At a picnic there were 3 times as many adults as children : Problem Solving (PS)

Marcab

Joined: 03 Feb 2011

Last visit: 22 Jan 2021

Posts: 853

Own Kudos:

4,722

[10]

Given Kudos: 221

Status:Retaking after 7 years

Location: United States (NY)

Concentration: Finance, Economics

Schools: Simon '15 (M$)

GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39 Verified score

GPA: 3.75

Schools: Simon '15 (M$)

GMAT 1: 720 Q49 V39 Verified score

Posts: 853

Kudos: 4,722

[10]

27 Nov 2012, 00:53

5

Kudos

5

Bookmarks

saxenarahul021

At a picnic there were 3 times as many adults as children and twice as many women as men. If there was a total of x men, women, and children at the picnic, how many men were there, in terms of x?

A. x/2
B. x/3
C. x/4
D. x/5
E. x/6

Hii.
I am assuming that the question is "what fraction of men were there?".
Answer must be C.
Pick a smart number such as:
$Adults-->18$
Since the children are three times as many as children, hence $Children-->6$
Further, the adults comprise of Men and women.
The given ratio of $\frac{#women}{#men} = \frac{2}{1}$,
therefore $#women=12, # men=6$.
Since the total is Adults+children, i.e. 24.
Therefore fraction of men will be $\frac{6}{24} or \frac{x}{4}$

mdacosta

Joined: 05 Dec 2015

Last visit: 22 Mar 2018

Posts: 82

Own Kudos:

16

[2]

Given Kudos: 982

Products:

Posts: 82

Kudos: 16

[2]

24 Apr 2016, 20:15

2

Kudos

Bookmarks

Bunuel, I understand your solution, but still am a little confused. The problem says three times as many adults as kids and two times as many women as men, so I had the following:

Adults: 18
Kids: 6

Women: 16 (2/3 * 24 above)
Men: 8 (1/3 * 24 above)

so: Men / (Men + Women + Kids) --> 8/30

How should I know Men and Women don't include the kids, because they 'boys vs. girls'?

Thanks! I appreciate all you do the forum, you're super helpful.

Michael

Bunuel

Math Expert

Joined: 02 Sep 2009

Last visit: 27 March 2025

Posts: 100,114

Own Kudos:

711,372

[5]

Given Kudos: 92,732

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 100,114

Kudos: 711,372

[5]

25 Apr 2016, 07:38

5

Kudos

Bookmarks

mdacosta

Bunuel, I understand your solution, but still am a little confused. The problem says three times as many adults as kids and two times as many women as men, so I had the following:

Adults: 18
Kids: 6

Women: 16 (2/3 * 24 above)
Men: 8 (1/3 * 24 above)

so: Men / (Men + Women + Kids) --> 8/30

How should I know Men and Women don't include the kids, because they 'boys vs. girls'?

Thanks! I appreciate all you do the forum, you're super helpful.

Michael

Women/men refers to adults. If it were otherwise it would be female/male instead.

spence11

Joined: 06 Apr 2017

Last visit: 11 Apr 2018

Posts: 20

Own Kudos:

115

[12]

Given Kudos: 38

Location: United States (OR)

Concentration: Finance, Leadership

Schools: Haas EWMBA '21

GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40 Verified score

GPA: 3.98

WE:Corporate Finance (Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals)

Schools: Haas EWMBA '21

GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40 Verified score

Posts: 20

Kudos: 115

[12]

10 Aug 2017, 10:29

11

Kudos

1

Bookmarks

This question is brutal. I don't know how we should know to assume that the terms "men" and "women" are excluding children. This actually brings me to an important question: what are common verbal traps set in the GMAT quant section similar to this? Is there a reasonable list of indicators that a question may be trying to mislead you verbally?

pra1785

Joined: 20 Jan 2016

Last visit: 10 Mar 2019

Posts: 145

Own Kudos:

130

[1]

Given Kudos: 64

Posts: 145

Kudos: 130

[1]

13 Oct 2017, 11:28

1

Kudos

Bookmarks

I am getting x/6. Can someone explain where I am going wrong?

