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 Your Progress
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
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Thank you for using the timer!
We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer.
There are many benefits to timing your practice, including:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
20 Jan 2015, 06:38
3
11
00:00
A
B
C
D
E
Difficulty:
25% (medium)
Question Stats:
76% (01:16) correct 24% (01:30) wrong based on 265 sessions
HideShow timer Statistics
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
Status: It always seems impossible until it's done!!
Joined: 29 Aug 2012
Posts: 1185
Location: India
WE: General Management (Aerospace and Defense)
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
20 Jan 2015, 23:03
2
Bunuel wrote:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 18 D. 20 E. 36
Kudos for a correct solution.
2 distributors in east coast and 2 in west coast. And 1 in Midwest.
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
08 Feb 2015, 03:00
1) There are 3 cities on the East Coast; we must put a distribution center in 2 of them. 2) There is 1 city in the Midwest; we must put a distribution center there. 3) There are 3 cities on the West Coast; we must put a distribution center in 2 of them.
Since the "order" of the distribution centers does NOT matter, we're dealing with a Combinations situation.
East Coast: 3c2 = 3!/[2!1!] = 3 ways to place the distribution centers Midwest: 1c1 = 1 way to place the distribution center West Coast: 3c2 = 3!/[2!1!] = 3 ways to place the distribution centers
We have to multiply these results to calculate the TOTAL possible combinations of distribution centers:
(3)(1)(3) = 9 different ways to place the distribution centers.
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
08 Feb 2015, 03:15
Bunuel wrote:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 18 D. 20 E. 36
Kudos for a correct solution.
in west coast 2out of 3 in east coast 2out of 3 and mid west 1 of 1.. total ways 3c2*3c2*1c1=9.. ans B
_________________
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
06 Apr 2016, 01:35
Cant we have 3 on east coast and only one on the west.
chetan2u wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 18 D. 20 E. 36
Kudos for a correct solution.
in west coast 2out of 3 in east coast 2out of 3 and mid west 1 of 1.. total ways 3c2*3c2*1c1=9.. ans B
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
06 Apr 2016, 01:55
shravanthim wrote:
Cant we have 3 on east coast and only one on the west.
chetan2u wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 18 D. 20 E. 36
Kudos for a correct solution.
in west coast 2out of 3 in east coast 2out of 3 and mid west 1 of 1.. total ways 3c2*3c2*1c1=9.. ans B
Hi, NO, we have to choose two in each coast since it is given the coast..
Quote:
If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest,
..
had the wordings been .. If the company must add one distribution centers in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers? in that case the WAY mentioned by you will also come into play..
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
12 Jul 2016, 05:03
chetan2u wrote:
shravanthim wrote:
Cant we have 3 on east coast and only one on the west.
chetan2u wrote:
in west coast 2out of 3 in east coast 2out of 3 and mid west 1 of 1.. total ways 3c2*3c2*1c1=9.. ans B
Hi, NO, we have to choose two in each coast since it is given the coast..
Quote:
If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest,
..
had the wordings been .. If the company must add one distribution centers in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers? in that case the WAY mentioned by you will also come into play..
can you elaborate? I have a similar doubt. We need to pick two centers in each coast as per the question. I think as below 1st distribution center in east coast can have 3 choices 2nd distribution center in east coast can have 2 choices Similar case with west coast. Whats wrong with my thinking?
_________________
The only time you can lose is when you give up. Try hard and you will suceed. Thanks = Kudos. Kudos are appreciated
http://gmatclub.com/forum/rules-for-posting-in-verbal-gmat-forum-134642.html When you post a question Pls. Provide its source & TAG your questions Avoid posting from unreliable sources.
Status: You have to have the darkness for the dawn to come
Joined: 09 Nov 2012
Posts: 314
Daboo: Sonu
GMAT 1: 590 Q49 V20
GMAT 2: 730 Q50 V38
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
02 Apr 2017, 10:58
1
Bunuel wrote:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 18 D. 20 E. 36
Kudos for a correct solution.
In east coast 3C2 ways..................1 In west coast 3C2 ways..................2 In midwest 1C1 ways ...................3 total= 1*2*3 =9 hence B
_________________
You have to have the darkness for the dawn to come.
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
17 Apr 2017, 14:07
There are 5 Centres and 7 Cities ( EC:3, WC:3, MW:1). Constraints: 2 Centres affixed to EC; 2 Centres affixed to WC ; 1 Centre affixed to MW. Ways to Distribute Centres: MW- 1 ; EC: 3C2 ; WC: 3C2. Hence, Total ways= MW x EC x WC = 1 × 3 × 3 = 9. Correct Choice: B
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
22 Apr 2017, 00:36
Bunuel wrote:
A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers that can be located in three cities on the east coast (Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C.), one city in the Midwest (Chicago), and three cities on the west coast (Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles). If the company must add two distribution centers on each coast and one in the Midwest, and only one center can be added in each city, in how many ways can the management allocate the distribution centers?
A. 3 B. 9 C. 18 D. 20 E. 36
Kudos for a correct solution.
We don't necessarily need to factor in the midwest city since there is only one possibility for it; now, actually, the most logical way to think of the problem is that there are three cities that will have or rather choose 2 cities among the 4 cities remaining instead of thinking 4 cities choose 2 spots-
can you elaborate? I have a similar doubt. We need to pick two centers in each coast as per the question. I think as below 1st distribution center in east coast can have 3 choices 2nd distribution center in east coast can have 2 choices Similar case with west coast. Whats wrong with my thinking?
If i understood correctly, you would also need to divide by 2! in order to account for any false counts i.e. duplicates. So you would end with 3 such cases per coast.
Re: A retail company needs to set up five additional distribution centers
[#permalink]
Show Tags
30 Jan 2018, 13:52
Hi ALL,
While this question IS wordy, it's really just a Combination Formula question (albeit with a lot of little pieces of information).
By reorganizing the information in the prompt, we are told the following:
1) There are 3 cities on the East Coast; we must put a distribution center in 2 of them. 2) There is 1 city in the Midwest; we must put a distribution center there. 3) There are 3 cities on the West Coast; we must put a distribution center in 2 of them.
Since the "order" of the distribution centers does NOT matter, we're dealing with a Combinatorics situation.
East Coast: 3c2 = 3!/[2!1!] = 3 ways to place the distribution centers Midwest: 1c1 = 1 way to place the distribution center West Coast: 3c2 = 3!/[2!1!] = 3 ways to place the distribution centers
We have to multiply these results to calculate the TOTAL possible combinations of distribution centers:
(3)(1)(3) = 9 different ways to place the distribution centers.
close
76% (01:16) correct 
