Find all School-related info fast with the new School-Specific MBA Forum

 It is currently 28 Apr 2015, 02:58

### GMAT Club Daily Prep

#### Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

# Events & Promotions

###### Events & Promotions in June
Open Detailed Calendar

# Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the numb

Author Message
TAGS:
Director
Joined: 25 Oct 2008
Posts: 610
Location: Kolkata,India
Followers: 9

Kudos [?]: 288 [0], given: 100

Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the numb [#permalink]  13 Aug 2009, 14:25
10
This post was
BOOKMARKED
00:00

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

53% (02:02) correct 47% (01:31) wrong based on 235 sessions
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar. If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether, what proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil?

A) 15/29
B) 5/8
C) 5/16
D) 1/2
E) 13/27

OPEN DISCUSSION OF THIS QUESTION IS HERE: miguel-is-mixing-up-a-salad-dressing-regardless-of-the-109740.html
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

_________________
 Kaplan GMAT Prep Discount Codes Knewton GMAT Discount Codes Veritas Prep GMAT Discount Codes
Manager
Joined: 25 Jul 2009
Posts: 117
Schools: NYU, NUS, ISB, DUKE, ROSS, DARDEN
Followers: 4

Kudos [?]: 167 [0], given: 17

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  13 Aug 2009, 15:29
tejal777 wrote:
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar. If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether, what proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil?
15/29
5/8
5/16
1/2
13/27

I got 15/29 is it correct?

Please explain how you reached this answer. I am not very clear with the question.
_________________

KUDOS me if I deserve it !!

My GMAT Debrief - 740 (Q50, V39) | My Test-Taking Strategies for GMAT | Sameer's SC Notes

Manager
Joined: 28 Jul 2009
Posts: 124
Location: India
Schools: NUS, NTU, SMU, AGSM, Melbourne School of Business
Followers: 6

Kudos [?]: 61 [9] , given: 12

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  14 Aug 2009, 04:29
9
KUDOS
Quote:
tejal777 wrote:
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar. If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether, what proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil?
15/29
5/8
5/16
1/2
13/27

Thats is right, tejal777. Take the total mixture as 240 and carry find the results for each of the components
Olive Oil = 240*5/8 = 150
Vinegar = 240*1/4 = 60
Remainder (240-210) equally divided in three parts
Salt = 10
Pepper = 10
Sugar = 10

The question then says Miquel doubles the vinegar and forgets sugar. Therefore, we will bad salad will have
150 + 120 (for 60*2) + 10+10 = 290

Ratio of Olive Oil/ New salad = 150/290 ie 15/29.

I had solved this problem a month ago but the good thing I just realised is that I still remembered how to solve it.
_________________

GMAT offended me. Now, its my turn!
Will do anything for Kudos! Please feel free to give one.

Director
Joined: 25 Oct 2008
Posts: 610
Location: Kolkata,India
Followers: 9

Kudos [?]: 288 [0], given: 100

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  14 Aug 2009, 16:43
Bang on bhanushalinikhil!Same approach.
_________________
Intern
Joined: 09 Jan 2010
Posts: 27
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 1 [0], given: 5

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  25 Mar 2010, 07:59
i am doing it this way pls tell where i am wrong

Originaly

Olive oil = 5/8

Vinegar = 1/4

Remaining = 1 -(5/8+1/4) = 1/8

Even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar = (1/8)/3 = 1/24

Later

Olive Oil = x

Vinegar = 1/4 *2 = 1/2

Remaining = 1 -(x+1/2) = 1 - x - (1/2)

Even mixture of salt, pepper = 1/2( 1 - x - (1/2) )

Total = 1

1/2( 1 - x - (1/2) ) + 1/2( 1 - x - (1/2) ) + x+ 1/2 = 1

Lost after it .. doing something wrong ..surely

help plssss
Intern
Joined: 19 Mar 2010
Posts: 11
Location: San Diego, CA
Schools: UCLA Anderson
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 1 [0], given: 3

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  25 Mar 2010, 12:10
tejal777 wrote:
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar. If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether, what proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil?
15/29
5/8
5/16
1/2
13/27

I got 15/29 is it correct?

