Car A and Car B

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by Neo2000 » Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:27 am
From the area, you can get radius and from that you can get Circumference "C"
This question now boils down to cars A and B which are "C"miles apart, traveling towards each other at speeds of X and Y respectively. How long will they take to meet??

Approx 75mins?

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by cm47323 » Sat Apr 04, 2009 1:28 pm
Unless I missed some way to simplify the math, this problem isn't very GMATy. First need to take sqrt(1256/pi) to get the radius. You can guesstimate to around 20. Then need the circumference which involves multiplying by pi and then dividing the distance by the rate. I get 75 as well, but again, I don't see how to avoid doing calculations using a numerical estimation of pi

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by moutar » Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:14 pm
Radius = sqrt(A/pi) = sqrt(1256/3.14) =sqrt(400) = 20

Circumference = 40*pi = 125.6

Car A is going to have to travel 40% of the way round and car B 60% of the way.

Car A travels: 40% of 125.6 = 12.56 x 4 = 50.24 miles

Time = D/S = 50.24/40 = 1.256 hours = 75mins (approx)

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by Vemuri » Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:09 pm
cm47323 wrote:Unless I missed some way to simplify the math, this problem isn't very GMATy. First need to take sqrt(1256/pi) to get the radius. You can guesstimate to around 20. Then need the circumference which involves multiplying by pi and then dividing the distance by the rate. I get 75 as well, but again, I don't see how to avoid doing calculations using a numerical estimation of pi
I think that's what makes the difference in the real exam. A tough question will be tedious to answer (not necessarily always) & someone who is very good (caliber of above 720) will quickly do a comfortable approximation & arrive at the answer, while someone like me would sit calculating each component, spend a lot of energy & get bogged down by the ticking time :roll:

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by KICKGMATASS123 » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:44 am
I share your thoughts Vamuri! :cry:

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by mjjking » Mon Apr 06, 2009 3:53 am
This question is from 800score.com . While their questions park is good, the questions are not very gmat-like. I'vefound many hard questions in gmatprep and gmatfocus, but they simply aren't this difficult or "weird" :)
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by Musiq » Mon Apr 06, 2009 6:12 pm
This question is not at all GMAT like, as has already been noted.

When the direction of a moving body changes it cannot have uniform speed. Constantly varying speeds involve a concept called accelaration, which the GMAT DOES NOT COVER.

Can this be done, assuming speed is a scalar quantity...sure...but it's not very accurate.
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by anshulseth » Tue Apr 07, 2009 1:58 am
One can use relative speed to cut down further on calculations here.

R= sqrt(A/pi) = sqrt(1256/3.14) =sqrt(400) = 20

Time taken(in min.) = (Total Distance / Total relative speed ) *60
= ((2*3.14*20)/100)* 60 = 75 (approx)

Relative speed will be the sum of A & B as they are moving towards each other.

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Last edited by anshulseth on Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by Musiq » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:21 am
anshulseth wrote:One can use relative speed to cut down further on calculations here.

R= sqrt(A/pi) = sqrt(1256/3.14) =sqrt(400) = 20

Time taken(in min.) = (Total Distance / Total relative speed ) *60
= ((2*3.14*20)/100)* 60 = 75 (approx)

Relative speed will be the sum of A & B as they are moving in the same dir.

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I am positive it was a typo anshuleth.

If using Relative Speeds:
a) Bodies moving in Same direction (Subtract speeds for resultant effective speed)
b) Bodies moving in Opposite direction (Add speeds for resultant effective speed)
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by anshulseth » Tue Apr 07, 2009 9:40 am
@Musiq
I am right and u are also right.
Now, how do u explain that.

I meant relative speed adds when objects move towards each other,
and u say that they add when they move in opposite direction.
Which is one and the same here, clockwise and anti-clockwise..

Got it.. :roll:

Though i must correct my post to say, that they are moving towards each other.
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