GMAT Prep - Ratios w/ table

[tutonaranjo]

The table above shows the amount of waste material, in tons, recycled by each of five counties in a single year and the amount of waste material, also in tons, that was disposed of in landfills by the five counties in that year. Which county had the lowest ratio of waste material disposed of to waste material recycled in the year reported in the table?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E

Answer is C. Can someone share a simple way of doing this. Also, what does the lowest ratio mean exactly?

[jaspreet.sharma]

The table above shows the amount of waste material, in tons, recycled by each of five counties in a single year and the amount of waste material, also in tons, that was disposed of in landfills by the five counties in that year. Which county had the lowest ratio of waste material disposed of to waste material recycled in the year reported in the table?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E

Answer is C. Can someone share a simple way of doing this. Also, what does the lowest ratio mean exactly?

Solution is here

Lowest ratio means x/y has the lowest value....

n for that.....we should see the ratio of disposed to recycled material for each city.

n it is quite visible that C has the lowest fraction value among these.

[tutonaranjo]

got it! thanks!
clever!

[camitava]

Hi All,
I cannot agree with Jaspreet.sharma. Sorry! Please give a close look at the problem -

The table above shows the amount of waste material, in tons, recycled by each of five counties in a single year and the amount of waste material, also in tons, that was disposed of in landfills by the five counties in that year. Which county had the lowest ratio of waste material disposed of to waste material recycled in the year reported in the table?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
e) E

Answer is C. Can someone share a simple way of doing this. Also, what does the lowest ratio mean exactly?

Using POE and close approximation, A says - more than 1/8; B says - nearly 1/6; C says - nearly 1/4; D says - nearly 1/6; E says - nearly 1/5. Now among them, I think 1/8 is the smallest one. So the correct answer should be - A.

[mariozam0429]

Hi Amitava,

This is a trick question what the question is asking is not which country has the lowest recycle rate, but which country has the lowest waste rate.
16700 142800 0.116946779
8800 48000 0.183333333
13000 51400 0.252918288
3900 20300 0.192118227
3300 16200 0.203703704

Therefore C. has the lowest waste rate because they recycle the most.

I hope this helps.

Mario

[4meonly]

16700 142800 0.116946779
8800 48000 0.183333333
13000 51400 0.252918288
3900 20300 0.192118227
3300 16200 0.203703704

WOW!!!
U made it without calculator? u r a great counter))

[andy123]

hi i badly need to understand what is the question asking ??

as per the question it is asking us to divide 3rd column by 2nd column...then why are u people dividing 2nd by 3rd ??

i think i am not getting the meaning..

[danielm2222]

hi i badly need to understand what is the question asking ??

as per the question it is asking us to divide 3rd column by 2nd column...then why are u people dividing 2nd by 3rd ??

i think i am not getting the meaning..

You are right. You have to divide the 3rd column by the 2nd column, which will give you the following:

142800 / 16070 = 8.55
48000 / 8800 = 5.45
51400 / 13000 = 3.95
20300 / 13000 = 5.21
16200 / 3300 = 4.91

Therefore, "C" has the lowest ratio of waste material disposed of to waste material recycled.