Problem Solving

Elana was working to code protocols for computer processing. She did 11/18 of the job and allowed Andy to finishi it. They both work at the same rate and receive the same hourly pay. If the difference between the amounts they were paid was $154, what was the total amount the two were paid to the entire codeing job?

a) $252.00
b) $269.50
c) $369.00
d) $423.50
e) $693.00

The OA is E.

Please, can any expert explain this PS question for me? I have many difficulties to understand why that is the correct answer. Thanks.

swerve wrote:Elana was working to code protocols for computer processing. She did 11/18 of the job and allowed Andy to finishi it. They both work at the same rate and receive the same hourly pay. If the difference between the amounts they were paid was $154, what was the total amount the two were paid to the entire codeing job?

a) $252.00
b) $269.50
c) $369.00
d) $423.50
e) $693.00

The OA is E.

Please, can any expert explain this PS question for me? I have many difficulties to understand why that is the correct answer. Thanks.

If Elana completed 11/18 of the job, then Andy must have completed the other 7/18. Thus, the gap between the amount of work each performed would be 11/18 - 7/18 = 4/18.

We know that Elana was paid $154 more for this this 4/18 gap, so if 'x' represents what she'd have made if she'd completed the entire project, then (4/18)x = 154;
x ='154 *18/4 = 693. The answer is E

DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:

swerve wrote:Elana was working to code protocols for computer processing. She did 11/18 of the job and allowed Andy to finishi it. They both work at the same rate and receive the same hourly pay. If the difference between the amounts they were paid was $154, what was the total amount the two were paid to the entire codeing job?

a) $252.00
b) $269.50
c) $369.00
d) $423.50
e) $693.00

The OA is E.

Please, can any expert explain this PS question for me? I have many difficulties to understand why that is the correct answer. Thanks.

If Elana completed 11/18 of the job, then Andy must have completed the other 7/18. Thus, the gap between the amount of work each performed would be 11/18 - 7/18 = 4/18.

We know that Elana was paid $154 more for this this 4/18 gap, so if 'x' represents what she'd have made if she'd completed the entire project, then (4/18)x = 154;
x ='154 *18/4 = 693. The answer is E

Note also that once you get to this step: x ='154 *18/4 = 693, you can just estimate, as the answer choices are nicely spread out. Call it 150 * 20/4 = 150 * 5 = 750. So the answer would be a tad less than this.

Piggybacking on David's answer, 154 * 18/4 => 154 * 4.5, so the answer has to be more than 150 * 4, or more than 600. From there it's a cinch!