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# A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T

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Current Student
Joined: 22 Jul 2014
Posts: 130
Concentration: General Management, Finance
GMAT 1: 670 Q48 V34
WE: Engineering (Energy and Utilities)
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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08 Aug 2014, 23:30
1
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Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

56% (01:42) correct 44% (01:54) wrong based on 148 sessions

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A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

a) 20
b) 30
c) 40
d) 50
e) 60

No options were given. This question was given for conceptual understanding and it came with no options. For the sake of the reader, I am making my own optionsl

Source:4gmat
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

Last edited by alphonsa on 09 Aug 2014, 04:14, edited 1 time in total.
Director
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 720
Location: India
GPA: 3.21
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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09 Aug 2014, 03:27
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

No options given

Ans: 40

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Please post your question with source and answer options. All PS question on GMAT have 5 options in ascending or descending order...

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As for the options x will have to be more than 40 km/hrs since the time taken to cover this distance is less than 5 hrs but if speed is 40km/hr then time required will be equal to 5 hrs...
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“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Tutor
Joined: 20 Apr 2012
Posts: 100
Location: Ukraine
GMAT 1: 690 Q51 V31
GMAT 2: 730 Q51 V38
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Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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09 Aug 2014, 03:39
1
KUDOS
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

To have the minimum value of speed you need the maximum possible time. So, the time is 5.
Just fill the rate table and use that
rate*time=distance

_______________rate_______time_________distance
first half________x________120/x_________120
second half____x+20____120/(x+20)_____120
Total______________________5_____________240

So, we have the equation:
$$\frac{120}{x}+\frac{120}{x+20}=5$$

On GMAT it is better here to to plug in the answers.

Divide by 120
$$\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{x+20}=\frac{5}{120}$$
Common denominator
$$\frac{2x+20}{x(x+20)}=\frac{1}{24}$$
Cross multiply
$$48x+480=x^2+20x$$
$$x^2-28x-480=0$$
Viet's theorem
$$x=40$$ or $$x=-12$$
So, the speed is 40.

Don't really know how to solve this equation faster.
_________________

I'm happy, if I make math for you slightly clearer
And yes, I like kudos:)

Director
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 720
Location: India
GPA: 3.21
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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09 Aug 2014, 04:33
smyarga wrote:
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the
remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

To have the minimum value of speed you need the maximum possible time. So, the time is 5.
Just fill the rate table and use that
rate*time=distance

_______________rate_______time_________distance
first half________x________120/x_________120
second half____x+20____120/(x+20)_____120
Total______________________5_____________240

So, we have the equation:
$$\frac{120}{x}+\frac{120}{x+20}=5$$

On GMAT it is better here to to plug in the answers.

Divide by 120
$$\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{x+20}=\frac{5}{120}$$
Common denominator
$$\frac{2x+20}{x(x+20)}=\frac{1}{24}$$
Cross multiply
$$48x+480=x^2+20x$$
$$x^2-28x-480=0$$
Viet's theorem
$$x=40$$ or $$x=-12$$
So, the speed is 40.

Don't really know how to solve this equation faster.

Hi smyarga,

At x=40, the time required will be 5 hrs so speed should be more than that..am I correct ...I did solve the problem like you did and got x=40

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Tutor
Joined: 20 Apr 2012
Posts: 100
Location: Ukraine
GMAT 1: 690 Q51 V31
GMAT 2: 730 Q51 V38
WE: Education (Education)
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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09 Aug 2014, 04:36
WoundedTiger wrote:
smyarga wrote:
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the
remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

To have the minimum value of speed you need the maximum possible time. So, the time is 5.
Just fill the rate table and use that
rate*time=distance

_______________rate_______time_________distance
first half________x________120/x_________120
second half____x+20____120/(x+20)_____120
Total______________________5_____________240

So, we have the equation:
$$\frac{120}{x}+\frac{120}{x+20}=5$$

On GMAT it is better here to to plug in the answers.

Divide by 120
$$\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{x+20}=\frac{5}{120}$$
Common denominator
$$\frac{2x+20}{x(x+20)}=\frac{1}{24}$$
Cross multiply
$$48x+480=x^2+20x$$
$$x^2-28x-480=0$$
Viet's theorem
$$x=40$$ or $$x=-12$$
So, the speed is 40.

Don't really know how to solve this equation faster.

