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Register now and save up to $200 Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • Free Practice Test & Review How would you score if you took the GMAT Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • 5 Day FREE Trial Study Smarter, Not Harder Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • 1 Hour Free BEAT THE GMAT EXCLUSIVE Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • Magoosh Study with Magoosh GMAT prep Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • Reach higher with Artificial Intelligence. Guaranteed Now free for 30 days Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • Free Veritas GMAT Class Experience Lesson 1 Live Free Available with Beat the GMAT members only code • Get 300+ Practice Questions 25 Video lessons and 6 Webinars for FREE Available with Beat the GMAT members only code ## The cost per pound of tea and coffee were the same in June. tagged by: swerve This topic has 2 expert replies and 0 member replies ### Top Member swerve Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts Joined 29 Oct 2017 Posted: 287 messages Followed by: 4 members #### The cost per pound of tea and coffee were the same in June. Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:25 am The cost per pound of tea and coffee were the same in June. In July, the price of coffee shot up by 200% and that of tea dropped by 90%. If in July, a mixture containing equal quantities of tea and coffee costs$4.65 for 3lbs, how much did a pound of tea cost in July?

A. $4 B.$0.1
C. $1 D.$3
E. $1.65 The OA is B. Price of tea in June = price of coffee in June =$x.

Price of tea in July = 0.1x (decrease by 90%).
Price of coffee in July = 3x (increase by 200%).

I stuck here. Please, can any expert explain this PS question for me? I tried to solve it but I can't get the correct answer. I need your help. Thanks.

### GMAT/MBA Expert

Scott@TargetTestPrep GMAT Instructor
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Thu Mar 01, 2018 5:44 pm
swerve wrote:
The cost per pound of tea and coffee were the same in June. In July, the price of coffee shot up by 200% and that of tea dropped by 90%. If in July, a mixture containing equal quantities of tea and coffee costs $4.65 for 3lbs, how much did a pound of tea cost in July? A.$4
B. $0.1 C.$1
D. $3 E.$1.65
We can let x = the cost per pound of tea (or coffee) in June. Thus the cost of tea in July = 0.1x and the cost of coffee in July = 3x. (Note that a price increase of 200% is a tripling of the price.) Since the price of a mixture of equal quantities of tea and coffee is $4.65 for 3 lbs, there must be 1.5 lbs of tea and 1.5 lbs of coffee. We can create the following equation: 1.5(0.1x) + 1.5(3x) = 4.65 0.15x + 4.5x = 4.65 4.65x = 4.65 x = 1 Thus, the cost of a pound of tea in July is 0.1(1) =$0.1.

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Scott Woodbury-Stewart Founder and CEO

### GMAT/MBA Expert

Brent@GMATPrepNow GMAT Instructor
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Posted:
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Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:10 am
swerve wrote:
The cost per pound of tea and coffee were the same in June. In July, the price of coffee shot up by 200% and that of tea dropped by 90%. If in July, a mixture containing equal quantities of tea and coffee costs $4.65 for 3lbs, how much did a pound of tea cost in July? A.$4
B. $0.1 C.$1
D. $3 E.$1.65
Let's continue where you left off:

Let x = price (PER POUND) of tea in JUNE
So, Let x = price (PER POUND) of coffee in JUNE

Price of tea (PER POUND) in JULY = 0.1x (decrease by 90%).
Price of coffee (PER POUND) in JULY = 3x (increase by 200%).

In July, a mixture containing equal quantities of tea and coffee costs $4.65 for 3 lbs So, the mixture has 1.5 lbs of tea and 1.5 lbs of coffee We can write: (cost of 1.5 lbs of tea) + (cost of 1.5 lbs of coffee) =$4.65
So: (1.5)(0.1x) + (1.5)(3x) = 4.65
Factor: 1.5(0.1x + 3x) = 4.65
Divide both sides by 1.5 to get: 0.1x + 3x = 3.1
Simplify: 3.1x = 3.1
So, x = 1
In other words, in JUNE the price of tea and coffee were each $1 per pound. Since the price of tea in JULY = 0.1x, the price of tea = (0.1)(1) =$0.1 per pound

Cheers,
Brent

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Brent Hanneson â€“ Founder of GMATPrepNow.com
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