48% of respondents to a survey consisted of those who used..

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48% of respondents to a survey consisted of those who used both M and N and those who used neither M nor N. 44% of respondents did not use M. 39% used N. What percent of respondents used only N?

A. 19.5%
B. 21.5%
C. 20%
D. 18.5%
E. 17.5%

The OA is E.

Please, can any expert explain this PS question for me? I don't understand why that is the correct answer. Thanks.
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M and N

by GMATGuruNY » Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:57 pm
swerve wrote:48% of respondents to a survey consisted of those who used both M and N and those who used neither M nor N. 44% of respondents did not use M. 39% used N. What percent of respondents used only N?

A. 19.5%
B. 21.5%
C. 20%
D. 18.5%
E. 17.5%
Use the following DOUBLE- MATRIX to organize the data:
Image

48% of respondents to a survey consisted of those who used both M and N and those who used neither M nor N.
Let x = the number of who used both M and N, implying that the number who used neither M nor N = 48-x.
The following matrix is yielded:
Image

44% of respondents did not use M.
39% used N.

The following matrix is yielded:
Image

What percent of respondents used only N?
Let y = the percent who used only N.
The following matrix is yielded:
Image

Since the top row must sum to 39, and the middle column must sum to 44, the following equations are implied:
x + y = 39
y + (48-x) = 44.

Adding together the two equations, we get:
x + y + y + 48 - x = 39 + 44
2y + 48 = 83
2y = 35
y = 17.5.

The correct answer is E.
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swerve wrote:
Wed Dec 13, 2017 12:08 pm
48% of respondents to a survey consisted of those who used both M and N and those who used neither M nor N. 44% of respondents did not use M. 39% used N. What percent of respondents used only N?

A. 19.5%
B. 21.5%
C. 20%
D. 18.5%
E. 17.5%

The OA is E.

Please, can any expert explain this PS question for me? I don't understand why that is the correct answer. Thanks.
Letting b = both and n = neither, we have b + n = 48. Furthermore, not M = N only + neither, and N only = N - both, so we have:

not M = N - both + neither

44 = 39 - b + n

b - n = -5

Adding together b + n = 48 and b - n = -5, we have:

2b = 43

b = 21.5

Since N only = N - both, we have N only = 39 - 21.5 = 17.5.

Answer: E

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