Hi Username1512,Good question, and you've actually spotted the heart of it. Edskore's solution boiled everything down to one equation: x = 10 / (B - 0.12), where
B is Brian's ethanol percentage. That's the
only unknown you need to pin down.
So the real question is: does knowing the 10-vs-990 split give you
B? It doesn't - and that's why the breakdown isn't what solves the problem.
Why the split alone can't do itStatement
(2) tells you the tank is
10 gal Brian's +
990 gal Dyon, and together they average
11%. That gives one equation: 10·B + 990·D =
110, with
two unknowns (Brian's % and Dyon's %). You can't isolate B from that. Watch what happens when I pick two different Brian percentages that both fit:
-
Brian = 80% - Dyon = (110 - 8)/990 ≈
10.3%. Then x = 10/(0.80 - 0.12) ≈
14.7 gal.
-
Brian = 20% - Dyon = (110 - 2)/990 ≈
10.9%. Then x = 10/(0.20 - 0.12) =
125 gal.
Both splits are exactly
10 gal +
990 gal at an
11% average - both obey Statement
(2) perfectly - yet the answer swings from about
15 gallons to
125 gallons. Same statement, two answers -
not sufficient.
The takeawayYou're right: the breakup of the
1,000 gallons is
not what you need. What you need is Brian's ethanol percentage, and only
Statement (1) hands that to you directly. That's why the answer is
A.
Rule of thumb for these: don't ask "does this statement tell me something true?" - ask "does it lock down the one quantity my equation actually needs?"
Answer: AUsername1512
Does this mean we don't need the breakup of 1000g division of Brian and Dyon's resp quantities? I'm slightly confused.
Bunuel /
KarishmaB can you please explain?