BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Maria can either buy a basket that contains P pounds

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:12 pm
Thanked: 5 times

Maria can either buy a basket that contains P pounds

by gmatquant25 » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:03 pm
Maria can either buy a basket that contains P pounds of apples for $16.50 or buy p pounds of apples at $0.95 per pound. Doe it cost Maria more to buy the basket of apples than to buy p pounds of apples at $0.95 per pound?

(1) The basket contains less than 20 pounds of apples
(2) It would cost maria a total of $18.05 to buy p+4 pounds of apples at $0.95 per pound.

OA[spoiler]B

Could someone help me eliminate option A ?

Thanks[/spoiler]
Top
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
Followed by:511 members
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:21 pm
Hi gmatquant25,

In this DS question, the ultimate issue is in figuring out if $16.50 > P(0.95)?

We need to know the value (or possible values) of P to answer this question.

Fact 1: P < 20 pounds

If P = 1, then 16.50 IS > .95 and the answer to the question is YES
If P = 19, 19.(.95) = 18.05 and 16.50 is NOT > 18.05 so the answer to the question is NO

Fact 1 is INSUFFICIENT

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:12 pm
Thanked: 5 times

by gmatquant25 » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:28 pm
Thanks Rich !
Top
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

by Matt@VeritasPrep » Thu Mar 06, 2014 5:45 pm
If I'm reading this correctly, the question is asking whether 0.95p > 16.50. Dividing both sides by 0.95, the question is really "Is p > ~17.25" or "Did we buy more than about 17¼ pounds of apples?"

LOTS of DS questions respond well to this technique, so it's always a good idea to simplify the question first: it'll make the statements that much easier to work with.
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1