Given:
3A=C and 2W=M (a=adults, C= children, w=women and m=men)
x=m+w+c

therefore,

A=w+m
3(w+m)=c
3(m+m/2)=c
9m=2c ------eq 1

x=m+w+c ------multiply both side with 2

2x=2m+2w+2c

substitute eq 1

2x=2m+m+9m (2w=m given)
2x=12m
m=x/6

help!

zflodeen

Joined: 04 Sep 2017

Last visit: 17 Dec 2017

Posts: 19

Own Kudos:

21

[5]

Given Kudos: 10

Location: United States

Concentration: Finance

GMAT 1: 610 Q36 V36 Verified score

GMAT 2: 680 Q40 V36 Verified score

GPA: 3.3

WE:Consulting (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)

GMAT 2: 680 Q40 V36 Verified score

Posts: 19

Kudos: 21

[5]

13 Oct 2017, 20:39

4

Kudos

1

Bookmarks

pra1785

I am getting x/6. Can someone explain where I am going wrong?

Given:
3A=C and 2W=M (a=adults, C= children, w=women and m=men)
x=m+w+c

therefore,

A=w+m
3(w+m)=c
3(m+m/2)=c
9m=2c ------eq 1

x=m+w+c ------multiply both side with 2

2x=2m+2w+2c

substitute eq 1

2x=2m+m+9m (2w=m given)
2x=12m
m=x/6

help!

Hi Pra1987,

I believe you are getting mixed up right in the beginning. A=3C and W=2M, not the other way around (Remember the women are 2x are many men and the children are 3x as many adults). When you write 3A=C I think you might be looking at it like 3 adults for every child. That wording is ok, but the math is not. If you are thinking ratios, you need to first say A/C = 3/1 and then solve for one or the other. I solved for A=3/1C or just A=3C.

I hope this helps!

pra1785

Joined: 20 Jan 2016

Last visit: 10 Mar 2019

Posts: 145

Own Kudos:

130

Given Kudos: 64

Posts: 145

Kudos: 130

15 Oct 2017, 04:10

Kudos

Bookmarks

zflodeen

pra1785

I am getting x/6. Can someone explain where I am going wrong?

Given:
3A=C and 2W=M (a=adults, C= children, w=women and m=men)
x=m+w+c

therefore,

A=w+m
3(w+m)=c
3(m+m/2)=c
9m=2c ------eq 1

x=m+w+c ------multiply both side with 2

2x=2m+2w+2c

substitute eq 1

2x=2m+m+9m (2w=m given)
2x=12m
m=x/6

help!

Hi Pra1987,

I believe you are getting mixed up right in the beginning. A=3C and W=2M, not the other way around (Remember the women are 2x are many men and the children are 3x as many adults). When you write 3A=C I think you might be looking at it like 3 adults for every child. That wording is ok, but the math is not. If you are thinking ratios, you need to first say A/C = 3/1 and then solve for one or the other. I solved for A=3/1C or just A=3C.

I hope this helps!

You're right. I solved it with a=3c and w=2m and I got the right answer. I think the wording of the question confused me. thank you for the clarification!

zflodeen

Joined: 04 Sep 2017

Last visit: 17 Dec 2017

Posts: 19

Own Kudos:

21

Given Kudos: 10

Location: United States

Concentration: Finance

GMAT 1: 610 Q36 V36 Verified score

GMAT 2: 680 Q40 V36 Verified score

GPA: 3.3

WE:Consulting (Mutual Funds and Brokerage)

GMAT 2: 680 Q40 V36 Verified score

Posts: 19

Kudos: 21

16 Oct 2017, 07:33

Kudos

Bookmarks

Pra1785, I'm happy to help!

