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GMAT QUESTION(Can someone explain)

Expert replies
by gettin there » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:13 pm
Marcia bucket can hold a maximum of how many liters of water?

1.The bucket currently contains 9 liters of water.

2.If 3 liters of water are added to the bucket when it is half full, the amount of water in the bucket will increase by 1/3


the OA is B

do not understand how they got there. Can someone explain
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by Gmatterz » Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:43 pm
The answer cannot be B, as per me it should be C since we should know the current quantity of water in the bucket while soving the second part of the question.

Thanks
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by amitansu » Mon Sep 29, 2008 10:15 pm
As per q : we need to know the max. amt. of water...

From 1: we know it holds 9 ltrs of water but it never says it is the max. amt. insufficient.

From 2 : x/2+3=x/2+x/3 (assuming x the max. amt of water)
=>x=9 so sufficient.

'B' should be the ans.

(although stem 1 it says the bucket currently holds 9 ltrs of water, it never says that this the max amt of water)


Amit
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by bluementor » Tue Sep 30, 2008 12:48 am
Hi Amit,

The answer should be B. However, I would like to point out an error in your equation.
amitansu wrote: From 2 : x/2+3=x/2+x/3 (assuming x the max. amt of water)
=>x=9 so sufficient.
Statement 2 says "will increase by 1/3". 1/3 here is relative to half the capacity, and NOT the full capacity.

So your equation should indeed be: 3 = (x/2)*(1/3), and you will arrive at x = 18 litres, which is the capacity of the bucket.

Hope this is clear.

BlueMentor
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by amitansu » Tue Sep 30, 2008 12:55 am
I agree... :)
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