The total price of a basic computer and printer are $2,500.

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AAPL: Moderator; Posts: 2599; Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:08 pm; Followed by:2 members

The total price of a basic computer and printer are $2,500.

by AAPL » Thu Sep 12, 2019 1:06 am

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The total price of a basic computer and printer are $2,500. If the same printer had been purchased with an enhanced computer whose price was $500 more than the price of the basic computer, then the price of the printer would have been 1/5 of the total. What was the price of the basic computer?

A. 1500
B. 1600
C. 1750
D. 1900
E. 2000

OA D

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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:00 am

AAPL wrote:GMAT Prep

The total price of a basic computer and printer are $2,500. If the same printer had been purchased with an enhanced computer whose price was $500 more than the price of the basic computer, then the price of the printer would have been 1/5 of the total. What was the price of the basic computer?

A. 1500
B. 1600
C. 1750
D. 1900
E. 2000

Since the enhanced computer increases the original $2500 cost by $500. the increased cost = 2500+500 = 3000.
Since the printer is 1/5 of the increased cost, the printer = (1/5)(3000) = 600.
Since the printer and the basic computer yield an initial cost of $2500, the basic computer alone = 2500-600 = 1900.

The correct answer is D.

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Jay@ManhattanReview: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 3008; Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 6:19 am; Location: Grand Central / New York; Thanked: 470 times; Followed by:34 members

by Jay@ManhattanReview » Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:06 am

AAPL wrote:GMAT Prep

The total price of a basic computer and printer are $2,500. If the same printer had been purchased with an enhanced computer whose price was $500 more than the price of the basic computer, then the price of the printer would have been 1/5 of the total. What was the price of the basic computer?

A. 1500
B. 1600
C. 1750
D. 1900
E. 2000

OA D

Say the price of a basic computer is $x and that of a printer is $y; thus, we have x + y = 2,500.

Thus, the price of an enhanced computer = $(x + 500) and the total price of an enhanced computer and a printer would be 2,500 + 500 = $3,000. Given that "then the price of the printer would have been 1/5 of the total,' we have y = 1/5 of 3,000 = $600.

=> (x + 500) + y = 3,000
=> (x + 500) + 600 = 3,000
x = $1,900

The correct answer: D

Hope this helps!

-Jay
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Scott@TargetTestPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 8086; Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:56 am; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 43 times; Followed by:29 members

by Scott@TargetTestPrep » Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:16 am

AAPL wrote:GMAT Prep

The total price of a basic computer and printer are $2,500. If the same printer had been purchased with an enhanced computer whose price was $500 more than the price of the basic computer, then the price of the printer would have been 1/5 of the total. What was the price of the basic computer?

A. 1500
B. 1600
C. 1750
D. 1900
E. 2000

OA D

We are given that the total price of a basic computer and a printer was $2,500. If we let a = the price of the basic computer and b = the price of the printer, we can create the following equation:

a + b = 2,500

We are next given that if the same printer had been purchased with an enhanced computer, whose price was $500 more than the price of the basic computer, then the price of the printer would have been 1/5 of that total.

If we let the price of the enhanced computer = 500 + a, then we can create the following equation:

(1/5)(500 + a + b) = b

Since a + b = 2,500, we can substitute 2,500 for a + b into the equation (1/5)(500 + a + b) = b.

(1/5)(500 + 2,500) = b

(1/5)(3,000) = b

600 = b

Since b = 600 and a + b = 2,500, we can determine the value of a.

a + 600 = 2,500

a = 1,900

Alternate Solution:

The package price of the enhanced computer + printer is $3000. One-fifth of that total is $600, which is the price of the printer by itself. Since the package price of the basic computer + printer is $2,500, we subtract the printer price of $600, getting $1,900 as the price of the basic computer only.

Answer: D

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