Problem Solving

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 97
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 5:39 pm
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:2 members

Problem Solving

by lucas211 » Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:53 am
Hello Everybody
Would appreciate some help on the question below.
Thanks in advance

A cargo ship carrying four kinds of items, doohickies, geegaws, widgets, and yamyams, arrives at the port. Each item weighs 2, 11, 5, and 7 pounds, respectively, and each item is weighed as it is unloaded. If, in the middle of the unloading process, the product of the individual weights of the unloaded items equals 10,435,040,000 pounds, how many widgets have been unloaded?

a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 625
e) 2,087,008,000
Source: — Problem Solving |

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2135
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:26 am
Location: https://martymurraycoaching.com/
Thanked: 955 times
Followed by:140 members
GMAT Score:800

by MartyMurray » Wed Mar 02, 2016 4:40 am
The numbers in the list of weights, 2, 5, 7, and 11, are all prime numbers. So 10,435,040,000 is the product of a unique combination of those numbers raised to certain powers.

Therefore, you could figure out how many items were unloaded by using number properties.

Each widget weighs 5 pounds.

In order to get a 10, you need a 5 and a 2. Also, any number that is a multiple of 5 will end in 5 or 0.

10,435,040,000 = 10,435,04 x 10,000

10,435,04 does not end in 0 or 5. So it is not a multiple of 5.

10,000 = 10� So 10,000 has among its factors four 5's.

So there are 4 5's included in the weights.

Therefore the number of widgets that have been unloaded is 4.

The correct answer is C.
Last edited by MartyMurray on Wed Mar 02, 2016 5:06 am, edited 3 times in total.
Marty Murray
Perfect Scoring Tutor With Over a Decade of Experience
MartyMurrayCoaching.com
Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Wed Mar 02, 2016 4:45 am
lucas211 wrote:A cargo ship carrying four kinds of items, doohickies, geegaws, widgets, and yamyams, arrives at the port. Each item weighs 2, 11, 5, and 7 pounds, respectively, and each item is weighed as it is unloaded. If, in the middle of the unloading process, the product of the individual weights of the unloaded items equals 10,435,040,000 pounds, how many widgets have been unloaded?

a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 625
e) 2,087,008,000
10,435,040,000 = 1043504 * 10,000 = (non-mulitple of 5) * 10,000 = (non-multiple of 5) * (2*2*2*2) * (5*5*5*5).
The value in red indicates that there are four 5-pound widgets.

The correct answer is C.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2663
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
Location: Boston, MA
Thanked: 1153 times
Followed by:128 members
GMAT Score:770

by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Wed Mar 02, 2016 7:36 am
lucas211 wrote:Hello Everybody
Would appreciate some help on the question below.
Thanks in advance

A cargo ship carrying four kinds of items, doohickies, geegaws, widgets, and yamyams, arrives at the port. Each item weighs 2, 11, 5, and 7 pounds, respectively, and each item is weighed as it is unloaded. If, in the middle of the unloading process, the product of the individual weights of the unloaded items equals 10,435,040,000 pounds, how many widgets have been unloaded?

a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 625
e) 2,087,008,000
For a similar question, see here: https://www.beatthegmat.com/7-5-3-and-2- ... 72667.html
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Wed Mar 02, 2016 4:36 pm
lucas211 wrote:
A cargo ship carrying four kinds of items, doohickies, geegaws, widgets, and yamyams, arrives at the port. Each item weighs 2, 11, 5, and 7 pounds, respectively....
11-pound geegaws? Highly doubtful!!!
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image

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 03, 2016 12:49 am
... and what in blazes is a yamyam?