In a writing competition, the first place winner receives ½ of the prize money. The second runner up receives ¼ of what the winner won. What was the total amount of prize money distributed if the winner receives $6,000?
A. $6,000
B. $8,500
C. $12,000
D. $15,000
E. $18,500
OA C
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sanju09
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sureshbala
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Hey folks, don't end up doing lot of calculations here...
Winner recieves 1/2 of the prize money and he received 6,000 $. So total prize money = 12,000$
Winner recieves 1/2 of the prize money and he received 6,000 $. So total prize money = 12,000$
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Morgoth
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Dont you think this question is written in a little ambiguous mannersanju09 wrote:In a writing competition, the first place winner receives ½ of the prize money. The second runner up receives ¼ of what the winner won. What was the total amount of prize money distributed if the winner receives $6,000?
A. $6,000
B. $8,500
C. $12,000
D. $15,000
E. $18,500
OA C
What is the total amount of money distributed
winner gets 6000
runner up gets = 1500
total money distributed = 7500
let me know if am I wrong. The question could have been clearer had it stated - "what was the amount of prize money"
I agree that the wording is clumsy. However, you approach assumes a part of the prize money was not given away. The question doesn't say that and I think you're assuming too much but your interpretation is legitimate....Dont you think this question is written in a little ambiguous manner
What is the total amount of money distributed
winner gets 6000
runner up gets = 1500
total money distributed = 7500
let me know if am I wrong. The question could have been clearer had it stated - "what was the amount of prize money"
Last edited by avenus on Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
yeah it is very ambiguous.
since 7500 is not in the answer choices we can go with 12000 but what if both were there?
since 7500 is not in the answer choices we can go with 12000 but what if both were there?
Any idea on how to interpret this....doesnt second runner up refer to the contestant that comes in third place??????The second runner up receives ¼ of what the winner won.
Nethra
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sanju09
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yes! the second runner up refers to the contestant that comes in third place, and those info are quite worthless if we only quote what we were asked for. Many other irrelevant info are also not there in question stem, so what? See what sureshbala is saying right on top!NethraN wrote:yeah it is very ambiguous.
since 7500 is not in the answer choices we can go with 12000 but what if both were there?
Any idea on how to interpret this....doesnt second runner up refer to the contestant that comes in third place??????The second runner up receives ¼ of what the winner won.
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
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www.manyagroup.com
Sanjeev K Saxena
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www.manyagroup.com
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gmat740
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Any idea on how to interpret this....doesnt second runner up refer to the contestant that comes in third place??????
Yes its absolutely true,second runner-up refers to the person who comes 3rd.
Total =x(let)sanju09 wrote:
In a writing competition, the first place winner receives ½ of the prize money. The second runner up receives ¼ of what the winner won. What was the total amount of prize money distributed if the winner receives $6,000?
A. $6,000
B. $8,500
C. $12,000
D. $15,000
E. $18,500
OA C
Dont you think this question is written in a little ambiguous manner
What is the total amount of money distributed
winner gets 6000
runner up gets = 1500
total money distributed = 7500
let me know if am I wrong. The question could have been clearer had it stated - "what was the amount of prize money"
so,
Winner = x/2
and Second runner-up(3rd) = 1/4(x/2)
It's given that winner gets total of 6000
thus, x/2=6000
x=12,000
Now the thing comes about the ambiguity.
Total money = Winner's money +1st runner-up's money + 2nd Runner=up's money
x = x/2+ 1st runner-up's money + x/8
So,
1st runner-up's money = 3x/8 =
Now total all the individual winner's money in the decreasing order of their rank=
Winner = 6000
1st runner-up = 4500
2nd runner-up =1500
Total =12000
Hope this solves the doubt
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sanju09
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:roll: who told gmat740 that the first runner up receives $4500, or there were only three prize positions. Read sureshbala's post on top and beware of certain GMAT traps that could kill your precious time on test.
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001
www.manyagroup.com
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001
www.manyagroup.com
Yes buddy I agree with sureshbala's approach completely but then it will be a wayyyyyyyyyy tooooooooooo easy question for GMAT isnt it?
So I am just going one step ahead and asking what would be the case if 7,500 was also in the answer choice.
Lets forget about what happened to first runner up.
So I am just going one step ahead and asking what would be the case if 7,500 was also in the answer choice.
Lets forget about what happened to first runner up.
@gmat740 there is no need to go any further after this is clear.....that will only waste our time.It's given that winner gets total of 6000
thus, x/2=6000
x=12,000
Nethra
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sanju09
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NethraN wrote:Yes buddy I agree with sureshbala's approach completely but then it will be a wayyyyyyyyyy tooooooooooo easy question for GMAT isnt it?
So I am just going one step ahead and asking what would be the case if 7,500 was also in the answer choice.
Lets forget about what happened to first runner up.
GMAT incorporates some easy stuffs as well, which may prove out to be difficult if we were simply not expecting those to be sitters, that is again a kind of trap that GMAT throws quite oftenly. Had there been a choice reading '$7,500', that could only have been a wrong choice to pick because it is pretty obvious to understand 'the total prize money given away' and 'the total prize money on stake' as the same unless categorically stated otherwise; let's not assume phantoms in all dark tunnels especially while answering a GMAT question.It's given that winner gets total of 6000
thus, x/2=6000
x=12,000
@gmat740 there is no need to go any further after this is clear.....that will only waste our time.
The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001
www.manyagroup.com
Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001
www.manyagroup.com
Agreed....sometimes we tend to put ourselves in trouble.
The first thing that came to my mind was
how can this be a GMAT question it is so simple and then i tried to read between lines 
....as u said its just made wordy to confuse us.
The first thing that came to my mind was
how can this be a GMAT question it is so simple and then i tried to read between lines ....as u said its just made wordy to confuse us.Nethra
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gmat740
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Hello Everyone
I was not digging more into the question, I was solving the way I solved it at first Glance.
It was an Obvious Question and moreover it could have been better if they asked for the prize money of the 1st Runner-Up
Whatever Information was given was sufficient to solve without any ambiguity.
@gmat740 there is no need to go any further after this is clear.....that will only waste our time.
I was not digging more into the question, I was solving the way I solved it at first Glance.
It was an Obvious Question and moreover it could have been better if they asked for the prize money of the 1st Runner-Up
Whatever Information was given was sufficient to solve without any ambiguity.
