BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Work Problem

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:30 pm

Work Problem

by PGMAT » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:15 pm
Linda and Angela contract to paint a neighbor's house. Even though Linda spends 50% more time painting the house than Angela, each receives a payment of m dollars when the work is completed. If Angela decides to pay Linda n dollars so that they would have received the same compensation per hour worked, what is n in terms of m?

1/2m
1/3m
1/4m
1/5m
1/6m

Can some help me solve this algebraically?

Thanks


D
Top
Source: — Problem Solving |
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:56 pm
Location: Calif
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

by Everest » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:16 pm
suppose Angela spends 1 hr and linda spends 1.5 hrs

Therefore they receive 2m dollars for working 2.5 hrs

=> for 2.5 hrs they received 2m dollars then for 1 hr they need to receive 4/5 *m dollars

Angela should receive 4/5 *m dollars

Linda should receive 3/2 * 4/5 * m dollars => 6/5 m dollars

Since angela decides to pay linda n dollars => n = 6/5 * m dollars
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1337
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:29 pm
Thanked: 127 times
Followed by:10 members

by Night reader » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:18 pm
Linda and Angela contract to paint a neighbor's house. Even though Linda spends 50% more time painting the house than Angela, each receives a payment of m dollars when the work is completed. If Angela decides to pay Linda n dollars so that they would have received the same compensation per hour worked, what is n in terms of m?

TIME --> A=1.5L
PAYMENT --> M

(M-N)/A = (M+N)/L, FIND N IN TERMS OF M?
(M-N)*L=(M+N)*A --> (M-N)*1.5=(M+N)*1 --> 1.5M-1.5N=M+N --> 0.5M=2.5N --> N=0.5M/2.5 --> M/5

answer D, 1/5 * m

sorry for the first glitch ...
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:56 pm
Location: Calif
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

by Everest » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:27 pm
Night reader wrote:Linda and Angela contract to paint a neighbor's house. Even though Linda spends 50% more time painting the house than Angela, each receives a payment of m dollars when the work is completed. If Angela decides to pay Linda n dollars so that they would have received the same compensation per hour worked, what is n in terms of m?

TIME --> A=1.5L
PAYMENT --> M

(M-N)/A = (M+N)/L, FIND N IN TERMS OF M?
(M-N)*L=(M+N)*A --> (M-N)*1.5=(M+N)*1 --> 1.5M-1.5N=M+N --> 0.5M=2.5N --> N=0.5M/2.5 --> M/5

answer D, 1/5 * m

sorry for the first glitch ...

how lind will receive 1/5 * m dollars by working 50% more time than angela?

=> angela will receive 2m - 1/5 *m dollars => 9/5 * m dollars by working less time. can you justify?
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 1337
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:29 pm
Thanked: 127 times
Followed by:10 members

by Night reader » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:35 pm
Everest wrote:
Night reader wrote:Linda and Angela contract to paint a neighbor's house. Even though Linda spends 50% more time painting the house than Angela, each receives a payment of m dollars when the work is completed. If Angela decides to pay Linda n dollars so that they would have received the same compensation per hour worked, what is n in terms of m?

TIME --> A=1.5L
PAYMENT --> M

(M-N)/A = (M+N)/L, FIND N IN TERMS OF M?
(M-N)*L=(M+N)*A --> (M-N)*1.5=(M+N)*1 --> 1.5M-1.5N=M+N --> 0.5M=2.5N --> N=0.5M/2.5 --> M/5

answer D, 1/5 * m

sorry for the first glitch ...

how lind will receive 1/5 * m dollars by working 50% more time than angela?

=> angela will receive 2m - 1/5 *m dollars => 9/5 * m dollars by working less time. can you justify?
Angela will receive m-1/5 *m dollars OR 4m/5 dollars
Linda will receive m+1/5 *m dollars OR 6m/5 dollars

you found how much will Linda receive, but the question requires to find n in terms of m.
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:56 pm
Location: Calif
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

by Everest » Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:44 pm
True, got it....
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:30 pm

by PGMAT » Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:27 pm
Night reader wrote:Linda and Angela contract to paint a neighbor's house. Even though Linda spends 50% more time painting the house than Angela, each receives a payment of m dollars when the work is completed. If Angela decides to pay Linda n dollars so that they would have received the same compensation per hour worked, what is n in terms of m?

TIME --> A=1.5L
PAYMENT --> M

(M-N)/A = (M+N)/L, FIND N IN TERMS OF M?
(M-N)*L=(M+N)*A --> (M-N)*1.5=(M+N)*1 --> 1.5M-1.5N=M+N --> 0.5M=2.5N --> N=0.5M/2.5 --> M/5

answer D, 1/5 * m

sorry for the first glitch ...
nice.... thank you.
Top
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 » Sun Jan 30, 2011 3:14 am
PGMAT wrote:Linda and Angela contract to paint a neighbor's house. Even though Linda spends 50% more time painting the house than Angela, each receives a payment of m dollars when the work is completed. If Angela decides to pay Linda n dollars so that they would have received the same compensation per hour worked, what is n in terms of m?

1/2m
1/3m
1/4m
1/5m
1/6m

Can some help me solve this algebraically?

Thanks


D
I would plug in values for the hourly rate and for the time worked.

Let hourly rate = $2 per hour.
Let time for Angela = 2 hours.
Since Linda works 50% longer, time for Linda = (1.5)*2 = 3 hours.
Total pay = (rate) * (total time) = 2*(2+3) = $10.
Since each received m dollars in advance, m = 10/2 = $5.
Since Angela should earn 2*2 = $4, she must give Linda n = 5-4 = $1.

The question asks for the value of n=1. Now we plug m=5 into all the answer choices to see which yields our target of 1.

Only answer choice D works:
(1/5)*m = 1/5 * 5 = 1.

The correct answer is D.
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
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1