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# At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and

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At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink]  30 Jan 2012, 20:06
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63% (04:13) correct 37% (02:37) wrong based on 218 sessions
At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and green tokens. Each red token costs $0.09, and each green token costs$0.14. If Tom spent a total of exactly $2.06, how many token in total did Tom buy? A. 16 B. 17 C. 18 D. 19 E. 20 This is a tough one. I am having trouble finding a fast solution for this. [Reveal] Spoiler: OA _________________ DETERMINED TO BREAK 700!!! Director Status: Joined: 24 Jul 2011 Posts: 569 GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V48 GRE 1: 1540 Q800 V740 Followers: 74 Kudos [?]: 321 [3] , given: 11 Re: Amusement Park Tokens [#permalink] 30 Jan 2012, 23:20 3 This post received KUDOS 0.09x + 0.14y = 2.06 => 9x + 14y = 206 To solve this remember that x must be even because 14y, when subtracted from 206, will yield an even number (even - even = even). The solution comes out to be x=12, y=7. Therefore the total number of tokens bought = 12+7 = 19 Option (D). _________________ GyanOne | http://www.GyanOne.com | +91 9899831738 Veritas Prep GMAT Instructor Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Posts: 5449 Location: Pune, India Followers: 1331 Kudos [?]: 6773 [1] , given: 177 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 01 Feb 2012, 01:40 1 This post received KUDOS Expert's post calreg11 wrote: Is there any way to solve for it other than trial and error? Check out case 2 in this post. It explains you in detail how to deal with such questions. I don't think there are pure algebraic solutions to such problems. http://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2011/06 ... -of-thumb/ _________________ Karishma Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor My Blog Veritas Prep GMAT course is coming to India. Enroll in our weeklong Immersion Course that starts March 29! Veritas Prep Reviews SVP Joined: 06 Sep 2013 Posts: 2035 Concentration: Finance GMAT 1: 710 Q48 V39 Followers: 24 Kudos [?]: 293 [1] , given: 354 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 26 Dec 2013, 14:29 1 This post received KUDOS calreg11 wrote: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and green tokens. Each red token costs$0.09, and each green token costs $0.14. If Tom spent a total of exactly$2.06, how many token in total did Tom buy?

a. 16
b. 17
c. 18
d. 19
e. 20

This is a tough one. I am having trouble finding a fast solution for this.

What I like to do in this questions is the following

We have 9x + 14y = 206

First always try to simplify, in this case we can't

Now look for a number that is the same for both and will be close to 206

In this case 9 is our best choice (You can quickly ballpark with 10 but you will realize it is >206)

So with 9 for both x and y we get 207 which is one more. Now the fun part starts
We need to play with this 9,9 combination to try to get one less, How so?

Well, let see we need to be one lower so if we get rid of one 14 and add one 9 we be further down.

If we subtract to 14's though we are down 28 and if we add 3 9's we are up 27

That perfect just to match our +1 difference!

