GMAT Question of the Day: Daily via email | Daily via Instagram New to GMAT Club? Watch this Video

 It is currently 18 Feb 2020, 04:10

### GMAT Club Daily Prep

#### Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

# How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent

Author Message
TAGS:

### Hide Tags

Intern
Joined: 15 Oct 2009
Posts: 7
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

26 Mar 2010, 16:00
2
14
00:00

Difficulty:

25% (medium)

Question Stats:

73% (01:21) correct 27% (01:13) wrong based on 548 sessions

### HideShow timer Statistics

How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent's house?

(1) Helen's average speed on this trip was 72 kilometers per hour
(2) If Helen's average speed on this trip had been 8 kilometers per hour greater , it would have taken her 1 hour less.
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 61269
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

26 Mar 2010, 16:10
3
4
changhiskhan wrote:
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parents house?

1) Helen’s average speed on this trip was 72 kilometers per hour.
2) If Helen’s average speed on this trip had been 8 kilometers per hour greater, it would have taken her 1 hour less.

$$d=rt$$, where $$d$$ is the distance covered, $$r$$ rate and $$t$$ time. Question: $$t=?$$

(1) $$r=72$$. Clearly not sufficient.
(2) $$(r+8)(t-1)=d$$. Clearly not sufficient.

(1)+(2) $$r=72$$ and $$(r+8)(t-1)=d$$ --> $$80(t-1)=d$$ --> $$d=80(t-1)=rt=72t$$ --> $$8t=80$$ --> $$t=10$$. Sufficient.

_________________
##### General Discussion
Manager
Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 171
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

27 Mar 2010, 07:52
1
changhiskhan wrote:
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parents house?

1) Helen’s average speed on this trip was 72 kilometers per hour.
2) If Helen’s average speed on this trip had been 8 kilometers per hour greater, it would have taken her 1 hour less.

1: Not sufficient, easy to spot
2: distance is d
av speed: a then time is t
av speed: a-1 then time is t-1
d/a = d/a+8 + 1 can't solve alone insufficient.

Combining, d/72 = d/80 + 1 solving d = 80 then t can be calculated hence C.
Manager
Joined: 12 Jan 2010
Posts: 223
Schools: DukeTuck,Kelogg,Darden
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

27 Apr 2010, 04:57
zz0vlb wrote:
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parents's house?

(1) Helen's average speed on this trip was 72 km/hr.
(2) If Helen's average speed on this trip has been 8 km/hr greater, it would have taken her 1 hour less.

Source: GMAT Prep

Can someone explain this clearly.

Hi,

Its C.

You need to calculate the distance, let that be D.

Now from 1 you just get the speed. To know D you need time and speed both. so 1 is insufficient

Using 2 you just get the difference in speed and the time, again no concrete values. so 2 is insufficient.

However if you combine 1 and 2 you get 2 speeds and the difference in time.

Here is how the solution would be

Earlier speed = 72.
time taken at 72 km/hr = t1
t1 = D/72

Later speed = 72+8 = 80 km/hr
Time taken at 80 km/hr = t2
t2 = D/80

Now t1-t2 = 1

D/72 -D/80 = 1

Solve this and you get D = 720 km.
Manager
Status: what we want to do, do it as soon as possible
Joined: 24 May 2010
Posts: 56
Location: Vietnam
WE 1: 5.0
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

15 Mar 2011, 22:39
1
changhiskhan wrote:
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parents house?

1) Helen’s average speed on this trip was 72 kilometers per hour.
2) If Helen’s average speed on this trip had been 8 kilometers per hour greater, it would have taken her 1 hour less.

C after 3:40 minutes
Retired Moderator
Joined: 16 Nov 2010
Posts: 1209
Location: United States (IN)
Concentration: Strategy, Technology
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

16 Mar 2011, 18:37
Let distance from her house to her parents house = D, average speed v, and time taken be t

(1) is insufficient, we only have t = D/72

From (2), D/(v+8) = D/v - 1

So this is not sufficient either, but if we combine (1) and (2), v = 72 and hence we can find out both. So the answer is C.
_________________
Formula of Life -> Achievement/Potential = k * Happiness (where k is a constant)

GMAT Club Premium Membership - big benefits and savings
VP
Status: mission completed!
Joined: 02 Jul 2009
Posts: 1185
GPA: 3.77
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

18 Mar 2011, 01:10
basically, we are provided with two equations in 1statement 1 and 2.
having two equations it is possible to solve equality with two uknowns.

hence it is C.

30 seconds.
_________________
Manager
Joined: 20 Aug 2011
Posts: 96

### Show Tags

Updated on: 26 Oct 2011, 06:15
1
1
kotela wrote:
How many hours did it take helen to drive from her house to her parent's house?

1. Helen's average speed on this trip was 72 Km/hr

2. If Helen's average speed on this trip had been 8 Km/hr greater it would have taken 1 hr less

can anyone explain?

let time req. be t.
let distance covered be d.

