alanforde800Maximus wrote:Three friends rented a car for a week and divided the cost equally. If a fourth friend had joined them and the cost had been divided equally among the 4 friends, then the cost to each of the original 3 friends would have been reduced by $15? What was the total cost of renting the car?
a) $60
b) $100
c) $140
d) $160
e) $180
We can PLUG IN THE ANSWERS, which represent the total cost.
When the correct answer is plugged in, increasing the number of friends from 3 to 4 will reduce the cost per person by $15.
Since the total cost is divided equally among 3 or 4 friends, the correct answer is almost certainly a multiple of 3 and 4.
An integer is divisible by 3 only if its digits sum to a multiple of 3.
Of the five answer choices, only A and E have digits that sum to a multiple of 3.
E: Total cost = 180
If 3 friends divide the total cost equally, the cost per person = 180/3 = 60.
If 4 friends divide the total cost equally, the cost per person = 180/4 = 45.
Decrease in the cost per person = 60-45 = 15.
Success!
The correct answer is
E.
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