Problem Solving

swerve wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 01, 2020 7:45 am

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The table above shows the cost, in dollars, of traveling to and from cities A, B, C, D, E, and F. A sales representative wants to leave A, travel to C, E, and F, and return to A. If the first city that the sales representative travels to must be E, what is the minimum possible cost for the entire trip?

A. $13
B. $14
C. $16
D. $18
E. $20

The OA is C

Source: GMAT Prep

The sales representative has two options: 1) A-E-C-F-A and 2) A-E-F-C-A. Now let’s compare the costs of these two options:

Option 1: A-E-C-F-A

From A to E the cost is 7 dollars. From E to C it’s 2 dollars. From C to F it’s 4 dollars. From F to A it’s 3 dollars. The total spent is 16 dollars.

Option 2: A-E-F-C-A

From A to E the cost is 7 dollars. From E to F it’s 6 dollars. From F to C it’s 4 dollars. From C to A it’s 3 dollars. The total spend is 20 dollars.

We see that option 1 is cheaper, and the cost is 16 dollars.

Answer: C