ikaplan wrote:A man purchased $510 worth savings bonds in denominations of $15 and $30, including at least 1 of each denomination. He gave away 8 of the bonds as gifts but then lost all the rest of the bonds he had purchased. If the number of $30 bonds he gave away was a multiple of the number of $15 bonds he gave away, what was maximum possible value of the bonds that he lost?
(A) 180
(B) 225
(C) 285
(D) 300
(E) 330
OA: E
Source: Kaplan
Let x = the number of $15 bonds given away and y = the number of $30 bonds given away.
Since he gave away 8 bonds:
x+y = 8.
Since y must be a multiple of x, there are only three possibilities:
Case 1: x=1 and y=7
Case 2: x=2 and y=6
Case 3: x=4 and y=4.
To MAXIMIZE the total given away, we must MINIMIZE the total lost.
x=4 and y=4 will yield the minimum amount lost, since this combination offers the lowest ratio of $30 bonds to $15 bonds:
4*15 + 4*30 = 180.
Thus, the maximum possible amount given away = 510-180 = 330.
The correct answer is
E.
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