Picking apples

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 934
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:16 am
Location: AAMCHI MUMBAI LOCAL
Thanked: 63 times
Followed by:14 members

by [email protected] » Wed May 02, 2012 10:45 pm
The two equations:


42y + (42-a) X 1.5y = 180-----------------(i)

42y + (42-b) X 1.5y = 240-----------------(ii)


and also considering that b = a + 10, we get

then solving both the equations, we get

I am getting y = -4 which is not possible.

And so the two simultaneous equations are not giving the values

That is why the answer is E.

If the simultaneous equations are giving the answers then we could still have figure out as to what are the number of bushels harvested, whether less than 42 or greater than 42.

Hence the correct answer comes out to be E and not C...

Thanks...
IT IS TIME TO BEAT THE GMAT

LEARNING, APPLICATION AND TIMING IS THE FACT OF GMAT AND LIFE AS WELL... KEEP PLAYING!!!

Whenever you feel that my post really helped you to learn something new, please press on the 'THANK' button.

User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 934
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:16 am
Location: AAMCHI MUMBAI LOCAL
Thanked: 63 times
Followed by:14 members

by [email protected] » Wed May 02, 2012 11:13 pm
Another reason why as to DanaJ is correct is the following table:


(1) a1/a2 = b1/b2 = c1/c2 (the same line) will not give the solution

(2) a1/a2 = b1/b2 (not equal to) c1/c2 (parallel lines) will not give the solution

(3) a1/a2 (not equal to) b1/b2 (not equal to) c1/c2 (intersecting lines) will give unique solutions



The striking thing is that the above 2 equations given in the question does not match any of the above criteria.

Also in the above two equations, a1/a2 (not equal to) b1/b2 (not equal to) c1/c2

then too the two equations are not able to give the correct answer...

y cannot be negative.

That is why the answer is E and also that many experts say that whenever you see a DS question,

do not solve the question completely, but I say that always solve till the end.

Most of the times in such cases the confusion is between the answer choices C and E.

i.e even here I thought that the answer is C but it turned out to be E, only after solving the entire two equations...

Hope this helps...
IT IS TIME TO BEAT THE GMAT

LEARNING, APPLICATION AND TIMING IS THE FACT OF GMAT AND LIFE AS WELL... KEEP PLAYING!!!

Whenever you feel that my post really helped you to learn something new, please press on the 'THANK' button.

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:11 am

by jerryzheng » Mon May 14, 2012 11:46 pm
IMO E
There are two scenarios that can fit both two premises
1. Y=4 Day1 45 brushels
2. Y=6 Day1 30 brushels

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 172
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:35 am
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:610

by karthikgmat » Tue May 15, 2012 7:12 pm
immaculatesahai wrote:E is the answer.

Will not be able to successfully isolate 2 equations and 2 unknowns.
Hey 3 unknowns here? Did you mistype?

User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:37 am
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

by thevenus » Sun Aug 26, 2012 2:21 am
I did a blunder , i thought D could be the answer without considering "y"...

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 87
Joined: Mon May 07, 2012 7:57 am
Thanked: 1 times

by mparakala » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:26 am
E

There is no information about "y". there is no information about how many he picked a day

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 171
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:24 am
Thanked: 1 times

by rajeshsinghgmat » Wed Feb 13, 2013 4:30 pm
E in answEr.

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 451
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:58 am
Location: New York City
Thanked: 188 times
Followed by:120 members
GMAT Score:770

by Tommy Wallach » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:17 pm
Hey Guys,

Very important rule here.
i see how your explanation gets to answer E. But when preparing for the GMAT, we learn that if you have 2 variables, and 2 equations, you can find the answer. What is the rule here as to why we cannot find the 2 variables?
On the GMAT, this is NOT a rule. I am very nervous if you read this anywhere. That's a rule from middle school algebra. On the GMAT, generally they will subvert rule, in any one of a million ways they know how to subvert it. For example:

What's x?

1) 2x + 4y = 16
2) 4x = 32 - 8y

Here, we have two equations and two variables...or do we?! Actually, it's the same equation, so the answer would be E. Be very careful with that old chestnut rule about equations/variables on the GMAT!

-t
Tommy Wallach, Company Expert
ManhattanGMAT

If you found this posting mega-helpful, feel free to thank and/or follow me!

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:27 am
Thanked: 2 times

by ritzzzr » Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:03 am
WE GET DIFFERENT VALUES DO NOT GEET UNIQUE VALUE
SO E IS THE SOLUTION

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:21 am

by chapelhillmom » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:35 am
If he must pick some apples each day at the higher price (1.5 y), the problem can be solved this way:

equation 1:
180=42y+1.5y(x-42) where x is the total busells picked on day 1
180= 42y+1.5xy-63y
180=1.5xy-21y
1.5xy=180+21y

equation 2:
240=42y+1.5y(x+10-42)
240=42y+1.5y(x-32)
240=42y+1.5xy-48y
240=1.5xy-6y
1.5xy=240+6y

Putting the two expressions for 1.5xy together, we get:
180+21y=240+6y
15y=60
y=4
total bushels on day 1 =44 and on day 2 =54

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 298
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 1:09 am
Thanked: 2 times
Followed by:1 members

Apples

by Deepthi Subbu » Sat Apr 20, 2013 11:34 pm
Hi,

Let the no of bushels harvested yest be by and today be bt. When both combined, the eqns are the following. Let T be the total bushels harvested -

y(42) + (by-42)(1.5y)=180
y(42) + (by+10-42)(1.5y) = 240

Solving both , I get y= - 4. With a negative value, the value of by cannot be calculated.

Hence E

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:04 am

by mishra.santanu » Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:32 am
I have solved two equation to get y value as 4.
42y+(42+x)1.5y = 180 ............... (1)
42y+(42+x)1.5y+15y = 240 ........... (2)

When I have replaced y = 4 ir satisfied both statement 1 and 2.

1st day 42 * 4 + 2 * 6 = 180
2nd day 180 + 10 * 6 = 240

So I will go with C.

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 234
Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:00 am
Location: West Virginia
Thanked: 9 times

by Java_85 » Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:57 am
It is E, if we knew hw picked more than 42 both days, then we would've said C is the answer.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 45
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 7:51 pm

by ndqv » Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:47 am
different scenarios give different results -> choose E

User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 24
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 7:54 am

by lulufrenchie » Thu Sep 25, 2014 6:31 am
I am so mad at myself because I got C ! It was a stupid mistake and I won't do it again.