Each of two buses contains y passengers. Each passenger carries x fold

Question

Each of two buses contains y passengers. Each passenger carries x folders, and each folder contains 10 pieces of paper. How many pieces of paper are contained within the two buses?

A. 10xy

B. 10x/y

C. 20xy

D. 20x/y

E. 20/(xy)

Shorub · Answer

2 buses x Y passengers x X folders x 10 pieces of paper = 20XY

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Shrinidhi · Answer

Each Folder contains 10papers

1 passenger = y folders
1 Bus= y Passengers
2 buses= 2y passengers
1 passenger = x folders
2y passengers = 2xy folders
1 Folders =10papers

total no. of pages=2xy*10=20xy
Answer: C

Bunuel · Answer

Official Explanation

This is a great first Problem Solving question, because, behind the algebra, we are dealing with a ratio, and ratios are one of the least-appreciated topic areas on the Quantitative section on the GMAT.

The key to ratios is to work with fractions and take careful note of units. We can do this, starting from the end of the question prompt. We are asked for pieces of paper. The proceeding sentence tells us that we have 10 pieces of paper per folder. "Per" can be thought of as a word that indicates the line of a fraction, so we can write:

(10 papers)/(folder)

Similarly, we have (1 passenger)/(x folders). We can multiply these fractions so that the units cancel.

(10 papers)/(folder)*(x folders)/(passenger) = (10x papers)/(passenger)

Notice that if you write the fractions with the units included, it's much easier to make sure you don't have the fractions flipped from what they should be. Lastly, we multiply by the number of passengers:

(10x papers)/(passenger)*(y passengers) = 10xy papers

We're done, right? In this last step also, we can use units and watch them cancel on the top and bottom of the fraction to ensure that we are multiplying the right things. This method of using units is called (or is related to what is called) dimensional analysis by some scientists. It works well to stay organized and avoid error on both easier and more difficult GMAT questions involving ratios and/or different types of units.

As a final step, we can make sure that all the units are accounted for. And, as a matter of fact, there is a unit that's not apparent in our scratch work above: buses. We're not looking for papers per bus; we're looking for paper per two buses. So, for two buses, we have to multiply 10xy by 2 to obtain 20xy. Writing and thinking in units helps to avoid overlooking this step.

The correct answer is (C).

TheNightKing · Answer

y*x*10=10xy total number of paper in a bus. But there are 2 buses. so double of that.
20xy

monk123 · Answer

let, y=3 & x=2

Bus 1 - 
folders = 3*2 
 = 6
no. of papers = 6*10
 =60

Bus 2 - 
folders = 3*2 
 = 6
no. of papers = 6*10
 =60

hence, total papers = 60+60
 =120

now, put the value of x&y in answers.
Only (C) gives the value 120.

Each of two buses contains y passengers. Each passenger carries x fold

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GMAT Problem Solving (PS) Questions

Each of two buses contains y passengers. Each passenger carries x fold

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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