I think the best way to solve this problem is to write each of the original amounts using 24 as the common denominator. Thus you have

15 parts o.o.
6 parts vin
1 part salt
1 part pep
1 part sugar

Now Miguel makes a new mixture in which he uses double the amount of vinegar, so he uses 6 * 2 = 12 parts vinegar. He also skips the sugar. So the new mixture is

15 parts o.o.
12 parts vin
1 part salt
1 part pep

= 29 parts total, of which 15 is olive oil. So the answer is

15/29
Intern
Joined: 21 Mar 2010
Posts: 22
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 4 [0], given: 2

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  25 Mar 2010, 14:24
bnagdev282 wrote:
i am doing it this way pls tell where i am wrong

Originaly

Olive oil = 5/8

Vinegar = 1/4

Remaining = 1 -(5/8+1/4) = 1/8

Even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar = (1/8)/3 = 1/24

Up till this point you are right. This is how I would continue,

We know,
Olive oil = $$\frac{5}{8}$$
Vinegar = $$\frac{1}{4}$$
salt = $$\frac{1}{24}$$
Pepper = $$\frac{1}{24}$$
Sugar = $$\frac{1}{24}$$

from here we see that the least common multiple of all the denominators is 24. So multiply all the fractions with 24.

Olive Oil = 15
Vinegar = 6
salt = 1
Pepper =1
Sugar = 1

Now that Miquel doubles the vinegar and forgot the sugar,
Total Portion = 15 (Olive Oil) + 12 (Vinegar 6*2) + 1 (salt) + 1 (pepper) = 29

Percentage of Olive oil = $$\frac{15}{29}$$

Please let me know if you need any more help

Ravi

Last edited by sudgmat on 26 Mar 2010, 07:58, edited 1 time in total.
Current Student
Status: Nothing comes easy: neither do I want.
Joined: 12 Oct 2009
Posts: 2801
Location: Malaysia
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 1: 670 Q49 V31
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Followers: 191

Kudos [?]: 1112 [0], given: 235

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  26 Mar 2010, 06:33
sudgmat wrote:
bnagdev282 wrote:
i am doing it this way pls tell where i am wrong

Originaly

Olive oil = 5/8

Vinegar = 1/4

Remaining = 1 -(5/8+1/4) = 1/8

Even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar = (1/8)/3 = 1/24

Up till this point you are right. This is how I would continue,

We know,
Olive oil = $$\frac{5}{8}$$
Vinegar = $$\frac{1}{4}$$
salt = $$\frac{1}{8}$$
Pepper = $$\frac{1}{8}$$
Sugar = $$\frac{1}{8}$$

from here we see that the least common multiple of all the denominators is 24. So multiply all the fractions with 24.

Olive Oil = 15
Vinegar = 6
salt = 3
Pepper =3
Sugar = 3

No that Miquel doubles the vinegar and forgot the sugar,
Total Portion = 15 (Olive Oil) + 12 (Vinegar 6*2) + 3 (salt) + 3 (pepper) = 29

Percentage of Olive oil = $$\frac{15}{29}$$

Please let me know if you need any more help

Ravi

salt+pepper+sugar comes to be 1/8

so take salt = sugar = pepper = 1/24

Olive Oil = 15
Vinegar = 6
salt = 1
Pepper =1
Sugar = 1
Total Portion = 15 (Olive Oil) + 12 (Vinegar 6*2) + 1 (salt) + 1 (pepper) = 29
and thus 15/29
_________________

Fight for your dreams :For all those who fear from Verbal- lets give it a fight

Money Saved is the Money Earned

Jo Bole So Nihaal , Sat Shri Akaal

GMAT Club Premium Membership - big benefits and savings

Gmat test review :
670-to-710-a-long-journey-without-destination-still-happy-141642.html

Intern
Joined: 21 Mar 2010
Posts: 22
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 4 [0], given: 2

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  26 Mar 2010, 08:34
@gurpreetsingh

Thanks a lot, Corrected all the typos.
Director
Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 583
Followers: 2

Kudos [?]: 34 [1] , given: 7

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  12 Jul 2010, 03:25
1
KUDOS
gmatinfoonline wrote:
tejal777 wrote:
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar. If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether, what proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil?
15/29
5/8
5/16
1/2
13/27

I got 15/29 is it correct?

