Problem Solving

If the cost price of 20 articles is equal to the selling price of 25 articles, what is the % profit or loss made by the merchant?

A. 25% loss
B. 25% profit
C. 20% loss
D. 20% profit
E. 5% profit

pzazz12 wrote:If the cost price of 20 articles is equal to the selling price of 25 articles, what is the % profit or loss made by the merchant?

A. 25% loss
B. 25% profit
C. 20% loss
D. 20% profit
E. 5% profit

Let cost price of each article be C and selling price be S.
for 20 articles, cost price = 20C and selling price = 20S
for 25 articles, cost price = 25C and selling price = 25S

given that 20C = 25S
C = 5/4 S
S = 4/5 C
which means S<C
hence there should be loss. BDE out.

percentage loss = (4C/5 - C)/C * 100
=C/5 * 100 = 20% loss

pick C.

Let CP=10

200=25*SP

-->SP=8

CP of 20 articles=200

SP of 20 articles=160

Loss=20%

Pick C

pzazz12 wrote:If the cost price of 20 articles is equal to the selling price of 25 articles, what is the % profit or loss made by the merchant?

A. 25% loss
B. 25% profit
C. 20% loss
D. 20% profit
E. 5% profit

Let the Price(Both Selling Price of 25 items and Cost Price of 20 items) be the LCM of 25 & 20 ; this is nothing but 100.

Now we can say that the Selling Price of 25 items is 100

So Selling Price of 1 item is 4

And the Cost Price of 20 items is 100

Cost Price of 1 item is 5

Thus we observe that there is a loss as Cost Price>Selling Price

Loss / item is 1

Hence loss percent is Loss/Cost Price * 100

= 1 / 5 * 100 = 20%


Though this method seems lengthier it will be the quickest and easiest approach if you can adopt it....

Let the CP for 1 is 1 .

CP for 20 = 20

Let SP for 1 is y

From the given info 20 * 1 = 25 * y
hence y = 20/25 = .8

CP of 1 is 1 and SP for 1 is .8

Hence loss is 20 %

pzazz12 wrote:If the cost price of 20 articles is equal to the selling price of 25 articles, what is the % profit or loss made by the merchant?

A. 25% loss
B. 25% profit
C. 20% loss
D. 20% profit
E. 5% profit

Great solutions - we could also make a quick guess if in a rush.

If the cost of 20 articles equalled the selling price of 20 articles, then the seller would break even.

Since the cost of 20 = selling price of 25, the seller is taking a loss.

Guess either A or C.