Hi smyarga,

At x=40, the time required will be 5 hrs so speed should be more than that..am I correct ...I did solve the problem like you did and got x=40

Posted from my mobile device

You are right! That's why a wrote that to have minimum speed you need maximum possible time:) because if you go faster, you will come earlier)
_________________

I'm happy, if I make math for you slightly clearer
And yes, I like kudos:)

Intern
Joined: 05 Feb 2014
Posts: 16
Location: India
Concentration: Human Resources, General Management
Schools: Tepper '20 (S)
GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V40
GPA: 3.33
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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20 Sep 2014, 08:43
smyarga wrote:
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

To have the minimum value of speed you need the maximum possible time. So, the time is 5.
Just fill the rate table and use that
rate*time=distance

_______________rate_______time_________distance
first half________x________120/x_________120
second half____x+20____120/(x+20)_____120
Total______________________5_____________240

So, we have the equation:
$$\frac{120}{x}+\frac{120}{x+20}=5$$

On GMAT it is better here to to plug in the answers.

Divide by 120
$$\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{x+20}=\frac{5}{120}$$
Common denominator
$$\frac{2x+20}{x(x+20)}=\frac{1}{24}$$
Cross multiply
$$48x+480=x^2+20x$$
$$x^2-28x-480=0$$
Viet's theorem
$$x=40$$ or $$x=-12$$
So, the speed is 40.

Don't really know how to solve this equation faster.

THEY HAVE TOLD THEY HAVE TO COMPLETE THE JOURNEY IN LESS THAN 5 HOURS THEN HOW CAN IT BE EQUAL TO 5/
?
Manager
Joined: 21 Aug 2012
Posts: 185
Concentration: General Management, Operations
Schools: HBS '19 (S)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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14 Dec 2015, 09:39
SunthoshiTejaswi wrote:
smyarga wrote:
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

To have the minimum value of speed you need the maximum possible time. So, the time is 5.
Just fill the rate table and use that
rate*time=distance

_______________rate_______time_________distance
first half________x________120/x_________120
second half____x+20____120/(x+20)_____120
Total______________________5_____________240

So, we have the equation:
$$\frac{120}{x}+\frac{120}{x+20}=5$$

On GMAT it is better here to to plug in the answers.

Divide by 120
$$\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{x+20}=\frac{5}{120}$$
Common denominator
$$\frac{2x+20}{x(x+20)}=\frac{1}{24}$$
Cross multiply
$$48x+480=x^2+20x$$
$$x^2-28x-480=0$$
Viet's theorem
$$x=40$$ or $$x=-12$$
So, the speed is 40.

Don't really know how to solve this equation faster.

THEY HAVE TOLD THEY HAVE TO COMPLETE THE JOURNEY IN LESS THAN 5 HOURS THEN HOW CAN IT BE EQUAL TO 5/
?

Yes .. which is why the answer should be 50 from the options given .. the actual answer should be a non terminating decimal 40.000000........1
Director
Joined: 24 Nov 2015
Posts: 583
Location: United States (LA)
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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18 May 2016, 14:20
I have encountered a problem with solution of this problem. the correct answer is option C - 40 kmph . but if we take the value and solve for
120/x + 120/(x+20) = 5
we get that journey is completed in exactly 5 hrs
But as mentioned in question stem journey is to be completed in less than 5 hours value of correct x should be a bit more than 40.
it can be 40.001 or 41 or 45 or any value>40
So the correct answer appears to be flawed
Intern
Joined: 21 Jul 2015
Posts: 1
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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30 Dec 2016, 03:52
less than 5 hours not equal to five hours
BSchool Forum Moderator
Joined: 26 Feb 2016
Posts: 2256
Location: India
GPA: 3.12
Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T [#permalink]

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09 Mar 2018, 06:40
alphonsa wrote:
A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. The car travels half the distance at x kmph and the remaining distance at x+20 kmph. If the car has to complete the journey in less than 5 hours what should be the minimum value of x?

a) 20
b) 30
c) 40
d) 50
e) 60

No options were given. This question was given for conceptual understanding and it came with no options. For the sake of the reader, I am making my own optionsl

Source:4gmat

Hi Bunuel

This question has an OA which does not match the wording. If I am not wrong,
the answer to this question cannot be 40 km/hr!

At a speed of 40 km/hr, the car would travel 120 km (half the distance) in 3 hours
and the travels the remainder of the distance, traveling at 60 km/hr, in 2 hours.
The total time taken is 5 hours! But as it is explicitly stated in the question, the car
must complete the journey in less than 5 hours. IMO, the OA must be changed!
_________________

Stay hungry, Stay foolish

Re: A car travels from city a to city B, a distance of 240kms. T   [#permalink] 09 Mar 2018, 06:40
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