Nixondutta

Joined: 24 Apr 2017

Last visit: 10 Aug 2018

Posts: 40

Own Kudos:

76

Given Kudos: 83

Status:The journey is always more beautiful than the destination

Affiliations: Computer Science

Location: India

Concentration: Statistics, Strategy

Schools: Columbia EMBA"19 Simon '19 Mason '19

GMAT 1: 570 Q40 V28 Verified score

GPA: 3.14

Schools: Columbia EMBA"19 Simon '19 Mason '19

GMAT 1: 570 Q40 V28 Verified score

Posts: 40

Kudos: 76

21 Apr 2018, 09:34

Kudos

Bookmarks

pra1785

I am getting x/6. Can someone explain where I am going wrong?

Given:
3A=C and 2W=M (a=adults, C= children, w=women and m=men)
x=m+w+c

therefore,

A=w+m
3(w+m)=c
3(m+m/2)=c
9m=2c ------eq 1

x=m+w+c ------multiply both side with 2

2x=2m+2w+2c

substitute eq 1

2x=2m+m+9m (2w=m given)
2x=12m
m=x/6

help!

let's Adult = A, Children = C, Men = M, Women = W
we find, A=3C, W= 2M
(M+W)/3+M+W=x
from the equation we find, M = x/4

andresan

Joined: 09 Aug 2018

Last visit: 24 May 2019

Posts: 4

Own Kudos:

2

[1]

Given Kudos: 68

Posts: 4

Kudos: 2

[1]

06 Nov 2018, 17:55

1

Kudos

Bookmarks

spence11

This question is brutal. I don't know how we should know to assume that the terms "men" and "women" are excluding children. This actually brings me to an important question: what are common verbal traps set in the GMAT quant section similar to this? Is there a reasonable list of indicators that a question may be trying to mislead you verbally?

I just coul not agree more.. Any expert may want to share an opinion?

deekshajuneja

Current Student

Joined: 14 Dec 2018

Last visit: 01 May 2021

Posts: 40

Own Kudos:

12

Given Kudos: 27

Location: India

Schools: ISB'22 (S) Rotman '23 (A$) Said '22 (D) Instead Sept 20 Intake (D) Desautels '23 (I) HEC (S)

Posts: 40

Kudos: 12

15 Jan 2020, 03:20

Kudos

Bookmarks

spence11

This question is brutal. I don't know how we should know to assume that the terms "men" and "women" are excluding children. This actually brings me to an important question: what are common verbal traps set in the GMAT quant section similar to this? Is there a reasonable list of indicators that a question may be trying to mislead you verbally?

I was caught in the same trap as you. Hence, I couldn't figure out the answer. I assumed women and men included children as well.

If any expert could share more trap warnings with us, it would be very helpful.

Anurag06

Joined: 10 Dec 2019

Last visit: 23 Mar 2020

Posts: 42

Own Kudos:

6

Given Kudos: 15

Posts: 42

Kudos: 6

18 Feb 2020, 06:59

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello Bunuel

I tried setting up equation here as -

A=3C=M+W

W=2M

M+W+C=X

But am stuck in creating relation between C and M here; can C be considered as M or will it be W+M too?

Please help

Bunuel

Math Expert

Joined: 02 Sep 2009

Last visit: 27 March 2025

Posts: 100,114

Own Kudos:

711,372

[3]

Given Kudos: 92,732

Products:

Expert

Expert reply

Posts: 100,114

Kudos: 711,372

[3]

18 Feb 2020, 07:18

3

Kudos

Bookmarks

Anurag06

Hello Bunuel

I tried setting up equation here as -

A=3C=M+W

W=2M

M+W+C=X

But am stuck in creating relation between C and M here; can C be considered as M or will it be W+M too?

Please help

M + W + C = X
Since C = (M + W)/3 and W = 2M, then M + (2M) + (M + 2M)/3 = X --> M = X/4.

bumpbot

Non-Human User

Joined: 09 Sep 2013

Last visit: 04 Jan 2021

Posts: 36,717

Own Kudos:

963

Posts: 36,717

Kudos: 963

05 Oct 2024, 05:35

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

At a picnic there were 3 times as many adults as children

Prep Toolkit

My Rewards

GMAT Problem Solving (PS) Questions

At a picnic there were 3 times as many adults as children

Prep Toolkit

My Rewards