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Help me find out if I am wrong

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Help me find out if I am wrong

by netigen » Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:05 am
In response to mounting pubic concern, an airplane manufacturer implemented a program with the well-publicized goal of reducing by half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste generated by its passenger-jet division. When the program began in 1994, the division’s hazardous waste output was 90 pounds per production worker; last year it was 40 pounds per production worker. Clearly, therefore, charges that the manufacturer’s
program has not met its goal are false.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

A. The amount of nonhazardous waste generated each year by the passenger-jet division has not increased significantly since 1994.
B. At least as many passenger jets were produced by the division last year as had been produced in 1994.
C. Since 1994, other divisions in the company have achieved reductions in hazardous waste output that are at least equal to that achieved in the passenger-jet division.
D. The average number of weekly hours per production worker in the passenger-jet division was not significantly greater last year than it was in 1994.
E. The number of production workers assigned to the passenger-jet division was not significantly less in 1994 than it was last year.
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by envyramana » Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:55 am
IMO B?

OA PLEASE!
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by Carlo75 » Sat Jun 07, 2008 5:47 am
I will go with E
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by loki.gmat » Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:16 am
here r my thoughts-

a) nonhazardous waste - out of scope.

b) the target (half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste) doesnot depend on the no of passenger jets produced. hence can be eliminated.

c) other divisions - out of scope.

d) lets apply the negation logic - even if the avg no of weekly hours per production worker in the passenger-jet division is significantly greater last year than it was in 1994, the manufacturer can still achieve his target.

e) negation logic - if, last year, the no of production workers was very high compared to 1994, the manufacturer can miss his target in the following case:

Assume in 1994, no of workers = 5, hazardous waste output was 90 pounds per production worker (given)
total waste = 5*90=450 pounds.

Assume last year, no of workers = 20, hazardous waste output was 40 pounds per production worker (given)
total waste = 20*40 = 800, which is much more than the target (1/2 of 450 = 225 pounds).
hence the argument wont hold true.

there fore IMO E.
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by netigen » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:35 am
I went with E too BUT the OA suggests B which is weird because the argument suggests no correlation between number of passenger jets produced and waste produced.
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by Stuart@KaplanGMAT » Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:31 am
There's a long discussion of this question at https://www.beatthegmat.com/gmat-cr-assu ... us%20waste

I'm still 100% convinced that (b) is wrong and that (e) is correct.
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by chidcguy » Sun Jun 08, 2008 4:32 pm
Stuart,

I read the other thread and looks like you guys had some heated discussion. That said my pick is E.

If I am not mistaken the author seems to say that he arrived at the conclusion of meeting the goal based on the hazardous waste out put per production worker . So our assumption will be the best one if it stays close to the conclusion and its reasoning.
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by envyramana » Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:43 pm
I havent read the heated argument when i have initially posted my answer as B and asked for OA?
i can explain the reason why i chose B instead of E

Clearly, therefore, charges that the manufacturer’s
program has not met its goal are false (decreased from 90 to 40)
The above means actually the manufacturers program met its goal.

But how did he meet his goal? Only when
'At least as many passenger jets were produced by the division last year as had been produced in 1994'

Alternatively in E, if the same number of workers r available for both periods, then obviously the manufacturers goal was not met.

Let me know if i misunderstood the question. since looking at the heated argument there was no point in posting this, still i want to give a try?

ramana
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by envyramana » Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:46 pm
loki.gmat wrote:here r my thoughts-

b) the target (half the total yearly amount of hazardous waste) doesnot depend on the no of passenger jets produced. hence can be eliminated.
.
I understood the hazardous waste being produced during the manufacture of plane by a production worker? Hopefully this will be very much in the scope.

Ramana
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by loki.gmat » Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:51 pm
i think we need to focus on the data given by the author. the author comments about hazardous waste per production worker and not about hazardous waste per airplane/jet.

although i would say that B is not incorrect.
but E is slightly better answer than B is.
please remember in GMAT we need to find the best answer among the five options, even if the best answer is not the perfect one.


Thanks!
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by john83.amar » Wed May 11, 2016 3:50 am
I will go with E
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by john83.amar » Wed May 11, 2016 3:50 am
I will go with E
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by john83.amar » Wed May 11, 2016 3:50 am
I will go with E
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