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by shanice » Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:29 pm
In the first quarter of 2008, Harry's Hardware Store sold 300 hammers and 12,000 nails. In the second quarter of 2008, the store sold 375 hammers and 18,000 nails. By approximately what percent did the ratio of hammers sold to nails sold decrease from the first quarter to the second quarter.

A) 0.4%
B) 2.1%
C) 2.5%
D) 17%
E) 25%

Answer is D.

Please help. Thank you.
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by coolhabhi » Thu Jun 21, 2012 9:12 pm
H1:N1 = 300 : 12000 = 1 : 40
H2:N2 = 375 : 18000 = 1 : 48

When "ratio of hammers sold to nails sold decrease from the first quarter to the second quarter" means (H1/N1 - H2/N2)/H1/N1

=>(1/40 - 1/48)/1/40
=>(8/40*48)/(1/40)
=>1/6
=>16.667%

So answer is D
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by dhonu121 » Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:06 pm
In the first quarter of 2008, Harry's Hardware Store sold 300 hammers and 12,000 nails. In the second quarter of 2008, the store sold 375 hammers and 18,000 nails. By approximately what percent did the ratio of hammers sold to nails sold decrease from the first quarter to the second quarter.

A) 0.4%
B) 2.1%
C) 2.5%
D) 17%
E) 25%
Ratio in the first quarter = 300/12000 = 1/40.
Ratio in the second quarter = 375/18000 = 1/48.
Percentage change in the ratio from 1st to 2nd = ((1/40)-(1/48)/(1/40))*100
This comes around 16.6%.
Hence D is the answer.
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by GMATGuruNY » Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:10 am
shanice wrote:In the first quarter of 2008, Harry's Hardware Store sold 300 hammers and 12,000 nails. In the second quarter of 2008, the store sold 375 hammers and 18,000 nails. By approximately what percent did the ratio of hammers sold to nails sold decrease from the first quarter to the second quarter.

A) 0.4%
B) 2.1%
C) 2.5%
D) 17%
E) 25%

Answer is D.

Please help. Thank you.
Treat the ratios as fractions and put them over a COMMON DENOMINATOR:
Second quarter = 375/18000 = 15/720 = 5/240.
First quarter = 300/12000 = 3/120 = 6/240.

With the denominators the same, determine by what percent the NUMERATORS decrease from the first quarter to the second quarter:
(first - second)/(first) * 100 = (6-5)/6 * 100 = 50/3 ≈ 17.

The correct answer is D.
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