So in total we have 12+7 = 19

Hence our correct answer is D

Hope it helps
Cheers!
J
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At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink]  31 Jan 2012, 00:33
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calreg11 wrote:
At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and green tokens. Each red token costs $0.09, and each green token costs$0.14. If Tom spent a total of exactly $2.06, how many token in total did Tom buy? a. 16 b. 17 c. 18 d. 19 e. 20 This is a tough one. I am having trouble finding a fast solution for this. Given: 0.09R + 0.14G = 2.06; 9R + 14G = 206. Now, it's special type of equations as G and R must be a non-negative integers, so there might be only one solution to it. After some trial and error you'll get (actually there are several ways of doing it): R = 12 and G = 7; R + G = 19. Answer: D. For more on this type of questions check: eunice-sold-several-cakes-if-each-cake-sold-for-either-109602.html martha-bought-several-pencils-if-each-pencil-was-either-a-100204.html a-rental-car-agency-purchases-fleet-vehicles-in-two-sizes-a-105682.html joe-bought-only-twenty-cent-stamps-and-thirty-cent-stamps-106212.html a-certain-fruit-stand-sold-apples-for-0-70-each-and-bananas-101966.html joanna-bought-only-0-15-stamps-and-0-29-stamps-how-many-101743.html at-an-amusement-park-tom-bought-a-number-of-red-tokens-and-126814.html collections-confused-need-a-help-81062.html Hope it helps. _________________ Current Student Joined: 23 Oct 2010 Posts: 386 Location: Azerbaijan Concentration: Finance Schools: HEC '15 (A) GMAT 1: 690 Q47 V38 Followers: 15 Kudos [?]: 187 [0], given: 73 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 31 Jan 2012, 00:59 I found this question not hard, but time -consuming. it took some time to find x=12 y=7 _________________ Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true Manager Joined: 27 Oct 2011 Posts: 191 Location: United States Concentration: Finance, Strategy GMAT 1: Q V GPA: 3.7 WE: Account Management (Consumer Products) Followers: 2 Kudos [?]: 65 [0], given: 4 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 31 Jan 2012, 20:45 Is there any way to solve for it other than trial and error? _________________ DETERMINED TO BREAK 700!!! Math Expert Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 27168 Followers: 4224 Kudos [?]: 40900 [0], given: 5576 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 01 Feb 2012, 01:55 Expert's post calreg11 wrote: Is there any way to solve for it other than trial and error? Trial and error along with some common sense is pretty much the only way you should approach such kind of problems on the GMAT. You won't get some very tough numbers to manipulate with or there will be some shortcut available, based on multiples concept or on the answer choices. So generally you would have to try just couple of values to get the answer. Check the links in my previous post to practice similar problems and you'll see that getting the answer is not that hard for the realistic GMAt question. _________________ Manager Joined: 27 Oct 2011 Posts: 191 Location: United States Concentration: Finance, Strategy GMAT 1: Q V GPA: 3.7 WE: Account Management (Consumer Products) Followers: 2 Kudos [?]: 65 [0], given: 4 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 01 Feb 2012, 19:33 Thanks for the posting. _________________ DETERMINED TO BREAK 700!!! Manager Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 213 Location: Uzbekistan Schools: Johnson, Fuqua, Simon, Mendoza WE 3: 10 Followers: 9 Kudos [?]: 311 [0], given: 974 Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink] 26 Feb 2012, 23:47 Bunuel wrote: calreg11 wrote: Is there any way to solve for it other than trial and error? Trial and error along with some common sense is pretty much the only way you should approach such kind of problems on the GMAT. You won't get some very tough numbers to manipulate with or there will be some shortcut available, based on multiples concept or on the answer choices. So generally you would have to try just couple of values to get the answer. Check the links in my previous post to practice similar problems and you'll see that getting the answer is not that hard for the realistic GMAt question. Hi calreg11, supporting the explanations of Bunuel and karishma above, I can show you shortest way of solving it by some amalgamation of trial and error with the algebraic approach, though, as mentioned by karishma, there is no pure algebraic solution of this problem. Let's start: first, we have to formulate the premise in an algebraic way through expressing red and green tokens by any letters we think convenient to us--> assuming, e.g., red tokens as 'r' and green tokens as 'g'; secondly, for the sake of convenience we can take the prices of red and greem tokens and also the total cost in cents, i.e.,$0,09 as 9 cents, $0.14 as 14 cents, and$2.06 as 206 cents;

then, thirdly, we do formulate it --> 9r + 14g = 206;

fourth, now we can refer to the point that red tokens and green tokens make up the total number of tokens which is unknown to us and this is why formula can be --> r + g = x

fifth, we have to apply trial and error approach through replacing x by each answer choice and we do it this way:

r + g = 16
r = 16 - g

replace 'r' in the original formula --> 9r + 14g = 206and we get 9(16-g) + 14g = 206 --> 5g=62 --> 62 is not divisible by 5, and hence, we cannot derive the number of g (green tokens), consequently, that of red tokens' also.

only 19 can satisfy the condition drawn from the formulae r = x - g and 9(x-g) + 14g = 206

Hope, it helps!
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Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink]  26 Apr 2014, 23:01
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I solved it this way:

Starting with the equation 9X+14Y = 206

=> 9(X+Y) + 5Y = 206

5Y = 206 - 9(X+Y)

we need to find X+Y. The RHS has to be a multiple of 5

Substituting the answers for X+Y abive, only 19 gives a multiple of 5.
You don't need to actually multiply all the answers with 9, just look for the units digit of the difference. (it has to be either 5 or 0)
When 19 is substituted, we get a units digit of 5 in the difference.
So D.
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Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink]  20 Jan 2015, 08:51
PROBLEM:
At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and green tokens. Each red token costs $0.09, and each green token costs$0.14. If Tom spent a total of exactly \$2.06, how many token in total did Tom buy?

A. 16
B. 17
C. 18
D. 19
E. 20

SOLUTION:

0.09R + 0.14G = 2.06
i.e. 9R + 14G = 206 ---- (i)
R + G = ?

Plug in answer choices for solving. The challenge is how to narrow down without too much calculation. Here is what I did:

Let X be our answer choice:
R + G = X
i.e. R = X - G ---- (ii)

Substitute (ii) in (i)
9 (X - G) + 14G = 206
9X + 5G = 206
5G = 206 - 9X
i.e. Last digit of (206 - 9X) should be 5 or 0
So, 5G = 206 - 191 = 35 i.e. G = 7 and R = 12.
Thus it satisfies the equation = (9*12) + (14*7) = 206

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Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and [#permalink]  20 Jan 2015, 19:55
9x + 14y = 206

9x = 2 (103 - 7y)

To make the RHS divisible by 9, we require to make the red colour expression (103-7y) divisible by 9

103 = 99+4 (Its 4 offset from 99, the closet divisibility), so we require 7y in such a way that its 4 offset from a number divisible by 9, BUT resultant divisibly by 7

Numbers are 13, 22, 31, 40, 49, 58

Look at 49, its our match. So, y = 7

$$x = \frac{54}{9} = 6$$

Total = 13

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Re: At an amusement park, tom bought a number of red tokens and   [#permalink] 20 Jan 2015, 19:55
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