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# GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33

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Manager
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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29 Nov 2009, 00:55
i have one doubt..

the question reads..chestnut RATIO increased by 50% .... say we have 100 kg C and W... 50 - C , 50 -W

ratio of chestnut = 1/2 -- increase this ratio by 50% you will get 3/4 -- means C is now 3/4th of total amount -- w will get 150 kgs of C...

but we are solving the ques by taking 50% increase in the AMOUNT of C...

pls correct me if i am wrong...
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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22 Dec 2009, 03:07
It's a 750 question!
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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22 Dec 2009, 10:39
still confused on this one can anyone provide an updated step-by-step answer explanation thanks.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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04 Jan 2010, 22:04
azule45 wrote:
is it safe to assume....

a 50% increase in x (chestnuts) yields a dollar increase in the total amount (from $7 to$8);

so a 50% increase in chestnuts equal $1 and 100% of the chestnuts will equal$2.

there for 7 - 2 = 5 total amount for walnuts.

do you think this solution is feasible for any problem like this? or would this simply be coincidence?

I did it the same way you did.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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11 Jan 2010, 04:47
I agree with the "official" solution just a small typo: B should be the walnut price
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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30 Apr 2010, 10:45
A quicker solution would have been to subtract multiples of the entire equations.

Starting from:
XA + (1-X) B = 7 ……………………….i
(1.5X) A + (1 - 1.5X) B = 8 …………….ii

I would just multiply all of (i) by 1.5, which would become
(1.5X) A + (1.5 - 1.5X) B = 10.5 .............i

Then I would subtract (ii) from (i), giving:
0.5 B = 2.5
B = 5

Much easier!
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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22 May 2010, 04:58
Igor010 wrote:
It's a 750 question!

agree it was difficult for me as well ... it is definately more than 700 level.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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08 Aug 2010, 07:48
Is this a feasible solution ?

Let old ratio be 1:1. New ratio be 1.5:1 (chestnut to walnut). Let price be $C/kg and$W/kg

From old -
C + W = $7 --I 1.5 C + W =$8 --II
Subtracting we get
0.5 C = 1
C = $2/kg W =$5 / kg

I think we don't need X% and Y% in the question stimulus.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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04 Nov 2010, 11:39
GMAT TIGER wrote:
Explanation
 Rating:

Weight of chestnut = x% of 1 kg
Price of chestnut = A
Weight of walnut = y% of 1 kg = (1-x)% of 1 kg
Price of walnut = B

XA + (1-X) B = 7 ……………………….i
(1.5X) A + (1 - 1.5X) B = 8 …………….ii

From 1 and 2:
0.5XA – 0.5XB = 1
XA – XB = 2
XA = 2 + XB…………………………… iii

Substitute the value of XA on Equation i:
XA + (1-X) B = 7
2 + XB + B - XB = 7
B = 7 - 2
B = 5.00

Therefore, it is C.

The Question says nowhere that Walnut and Chestnut are the only nuts in the mixture.We must then introduce two more constants for Percentage and Price of Rest of mixture.

Assuming that chestnuts and walnuts only are available in the mixture,we would require either one of the percentages of Walnut or Chestnut.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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04 Nov 2010, 11:42
nusmavrik wrote:
Is this a feasible solution ?

Let old ratio be 1:1. New ratio be 1.5:1 (chestnut to walnut). Let price be $C/kg and$W/kg

From old -
C + W = $7 --I 1.5 C + W =$8 --II
Subtracting we get
0.5 C = 1
C = $2/kg W =$5 / kg

I think we don't need X% and Y% in the question stimulus.

Old Ratio cannot be 1:1 . It doesn't say that they are equally proportioned in the Question.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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10 Mar 2011, 05:13
Too may flaws in the question
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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06 Aug 2011, 13:12
I'm not entirely convinced with the solution.

Chestnuts = C% and Walnuts = w%
50% increase in Chestnuts (c) prompted a price rise of $1. therefore, the original chestnut percentage C% should be$2. so, the original walnut percentage W% costs $5. As far as walnuts are concerned, W% of 1kg cost$5. Therefore, by proportion, 1kg of walnuts will cost (5*100/W).

The price of 1 kg of walnuts can't be calculated based on the current information.

Where do you think I am going wrong with my line of thinking?

Cheers!
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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01 Oct 2011, 04:25
I take issue with the wording of this question. First off, it says that the mix contains x% chestnut and y% walnut, but does NOT indicate that these are the only ingredients in the bag. Therefore, the immediate conclusion that y=1-x is, in my opinion, not usable. And, based on the nature of questions in the GMATQ, it becomes instinctual to be on your guard against small details like that.

Also, it says that the ratio of chestnuts is increased by 50%, but this is itself vague. The ratio of chestnuts to what? If you assume the ratio of chestnuts to the entire mix, then yes, it would be appropriate to assume 1.5x chestnuts and proceed accordingly. But I wasted about 5 minutes wondering if the statement was referring to the ratio of chestnuts to walnuts, which became an arithmetic nightmare. Imagine the original ratio of chesnuts to walnuts is r=x/y, so increasing that ratio implies that our new mix has 1.5r=x/y. You can see how a test taker might be unable to do much with this.

I'd be less nit picky if the GMAT consistently overlooked such things, but it is typical of GMAT questions to trap test takers on details as small as this.
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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04 Oct 2011, 04:48
tuf one...what is the official answer?
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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18 Jan 2012, 08:47
In my opinion, the wording is a little ambiguous. It states the mixture contains X% of Chestnuts and Y% of Walnuts - but it doesnt explicitly state those are the only ingredients. What if there were another Z% of hazelnut? You couldnt use the Y = 1-X trick then and it would not be solvable.

Also, quite tough for 650
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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01 Feb 2012, 08:45
Guys! I have arrived at the answer ( C ) in the following way:

If 50% increase of the chestnuts is causing a $1 change in total cost of the mixture, then 100% of chestnut inside the mixture costs us$2. So, The cost of the walnut in the mixture is ($7 -$2) or $5. But, then I pause thinking that this$5 cost of walnuts should be the cost for less than 1 KG of walnuts (because, the mixture itself is 1 KG). But the question is asking "what is the price of a kg of walnuts"

So, IMO, the question should ask, instead, WHAT IS THE COST OF WALNUTS IN THE MIXTURE.

Am I missing something here?

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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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01 Feb 2012, 10:26
I concur the notion that this problem was extremely hard for "only" a 650 rating. Although the logic and reasoning was easy to deduce, having to use a systems of equations with variables given in percentages seemed to be quite messy and challenging ...
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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06 May 2012, 06:46
I thought the ratio (x/y) increased by 50%... instead of increasing x with 50% (and thus multiplying with 1.5)...
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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11 May 2012, 14:14
I think there is a mistake in the official answer, which sets B as the price of chestnut instead of walnut IMO. Am I right ?

Thank you
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33 [#permalink]

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12 Sep 2012, 08:37
can a moderator put up a satisfactory explanation to the problem.
this seems to have been hanging for too long now.

kindly clarify all details ( increase walnut ratio / price in mixture / etc.. )

help is much appreciated..
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Re: GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33   [#permalink] 12 Sep 2012, 08:37

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# GMAT Diagnostic Test Question 33

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