A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush...

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A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2
B. (B + 2)/6
C. (2B + 200)/3
D. (B + 2)/3
E. (B - 2)/6

The OA is B.

I get the solution as follow,

Let paint price = P, and whitewash price = W.

P + W = B

It's given that P = 2W - 200/100

Substituting the value of P

2W - 2 +W = B

W = (B + 2)/3

So, half price = (B + 2)/6. Option B.

Experts, any suggestion? Thanks!
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by GMATinsight » Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:41 am
LUANDATO wrote:A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2
B. (B + 2)/6
C. (2B + 200)/3
D. (B + 2)/3
E. (B - 2)/6

The OA is B.

I get the solution as follow,

Let paint price = P, and whitewash price = W.

P + W = B

It's given that P = 2W - 200/100

Substituting the value of P

2W - 2 +W = B

W = (B + 2)/3

So, half price = (B + 2)/6. Option B.

Experts, any suggestion? Thanks!
The explanation shown here sound absolutely fine
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by [email protected] » Sun Mar 18, 2018 7:25 pm
Hi LUANDATO,

We're told that a customer buys a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B DOLLARS and the paintbrush costs 200 CENTS LESS than TWICE the price of a bucket of whitewash. We're asked for the price of HALF a bucket of whitewash in DOLLARS. This question can be solved by TESTing VALUES.

IF...
A full bucket of whitewash = $4
A paintbrush = (2)($4) - $2 = $6
B = $4+$6 = $10

So we're looking for an answer that equals (1/2)($4) = $2 when B=10. There's only one answer that matches...

Final Answer: B

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by Jeff@TargetTestPrep » Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:07 pm
LUANDATO wrote:A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2
B. (B + 2)/6
C. (2B + 200)/3
D. (B + 2)/3
E. (B - 2)/6
We can let w = the price of a bucket of whitewash in dollars. Since the paintbrush costs 200 cents, or 2 dollars, less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, the price of the paintbrush = 2w - 2 dollars. Since the total price is B dollars, we have:

w + 2w - 2 = B

3w = B + 2

w = (B + 2)/3

(1/2)w = [(B + 2)/3]/2 = (B + 2)/6

Answer: B

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by deloitte247 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:26 am
Let the prices of a point brush and a bucket of whitewash be 'p' and 'w' respectively.
From the question; p+w=B dollars
Also, P is 200 cents (=2 dollars) less than twice of w
$$i.e\ p=\left(2\cdot w\right)-2=2w-2---\left(i\right)$$
$$substituting\ this\ for\ P\ in\ the\ first\ equation,$$
$$P+W=B$$
$$\left(2W-2\right)+W=B$$
$$3W-2=B\ or\ 3W=B+2$$
$$W=\frac{\left(B+2\right)}{3}$$
$$Therefore,\ half\ of\ w=\frac{1}{2}of\ w=\frac{1}{2}\cdot\frac{\left(B+2\right)}{w}$$
$$=\frac{\left(B+2\right)}{6\ }\ \left(option\ B\right)$$