Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1 and apples at 4 for $1.

Question

Let's start with the concrete information:
He buys everything for $19.50 and earns $3 after selling so he sells everything for $22.50 (= 2250 cents).
He sells each item for 5/20 = 25 cents so in all he sells 2250/25 = 90 items

Cost of each walnut = 1/5 = $.2 = 20 cents
Cost of each apple = 1/4 = $.25 = 25 cents

Now we have one equation to solve:
20*w + 25*(90 - w) = 1950 (w is the number of walnuts he buys)
4w + 5(90 - w) = 390 
w = 60

Answer (C)

bhatiamanu05 · Answer

Let me try this, 5 for $1 and apples at 4 for $1.He spent a total of $19.50 this statement clearly tells that for 0.5 he buys apple(So that quantity can be integer. Lets go with options : 50 walnuts 10$ Remaining amount -- 9.5 so total apple he buys = 38 total items 50+38 =88 he sells 20 for 5$ mean 4 for 1$ .So he earns == 22 dollors Diffrence 22-19.5 == 2.5 -- Wrong Answer. 2nd options 45 walnuts, 9$ for walnuts 10.5$ for apple 42 apple. so total quantity == 87 if he sells 4 for 1$. 21.75 == Diffrence less than 3$. 3rd choice, 60 walnuts, 12$ for walnuts. 7.5$ for apple -- 30 apples. total 90 if he sells 4 for 1$. 22.5so diffrence == 3$. 4th choice, 80 walnuts, 16$ for walnuts 3.5 for apples 14 apples. 94 total. if sells at 4 per 1$. 23.5 diffrence greater than 3. 5th choice 55 walnuts 11 $ for walnuts. 8.5 for apples, 34 apples. 89 in total. if sells at 4 per 1$. 22.15 diffrence less than 3. So correct choice is C. :-D

m3equals333 · Answer

Haven't seen too many like this, but given he pays 20cts per walnut and 25cts per apple and sells each at 25cts, he actually makes no profit/loss on the apples, and so they become irrelevant to determine his profit of $3 (as does his cost basis of $19.50, because there is only one possible way for him to profit exactly $3).

@5cts profit per walnut, just need to calculate 3/.05 = 60

@5cts profit per walnut, just need to calculate 3/.05 = 60

arunspanda · Answer

Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1 and apples at 4 for $1. He spent a total of $19.50 . He sells both at 20 for $5 and as a result gains $3 .How many walnuts did Hal buy ?

A. 50
B. 45
C. 60
D. 80
E. 55

Method 1:

Number of Walnuts=W
Number of Apples = A

Given that, Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1 and apples at 4 for $1 and he spent a total of $19.50

So,  \frac{W}{5} + \frac{A}{4}=19.5  .......(1)

Given that, Hal sells both at 20 for $5 and as a result gains $3

So,  (\frac{W}{20})*5 + (\frac{A}{20})*4 = 19.5 + 3

Or,  \frac{W}{4} +\frac{A}{4}= 22.5  .......(2)

Solving (1) & (2), we get number of walnuts W as 60.

Answer:  (C)

Method 2:

Given that, Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1 and apples at 4 for $1.
Hence, buying price of walnut = 20 cents; buying price of apple = 25 cents

Given that, Hal sells both at 20 for $5 and as a result gains $3 
Selling price of walnut or apple= $5/20 = 25 cents

Since, buying and selling price of apple is same, the profit of $3 is made by selling only walnut.
Profit from selling 1 walnut = (25 - 20 )cents= 5 cents
Number of walnut sold to get $3 profit = ($3)/(5 cents) = 60

Answer:  (C)

unceldolan · Answer

He buys walnuts at a price of 20 cents each and apples at a price of 25 cents each. He then sells both of them at 25 cent each. This means that the 3$ profit he made result only from the walnuts. 
Hence:

Profit = 3 $ = 300 cents / 5 cents = 60.

He bought 60 walnuts. Answer C.

PareshGmat · Answer

Just look at the cost price & selling price of apples. They are same; so no profit is booked by them They can be ignored in equation formation (One variable less

) Cost price of 1 walnut = \frac{1}{5} Sell price of 1 walnut = \frac{1}{4} Profit on 1 walnut = \frac{1}{4} - \frac{1}{5} = \frac{1}{20} Total profit earned = 3 So, no. of walnuts sold = \frac{3}{\frac{1}{20}} = 20 * 3 = 60 Answer = C

hongson1706 · Answer

I don't think the question is clearly stated. "Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1" is it sufficiently clear? what source is the question from? are you posting an official question?

KarishmaB · Answer

Yes, the rate is given. It could be in terms of $/cents per walnut or no. of walnuts per dollar. There shouldn't be a problem here.

hongson1706 · Answer

Yes, the rate is given. It could be in terms of $/cents per walnut or no. of walnuts per dollar. There shouldn't be a problem here. 
it should be more clearly stated, "Hal bought 5 walnuts for $1", if you say "Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1", is it correctly written in formal English? honestly I've never seen such an idiom.

siddharthasthana · Answer

Each walnut costs: 20 c
Each apple costs: 25 c

At the time of selling
Each item sells at: 500/20 --> 25 c
So, in a way, no profit is being earned on selling apples. CP=SP
So, the total profit of 300 c is being earned on selling walnuts.
Profit on each walnut= 25-20=5c
No. of walnuts=Total profit/ profit on each walnut=300/5=60

gmatassistance · Answer

The word'both' is misleading in this question. It should have been 'each'

Posted from my mobile device

sdilley · Answer

I answered this question in 2:09 using plug in numbers. It felt the easiest and most tangible. I began with 5/$1= 20 cents/walnut and 4/$1 = 25 cent apples. I then took the total of $19.50 and added the profit of $3 to it to get $22.50.

From there I began with answer choice C to see what answer I would get. 
- 60 walnuts * 20 cents each is $12. 
- I know he spent $19.50 so I took 19.5-12=7.5
- Then I used that $7.50 towards apples. 7.50/25. (Or in this case, for quick math, I did 4 per dollar so 4x7=28+2=30 (the extra +2 was for the 50 cents))
-60 walnuts + 30 apples is 90 total items and he sold those at 20/$5. 20 goes into 80 4 times very quickly ($20 earnings) and leaves us with 10, or half of the $5 earnings left over. Add 20+2.50 and that’s the right answer!

I was lucky that c worked. If I started getting funny or hard to work with numbers I would have tried an easier answer choice to start off. Also, if it wasn’t C, I would know how far off I was and would move to either A or E depending on where I landed.

Hope this makes sense!

Posted from my mobile device

bumpbot · Answer

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Hal bought walnuts at 5 for $1 and apples at 4 for $1.

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