Problem Solving

In year Y imported machine tools accounted for 25 percent of total machine-tool sales in the United States, and Japanese imports accounted for 45 percent of the sales of imported machine tools. If the total sales of machine tools imported from Japan that year was x billion dollars, then the total sales of all machine tools in the United States was how many billion dollars?

(A) 9x/80
(B) 13x/20
(C) 80/9x
(D) 20x/13
(E) 80x/9

Please explain. By the process of elimination i got the right answer but I would like to know how to appraoch this. Thanks.

OA E

Are you sure its not A?

Oh sorry was not answering the question asked.

Here is how you do it.

Imported is 25% of Total ( call total "T")

x = (45/100)(1/4)T

Simplify:

x = (9T/80)

Cross Multiply:

(80x/9) = T

IMO E.

moonlite wrote:In year Y imported machine tools accounted for 25 percent of total machine-tool sales in the United States, and Japanese imports accounted for 45 percent of the sales of imported machine tools. If the total sales of machine tools imported from Japan that year was x billion dollars, then the total sales of all machine tools in the United States was how many billion dollars?

(A) 9x/80
(B) 13x/20
(C) 80/9x
(D) 20x/13
(E) 80x/9

Please explain. By the process of elimination i got the right answer but I would like to know how to appraoch this. Thanks.

OA E

According to question,
a) Japanese imports accounted for 45 percent of the sales of imported machine tools
=> total sale of imported machine tools = 100x/45 ---- 1

b) imported machine tools accounted for 25 percent of total machine-tool sales.
=> 100 *(total sale of imported machine tools)/25

= 100*100*x/(25*45)

= 80x/9

So answer is E