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# A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood

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Intern
Joined: 06 Oct 2010
Posts: 33
A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood  [#permalink]

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06 Oct 2010, 11:19
6
00:00

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

76% (02:01) correct 24% (02:29) wrong based on 215 sessions

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A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges. The surface area of the tabletop is x square feet, and the total length of the strip before it was attached was x feet. If the tabletop is 3 feet wide, what is its approximate length, in feet?

(A) 12
(B) 10
(C) 9
(D) 8
(E) 6
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 50610

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06 Oct 2010, 11:29
4
2
niheil wrote:

A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges. The surface area of the tabletop is x square feet, and the total length of the strip before it was attached was x feet. If the tabletop is 3 feet wide, what is its approximate length, in feet?

Choices:
(A) 12
(B) 10
(C) 9
(D) 8
(E) 6

(E) 6

Hi, and welcome to Gmat Club. Below is a solution for your problem.

Given: $$area=length*width=x$$, as $$width=3$$ --> $$3l=x$$.

"Wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges" and "the total length of the strip before it was attached was x" means that perimeter of a rectangular tabletop is also equal to $$x$$: $$2(l+w)=2l+6=x$$;

So we have: $$3l=2l+6$$ --> $$l=6$$.

Hope it's clear.
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##### General Discussion
Intern
Joined: 06 Oct 2010
Posts: 33

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06 Oct 2010, 11:49
Thanks Bunuel! You are a genius.

Don't you think that this question can be misinterpreted? I imagined the thin metal strip as having a width that does not equal 0. Unless I am mistaken, that would change the answer. I guess the test-makers wanted me to interpret the word "thin" as meaning that the width of the metal strip was 0. Not fair!

Thanks a bunch for your help, Bunuel.
Intern
Joined: 05 Oct 2010
Posts: 2

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06 Oct 2010, 16:24
1
Hello Guys,
My first post.
In case the metal width is non negligible , lets say its 2 feet.
then
Given: area=length*width=x, as width=3 3L=x

The length of metal strip would be the perimeter of the rectangle + 4 times the width of metal ie length of strip = x= 2(3+L) + (4*2)

Solving for L will give us 14 feet

Please Note the width of the metal strip is multiplied 4 times to get the actual length of metal strip.
Thanks,
Milan
Intern
Joined: 06 Oct 2010
Posts: 33

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06 Oct 2010, 16:56
Hey Milan,

Yeah, that's what I thought. If the width of the metal strip was non-negligible, then the answer would be different. I think this question can be misinterpreted.
Manager
Joined: 18 Dec 2012
Posts: 97
Location: India
Concentration: General Management, Strategy
GMAT 1: 660 Q49 V32
GMAT 2: 530 Q37 V25
GPA: 3.32
WE: Manufacturing and Production (Manufacturing)
Re: A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood  [#permalink]

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31 Jan 2014, 19:42
Ambiguous Question. Nowhere explicitly stated that we shouldn't consider the thickness of the thin metal strip.
_________________

I'm telling this because you don't get it. You think you get it which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?

Current Student
Joined: 06 Mar 2014
Posts: 245
Location: India
GMAT Date: 04-30-2015
Re: A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood  [#permalink]

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27 Mar 2015, 03:28
Bunuel wrote:
niheil wrote:

A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges. The surface area of the tabletop is x square feet, and the total length of the strip before it was attached was x feet. If the tabletop is 3 feet wide, what is its approximate length, in feet?

Choices:
(A) 12
(B) 10
(C) 9
(D) 8
(E) 6

(E) 6

Hi, and welcome to Gmat Club. Below is a solution for your problem.

Given: $$area=length*width=x$$, as $$width=3$$ --> $$3l=x$$.

"Wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges" and "the total length of the strip before it was attached was x" means that perimeter of a rectangular tabletop is also equal to $$x$$: $$2(l+w)=2l+6=x$$;

So we have: $$3l=2l+6$$ --> $$l=6$$.

Hope it's clear.

The Highlighted part: I am unable to visualize/understand, how the length of a strip (given) becomes the perimeter of a table top. If it said, total length of the table top is x then maybe it would make sense.
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 50610
Re: A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood  [#permalink]

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27 Mar 2015, 03:53
1
earnit wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
niheil wrote:

A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges. The surface area of the tabletop is x square feet, and the total length of the strip before it was attached was x feet. If the tabletop is 3 feet wide, what is its approximate length, in feet?

Choices:
(A) 12
(B) 10
(C) 9
(D) 8
(E) 6

(E) 6

Hi, and welcome to Gmat Club. Below is a solution for your problem.

Given: $$area=length*width=x$$, as $$width=3$$ --> $$3l=x$$.

"Wood bordered by a thin metal strip along its four edges" and "the total length of the strip before it was attached was x" means that perimeter of a rectangular tabletop is also equal to $$x$$: $$2(l+w)=2l+6=x$$;

So we have: $$3l=2l+6$$ --> $$l=6$$.

Hope it's clear.

The Highlighted part: I am unable to visualize/understand, how the length of a strip (given) becomes the perimeter of a table top. If it said, total length of the table top is x then maybe it would make sense.

We are told that tabletop is surrounded by a thin metal strip along its four edges and the total length of the strip before it was attached was x feet. So, the length of the strip equals to the perimeter of the tabletop.

Does this make sense?
_________________
Current Student
Joined: 06 Mar 2014
Posts: 245
Location: India
GMAT Date: 04-30-2015
Re: A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood  [#permalink]

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27 Mar 2015, 06:35
[/quote]

The Highlighted part: I am unable to visualize/understand, how the length of a strip (given) becomes the perimeter of a table top. If it said, total length of the table top is x then maybe it would make sense.[/quote]

We are told that tabletop is surrounded by a thin metal strip along its four edges and the total length of the strip before it was attached was x feet. So, the length of the strip equals to the perimeter of the tabletop.

Does this make sense?[/quote]

Yes it does.

Thank you!
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Posts: 8773
Re: A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood  [#permalink]

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24 Dec 2017, 08:46
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Re: A rectangular tabletop consists of a piece of laminated wood &nbs [#permalink] 24 Dec 2017, 08:46
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