I think the best way to solve this problem is to write each of the original amounts using 24 as the common denominator. Thus you have

15 parts o.o.
6 parts vin
1 part salt
1 part pep
1 part sugar

Now Miguel makes a new mixture in which he uses double the amount of vinegar, so he uses 6 * 2 = 12 parts vinegar. He also skips the sugar. So the new mixture is

15 parts o.o.
12 parts vin
1 part salt
1 part pep

= 29 parts total, of which 15 is olive oil. So the answer is

15/29

Can someone explain to me this solution? The question asks: what proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil? IMO it should be: 1 - (1/4 * 2 + 1/24 + 1/24) = 5/12. I can't see where I am mistaken in my reasoning.
Manager
Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 139
Location: Tx
Schools: NYU,UCLA,BOOTH,STANFORD
Followers: 1

Kudos [?]: 27 [0], given: 36

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  12 Jul 2010, 04:45
I prefer to picking numbers on that kind of questions.

Lets chose 24x is total

24x * 5/8= 15x olive oil

24x/4 = 6x vinegar

the remainder is 3x(x for sugar,x for salt,x for pepper)

Double the vinegar is 12x and lack of sugar means we have 2x(salt and pepper)

In total 15x+12x+2x= 29x

15x/29x=15/29

hope it helps
_________________

This is not finished here...Watch me.....

Director
Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 583
Followers: 2

Kudos [?]: 34 [0], given: 7

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  12 Jul 2010, 10:07
Quote:
In total 15x+12x+2x= 29x
15x/29x=15/29

I don't get why oil is 15 and not a 1's complement? Please explain.
Manager
Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 139
Location: Tx
Schools: NYU,UCLA,BOOTH,STANFORD
Followers: 1

Kudos [?]: 27 [0], given: 36

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  13 Jul 2010, 00:04
nonameee wrote:
Quote:
In total 15x+12x+2x= 29x
15x/29x=15/29

I don't get why oil is 15 and not a 1's complement? Please explain.

24x*5/8= 15 x

ı choose 24 x because of divisible with 8 and 4
_________________

This is not finished here...Watch me.....

Director
Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 583
Followers: 2

Kudos [?]: 34 [0], given: 7

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  13 Jul 2010, 02:51
fatihaysu wrote:
nonameee wrote:
Quote:
In total 15x+12x+2x= 29x
15x/29x=15/29

I don't get why oil is 15 and not a 1's complement? Please explain.

24x*5/8= 15 x

ı choose 24 x because of divisible with 8 and 4

That's not what I've asked. I understand where you got the numbers and 24 is very clear to me.

I just thought that since he changed the ratio of various ingredients, the ratio of oil will be different as well. So I don't understand why we can assume that the ratio of the oil should remain the same? It if remains the same (as in your calculations, i.e., oil = 15x) the weight of the mixture will change. In my calculations I assumed that the weight of the mixture stays the same and the rate of the oil changes.

Maybe I didn't understand the the question well.
Manager
Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 57
Followers: 1

Kudos [?]: 18 [0], given: 10

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  15 Jul 2010, 07:17
Quote:

That's not what I've asked. I understand where you got the numbers and 24 is very clear to me.

I just thought that since he changed the ratio of various ingredients, the ratio of oil will be different as well. So I don't understand why we can assume that the ratio of the oil should remain the same? It if remains the same (as in your calculations, i.e., oil = 15x) the weight of the mixture will change. In my calculations I assumed that the weight of the mixture stays the same and the rate of the oil changes.

Maybe I didn't understand the the question well.

Yes I had the same problem!

I filled the mixture with 1/2 vinegar (i.e. 12), 1 salt and 1 pepper --> ending up with 10 left for oil, hence 10/24 = 5/12 is the proportion of oil in the dressing.

Someone please clarify where we went wrong...
Director
Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 583
Followers: 2

Kudos [?]: 34 [0], given: 7

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  16 Jul 2010, 01:07
AndreG wrote:
Quote:

That's not what I've asked. I understand where you got the numbers and 24 is very clear to me.

I just thought that since he changed the ratio of various ingredients, the ratio of oil will be different as well. So I don't understand why we can assume that the ratio of the oil should remain the same? It if remains the same (as in your calculations, i.e., oil = 15x) the weight of the mixture will change. In my calculations I assumed that the weight of the mixture stays the same and the rate of the oil changes.

Maybe I didn't understand the the question well.

Yes I had the same problem!

I filled the mixture with 1/2 vinegar (i.e. 12), 1 salt and 1 pepper --> ending up with 10 left for oil, hence 10/24 = 5/12 is the proportion of oil in the dressing.

Someone please clarify where we went wrong...

