skamal7 wrote:
In a network of car dealerships, a group of d sales directors each has a team of a sales associates. In a given month, if the directors each sold 10 cars and each sales associate sold 20 cars, and all cars were sold by either a sales director or a sales associate, how many people total sold cars?
(1) The total number of cars sold was 270
(2) a > d > 2
# of people who sold cars = d + d*a
Each director has
a associates.
We should acknowledge (2) first because it is a simple statement giving us a constraint rather than a concrete data about question and it is easy to prove that insufficient.(2) a > d > 2
Insufficient.
(1) The total number of cars sold was 270
i.e. 10d + 20d*a = 270
=> d + 2d*a = 27
1 Equation, 2 Variables. Don't be too hasty to jump on to (C) for this situation. There have been a lot of DS questions where such situations have yielded a unique answer because of the presence of "invisible" constraint - a & d are Positive Integers .
d*(1 + 2a) = 27
Notice that (1+2a) and d will always be Odd because their multiple is Odd.
Therefore,
If d = 1; 1+2a = 27 => Odd => a = 13
d = 3; 1+2a = 9 => Odd => a = 4
2 Solutions Possible. Statement (1) - Not Sufficient.
(1) + (2)..
a > d > 2 & d(1+2a) = 27
We do not have to check for every Odd value of d. We can find the factors of 27 and then move forward.
27 = \(3^3\)
Therefore,
Factors of 27 - 1, 3, 9, 27.
Therefore, If d != 1 (Constraint in Statement (2))
If d = 3; a = 4 - Valid Solution.
For d = 9; a != 1 (Constraint in Statement (2))
d = 27; a != 0 (Constraint in Statement (2))
Hence, C is the Answer.