is the answer D?

desihokie wrote:is the answer D?

yes! how?

This is what i did:
let the crazy number 942...=z

the total votes = z/0.4 or say, remaining votes = 0.6z/0.4 = 3z/2

now say, y% of this needs to be added to z in order to get 50% of total (total =z/0.4)

=> (3z/2) y% + z = (z/0.4)50% = z/0.8 = 5z/4
=> (3z/2) y% = (5z/4) - (z) = z/4
=> y% = {z/4 * 2/3z}
=> y% = 1/6
=> y = 100/6 = 16.666% ~= 17%

Tell me if this makes sense.

When you see these big numbers, and the answer asked it approximate you can slightly change the number according to your own needs

so 40% = 942,568 ~ 1,000,000
100% = 1,000,000 * 5/2 = 2,500,000 (for ease of calculation lets say just 25)

so Kramer got 10 out of 25 votes. To get 50% votes he should get 12.5
number of more votes required = 12.5 - 10 = 2.5
number of remaining votes = 25 - 10 = 15

percentage of more votes required = 100 * 2.5 / 15 = 16.67 ~17% (closest answer choice)

Wow! thats even easier!!, Thanks, simplyjat!

He needs 10% of the total votes to get at least 50% of them.

He already has 40% of the votes, which means that there's 60% of the votes remaining.

Therefore he needs 10%/60% = 1/6 of the remaining votes.

1/6 = 16.67% = approx 17%.

The explanation given by Stuart is straight and correct. I was tempted to provide the approximation strategy

Stuart Kovinsky wrote:He needs 10% of the total votes to get at least 50% of them.

He already has 40% of the votes, which means that there's 60% of the votes remaining.

Therefore he needs 10%/60% = 1/6 of the remaining votes.

1/6 = 16.67% = approx 17%.

Thank you!

simplyjat wrote:When you see these big numbers, and the answer asked it approximate you can slightly change the number according to your own needs

so 40% = 942,568 ~ 1,000,000
100% = 1,000,000 * 5/2 = 2,500,000 (for ease of calculation lets say just 25)

so Kramer got 10 out of 25 votes. To get 50% votes he should get 12.5
number of more votes required = 12.5 - 10 = 2.5
number of remaining votes = 25 - 10 = 15

percentage of more votes required = 100 * 2.5 / 15 = 16.67 ~17% (closest answer choice)

where do you get the 5/2 from in the equation 100% = 1,000,000 * 5/2 = 2,500,000

where do you get the 5/2 from in the equation 100% = 1,000,000 * 5/2 = 2,500,000

40 % is 2/5 of 100%, i.e. 40/100 = 2/5
not invert the ratio, 100/40 = 5/2, i.e. 100 is 5/2 of 40%