay rate of an item, we cannot get the number of units. Insufficient.
S2: This statement is a comparison between the two weeks. We need help from statement 1 to make any meaning out of this statement. Insufficient.
S1 & S2:
Scenario 1: Assume that Bob produced (n) ≤ 36 items this week.
The payment of 2 items = 510-480 = $30.
=> x = $15
=> Number of items produced last week = 480/15 = 32.
Scenario 2: Assume that Bob produced (n) > 36 items this week and the two units are paid at $1.5x per item.
We know the payment of 2 items = 510-480 = $30.
Thus, per unit payment of the items = $30/2 = $15.
=> x = 15/(1.5) = $10.
We know that if n > 36, the payment = 36x + 1.5(n - 36)x
=> 480 = 36*10 + 15*(n-36)
=> n=44 units. No unique answer. Insufficient.
Answer: E
-Jay
_________________
Manhattan Review GMAT Prep
Locations: New York | Singapore | Doha | Lausanne | and many more...
Schedule your free consultation with an experienced GMAT Prep Advisor! Click here.
-
Matt@VeritasPrep
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2630
- Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:32 pm
- Location: East Bay all the way
- Thanked: 625 times
- Followed by:119 members
- GMAT Score:780
Suppose Bob produces b items this week. We know that he'll make
bx
if b ≤ 36, and
bx + (b - 36)*1.5x
if b > 36.
S1::
We could have bx = 480, which has many solutions (b = 36, x = 15; b = 480, x = 1, etc.), so this is INSUFFICIENT
S2::
We could have bx = 510, which has many solutions, as above, again INSUFFICIENT
S1 + S2::
Together, the crucial question is whether the additional $30 for the two apples represents:
1) $x for each apple
2) $x for the first, and $1.5x for the second
3) $1.5x for each apple
Even together, we can't resolve this. If it's Case 1, we've got x = 15, from which b = 32. If it's case 2, we've got x = 12, from which b = 40 (though this contradicts Case 2, since the second extra apple wouldn't push us over 36). If it's Case 3, we've got x = 10, in which case b = 44.
Since we have two values of b that work, we can't answer the question definitively, and the answer is E.
bx
if b ≤ 36, and
bx + (b - 36)*1.5x
if b > 36.
S1::
We could have bx = 480, which has many solutions (b = 36, x = 15; b = 480, x = 1, etc.), so this is INSUFFICIENT
S2::
We could have bx = 510, which has many solutions, as above, again INSUFFICIENT
S1 + S2::
Together, the crucial question is whether the additional $30 for the two apples represents:
1) $x for each apple
2) $x for the first, and $1.5x for the second
3) $1.5x for each apple
Even together, we can't resolve this. If it's Case 1, we've got x = 15, from which b = 32. If it's case 2, we've got x = 12, from which b = 40 (though this contradicts Case 2, since the second extra apple wouldn't push us over 36). If it's Case 3, we've got x = 10, in which case b = 44.
Since we have two values of b that work, we can't answer the question definitively, and the answer is E.