Yeah, I had the same reasoning.
Manager
Joined: 24 Aug 2008
Posts: 231
Location: India
WE 1: 3.75 IT
WE 2: 1.0 IT
Followers: 2

Kudos [?]: 33 [0], given: 5

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  16 Jul 2010, 02:09
I am not sure whether my reasoning is right but this is what i thought.

Question says that Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar.

Lets chose 24x is total
24x * 5/8= 15x olive oil
24x/4 = 6x vinegar
the remainder is 3x(x for sugar,x for salt,x for pepper)

If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether.

In this nowhere the question says that quantity of olive oil added is changed.. It is still 15x. Also there is nothing given regarding weight. Question asks us to find that we need to find , proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil.(i.e. the new mixture whether it is of more weioght than previous one. - 29x is the new weight.)

Double the vinegar is 12x and lack of sugar means we have 2x(salt and pepper)
In total 15x+12x+2x= 29x
15x/29x=15/29

Hope this helps!!
_________________

Cheers,
Varun

If you like my post, give me KUDOS!!

Manager
Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 57
Followers: 1

Kudos [?]: 18 [0], given: 10

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  16 Jul 2010, 02:19
varunmaheshwari wrote:
I am not sure whether my reasoning is right but this is what i thought.

Question says that Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of servings, the recipe requires that 5/8 of the finished dressing mix be olive oil, 1/4 vinegar, and the remainder an even mixture of salt, pepper and sugar.

Lets chose 24x is total
24x * 5/8= 15x olive oil
24x/4 = 6x vinegar
the remainder is 3x(x for sugar,x for salt,x for pepper)

If Miguel accidentally doubles the vinegar and forgets the sugar altogether.

In this nowhere the question says that quantity of olive oil added is changed.. It is still 15x. Also there is nothing given regarding weight. Question asks us to find that we need to find , proportion of the botched dressing will be olive oil.(i.e. the new mixture whether it is of more weioght than previous one. - 29x is the new weight.)

Double the vinegar is 12x and lack of sugar means we have 2x(salt and pepper)
In total 15x+12x+2x= 29x
15x/29x=15/29

Hope this helps!!

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense... I guess the key is indeed in the phrase "regardless of the number of servings..."

Since our chosen 24 is only arbitrary, to make the calculation easier, there is indeed no reasoning why it shouldn't be allowed to change to 29!

THANKS!
Current Student
Joined: 29 Apr 2010
Posts: 228
Schools: Sloan R1, McCombs R1, Ross R1 (w/int), Haas R2, Kellogg R2
WE 1: Product Engineering/Manufacturing
Followers: 3

Kudos [?]: 33 [0], given: 26

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  26 Jul 2010, 09:05
The wording of this really confused me. It seems like you could either double the proportion of vinegar or the actual amount and get completely different answers. I wasted a lot of time assuming it was the proportion he got wrong - I thought he went from 1/4 vinegar to 1/2 vinegar.
Intern
Joined: 28 Mar 2011
Posts: 34
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 1 [0], given: 0

Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. [#permalink]  23 Jul 2011, 04:30
Hi,

nonameee wrote:
AndreG wrote:
Quote:

That's not what I've asked. I understand where you got the numbers and 24 is very clear to me.

I just thought that since he changed the ratio of various ingredients, the ratio of oil will be different as well. So I don't understand why we can assume that the ratio of the oil should remain the same? It if remains the same (as in your calculations, i.e., oil = 15x) the weight of the mixture will change. In my calculations I assumed that the weight of the mixture stays the same and the rate of the oil changes.

Maybe I didn't understand the the question well.

Yes I had the same problem!

I filled the mixture with 1/2 vinegar (i.e. 12), 1 salt and 1 pepper --> ending up with 10 left for oil, hence 10/24 = 5/12 is the proportion of oil in the dressing.

Someone please clarify where we went wrong...

Yeah, I had the same reasoning.

Though I understood the correct reasoning, I am still not clear on what is wrong in these ones.

Thanks
Re: Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing.   [#permalink] 23 Jul 2011, 04:30

Go to page    1   2    Next  [ 25 posts ]

Similar topics Replies Last post
Similar
Topics:
8 Salad dressing A is made up of 30% vinegar and 70% oil, and salad dres 8 24 Aug 2011, 04:04
40 Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the 20 20 Feb 2011, 11:44
3 Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the number of serv 14 13 Oct 2009, 05:26
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the 2 17 Feb 2008, 11:48
Miguel is mixing up a salad dressing. Regardless of the 2 09 Dec 2006, 15:16
Display posts from previous: Sort by