1.
d/t=72.
Insufficient

2.
d/(t-1)=80
Insufficient

1+2
d=72t
d=80(t-1)
72t=80(t-1)
Sufficient

Originally posted by blink005 on 26 Oct 2011, 02:07.
Last edited by blink005 on 26 Oct 2011, 06:15, edited 1 time in total.
Senior Manager
Joined: 25 Jun 2012
Posts: 381
Concentration: General Management
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

26 Nov 2012, 06:38
Could you also solve this problem by thinking of it as a ratio? One of MGMAT's strategies for DS ratio questions is that if a DS question asks for the concrete value of one element of a ratio, you will need both the concrete value of another element and the relative value of 2 elements of the ratio. When you combine the two statements, you get a concrete value from statement 1 and two relative values from statement 2. Is that a logical way to solve this problem, once you already know that the two statements individually are insufficient?
_________________
Advice, Musings, and Experiences from a member of the HBS Class of 2016
http://DefyingGravityMBA.blogspot.com/
Senior Manager
Joined: 13 May 2013
Posts: 396
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

01 Aug 2013, 10:52
2
2
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parents house?

1) Helen’s average speed on this trip was 72 kilometers per hour.
We know nothing about distance. If the distance was 72km then it would have taken one hour. If the distance was 720km then it would have taken 10 hours, etc. All we know is r=72
INSUFFICIENT

2) If Helen’s average speed on this trip had been 8 kilometers per hour greater, it would have taken her 1 hour less.
Time=distance/speed
T-1 = d/(s+8)
This does not provide enough information to solve for the question.
INSUFFICIENT

1+2) average speed (r) = 72, t-1 = d/(s+8)
t-1 = d/(72+8)
t-1 = d/80
This is where it gets tricky. At first I said that this isn't enough information to solve so I put down (E). However, d=r*t. If I plug in for d then I can cancel out t leaving r.
t-1 = r*t/(72+8)
t-1 = 72*t/(80)
80t-80 = 72t
8t = 80
t=10

A couple things to remember:
- If in doubt and unable to solve, try and substitute in a formula (like=r*t) to cancel out variables.
- remember to plug in any applicable numbers for all variables. For example, after plugging in r*t for d, I forgot to plug in 72 for r*t.

SUFFICIENT

(C)
Manager
Joined: 10 May 2014
Posts: 135
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

17 Nov 2014, 10:29
1
1
PTK wrote:
basically, we are provided with two equations in 1statement 1 and 2.
having two equations it is possible to solve equality with two uknowns.

hence it is C.

30 seconds.

Well, I thought that we were provided with 3 equations and 3 variables. The answer is the same (C) but I think my reasoning is slightly different.

Question stem: RT = D (3 variables, 1 equation). We need 2 more equations in the statements to solve this problem. Remember, whenever you are dealing with distance, you already have an equation (RT = D). The same goes for Work Problems (RT = W)

St 1: R = 72. Insufficient. St 1 just gives us 1 more equation.

St. 2: (R + 8)(T - 1) = D. Insufficient. St 2 just gives us 1 more equation.

St 1 + 2: we now have 2 more equations apart from the one given in the question stem. We now have 3 equations and 3 unknowns. We can solve for this stuff: no need to do the calculations.

Hope it makes sense.
Intern
Status: Professional GMAT Trainer
Affiliations: GMAT Coach
Joined: 21 Mar 2017
Posts: 12
Location: United States
GMAT 1: 760 Q50 V44
GMAT 2: 770 Q51 V44
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

01 Dec 2019, 20:27
changhiskhan wrote:
How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent's house?

(1) Helen's average speed on this trip was 72 kilometers per hour
(2) If Helen's average speed on this trip had been 8 kilometers per hour greater , it would have taken her 1 hour less.

First, write what we are solving for: "T?"

(1) R = 72 ---> Insufficient (We would also need the distance to solve for time ---> Using D=RT, we could get T = $$\frac{D}{R}$$ =$$\frac{D}{72}$$, but we have 2 variables and one equation)

(2) We translate the "If..." statement, saying the hypothetical distance is equal to the actual distance:
RT = (R+8)(T-1)
Again, 2 variables and 1 equation ---> Insufficient

(1) & (2) Together: Now, we have 2 variables and 2 equations --> Sufficient ---> Answer is C
(or, once you plug in R = 72 into statement 2, we just have one linear equation and one variable)

For another similar example of this "If..." wording, try this one: https://gmatclub.com/forum/a-store-curr ... l#p1161554
_________________
6 Principles for Effective GMAT Training: https://www.gmatcoach.com/our-approach/

I offer online tutoring -- please visit gmatcoach.com/trial to request a free consultation.
Re: How many hours did it take Helen to drive from her house to her parent   [#permalink] 01 Dec 2019, 20:27
Display posts from previous: Sort by