mgmat cat 4b minimum number

[vkb16]

Susie can buy apples from two stores: a supermarket that sells apples only in bundles of 4, and a convenience store that sells single, unbundled apples. If Susie wants to ensure that the total number of apples she buys is a multiple of 5, what is the minimum number of apples she must buy from the convenience store?

Choices--0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

OA is 0

how can this be? Im for 1

[scoobydooby]

0 is a multiple of all numbers and factor of none. 0 is the minimum multiple

[Ian Stewart]

She could buy, for example, 5 bundles of four apples from the supermarket, and no single apples from the convenience store, giving her 20 apples in total.

[vkb16]

thanks Ian, but why cant we assume she buys just 1 set of 4 apples?
why are we assuming she goes for a multiple of 5?

[m&m]

Susie needs a multiple of 5, so either:
x = 5,10,15,20,25...

we want to miminize C in equation x = 4S+C

since we are asking to minimize C, the smallest C we can have is 0. Can we get C=0 from above...

if we choose x=20 then S=5 and C=0


so... we managed to minimize C with 20 apples and hence C=0

[vamshi294]

Hi All,

From the question 'Susie can buy apples from two stores' ; susie CAN buy from two stores, but it is not given that it is mandatory to purchase from both the stores... and the question is 'she buys is a multiple of 5, what is the minimum number of apples she must buy from the CONVENIENCE store?'.... how many we can buy from CONVENIENCE store alone to make it a multiple of 5....so i believe answer is straight and it is '5'.

Please correct me, if i am wrong.


Mr. scoobydooby, from definition of multiple, 0 is not considered multiple of any number