BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush...

Expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Moderator
Posts: 2544
Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:50 pmFollowed by: 6 members
by BTGmoderatorLU » Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:12 pm
A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2
B. (B + 2)/6
C. (2B + 200)/3
D. (B + 2)/3
E. (B - 2)/6

The OA is B.

I get the solution as follow,

Let paint price = P, and whitewash price = W.

P + W = B

It's given that P = 2W - 200/100

Substituting the value of P

2W - 2 +W = B

W = (B + 2)/3

So, half price = (B + 2)/6. Option B.

Experts, any suggestion? Thanks!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Problem Solving |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1100
Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 11:34 pmFollowed by: 24 members
Location: New Delhi, India
Thanked: 205 times

by GMATinsight » Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:41 am
LUANDATO wrote:A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2
B. (B + 2)/6
C. (2B + 200)/3
D. (B + 2)/3
E. (B - 2)/6

The OA is B.

I get the solution as follow,

Let paint price = P, and whitewash price = W.

P + W = B

It's given that P = 2W - 200/100

Substituting the value of P

2W - 2 +W = B

W = (B + 2)/3

So, half price = (B + 2)/6. Option B.

Experts, any suggestion? Thanks!
The explanation shown here sound absolutely fine
"GMATinsight"Bhoopendra Singh & Sushma Jha
Most Comprehensive and Affordable Video Course 2000+ CONCEPT Videos and Video Solutions
Whatsapp/Mobile: +91-9999687183 l [email protected]
Contact for One-on-One FREE ONLINE DEMO Class Call/e-mail
Most Efficient and affordable One-On-One Private tutoring fee - US$40-50 per hour
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
Elite Legendary Member
Posts: 10392
Joined: Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pmFollowed by: 511 members
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Thanked: 2867 times
GMAT Score:800

by [email protected] » Sun Mar 18, 2018 7:25 pm
Hi LUANDATO,

We're told that a customer buys a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B DOLLARS and the paintbrush costs 200 CENTS LESS than TWICE the price of a bucket of whitewash. We're asked for the price of HALF a bucket of whitewash in DOLLARS. This question can be solved by TESTing VALUES.

IF...
A full bucket of whitewash = $4
A paintbrush = (2)($4) - $2 = $6
B = $4+$6 = $10

So we're looking for an answer that equals (1/2)($4) = $2 when B=10. There's only one answer that matches...

Final Answer: B

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Contact Rich at [email protected]
Image
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1462
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2015 9:34 amFollowed by: 22 members
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 39 times

by Jeff@TargetTestPrep » Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:07 pm
LUANDATO wrote:A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2
B. (B + 2)/6
C. (2B + 200)/3
D. (B + 2)/3
E. (B - 2)/6
We can let w = the price of a bucket of whitewash in dollars. Since the paintbrush costs 200 cents, or 2 dollars, less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, the price of the paintbrush = 2w - 2 dollars. Since the total price is B dollars, we have:

w + 2w - 2 = B

3w = B + 2

w = (B + 2)/3

(1/2)w = [(B + 2)/3]/2 = (B + 2)/6

Answer: B

Jeffrey Miller
Head of GMAT Instruction
[email protected]

Image

See why Target Test Prep is rated 5 out of 5 stars on BEAT the GMAT. Read our reviews
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 2214
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2018 2:22 pmFollowed by: 5 members

by deloitte247 » Sun Apr 01, 2018 9:26 am
Let the prices of a point brush and a bucket of whitewash be 'p' and 'w' respectively.
From the question; p+w=B dollars
Also, P is 200 cents (=2 dollars) less than twice of w
$$i.e\ p=\left(2\cdot w\right)-2=2w-2---\left(i\right)$$
$$substituting\ this\ for\ P\ in\ the\ first\ equation,$$
$$P+W=B$$
$$\left(2W-2\right)+W=B$$
$$3W-2=B\ or\ 3W=B+2$$
$$W=\frac{\left(B+2\right)}{3}$$
$$Therefore,\ half\ of\ w=\frac{1}{2}of\ w=\frac{1}{2}\cdot\frac{\left(B+2\right)}{w}$$
$$=\frac{\left(B+2\right)}{6\ }\ \left(option\ B\right)$$
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1