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# In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent

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Manager
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In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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15 Oct 2013, 08:17
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Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

46% (01:42) correct 54% (01:37) wrong based on 509 sessions

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ABC
+BCB
CDD

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?

A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 14
E. 18
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

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Magoosh GMAT Instructor
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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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15 Oct 2013, 11:47
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Expert's post
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saintforlife wrote:
ABC
+BCB
CDD

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?

A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 14
E. 18

I'm happy to help with this.
First, look at the one's column. C + B produces a one's unit of D, and we don't know whether anything carries to the ten's place.
But now, look at the ten's place --- B + C again produces a digit of D --- that tells us definitively that nothing carried, and that B + C = D. B & C have a single digit number as a sum.
Now, C = A + B, because again, in the hundreds column, nothing carries here.

Notice that, since C = A + B and D = B + C, B must be smaller than both B and C. We want to make the product of A & B large, so we want to make those individual digits large. Well, if we make B large, then that makes C large, and then B + C would quickly become more than a one-digit sum, which is not allowed. Think about it this way. Let's just assume D = 9, the maximum value.
D = 9 = B + C = B + (A + B) = A + 2B
We want to pick A & B such that A + 2B = 9 and A*B is a maximum. It makes sense that B would be smaller.
Try A = 7, B = 1. Then A + 2B = 9 and A*B = 7
Try A = 5, B = 2. Then A + 2B = 9 and A*B = 10
Try A = 3, B = 3. Then A + 2B = 9 and A*B = 9
Try A = 1, B = 4. Then A + 2B = 9 and A*B = 4
Indeed, as B gets bigger, the product gets less. This seems to imply that the biggest possible product is 10. This corresponds to A = 5, B = 2, C = 7, and D = 9, and the original addition problem becomes
527
+272
799
Thus, the maximum product is 10, and answer = (B).

Does all this make sense?
Mike
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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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23 Oct 2013, 16:44
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How do we do all that in less than 2 mins, is my only question

Posted from my mobile device

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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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23 Oct 2013, 16:54
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saintforlife wrote:
How do we do all that in less than 2 mins, is my only question

Dear Saint For Life,
Problems such as this are quite out-of-the-box. To some extent, the GMAT intends us to handle many of the other questions in 90 secs or less, so that we have a bit of a time-cushion when we run into one of these oddball questions.

Having said that, the more familiar you are with number properties, the faster it will go. In this problem, it took me quite some time to write out everything in verbal form, but I saw things relatively quickly. As you practice seeing patterns, you will see them more quickly, even if they are hard to explain to someone else. You may find this post helpful:
http://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/how-to-do- ... th-faster/

Mike
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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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24 Oct 2013, 00:13
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saintforlife wrote:
ABC
+BCB
CDD

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?

A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 14
E. 18

Similar questions to practice:
tough-tricky-set-of-problems-85211.html#p638336

Hope it helps
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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the [#permalink]

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26 Oct 2013, 22:47
1
KUDOS
... got E as an answer. However, it took me 6 minutes, since I plugged in the answer options.
Is there any faster way, or am I just too slow in back-solving?

TirthankarP wrote:

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?
A) 8
B) 10
C) 12
D) 14
E) 18

My explanation:

According to the question stem C+B=D and D<10, since the second addition (2nd column) is C+B=D again (if there were a carry, the second column's result would not be D again), and A+B=C
Now I break up the answer options:
A) A*B=8, so A and B -> 2 and 4 or 1 and 8. A+B=2+4=6=C, C+B=6+2=8=D, which is smaller than 10, thus the answer is not "out", but there could be a larger possible value of A*B
B) A*B=10, so A and B -> 2 and 5. A+B=2+5=7=C, C+B=7+2=9=D, which is smaller than 10, thus the is also possible. Let's look for the next options.
For C-E:
C) A*B=12, so A and B -> 6 and or 4 and 3.
D) A*B=14, so A and -> 7 and 2.
E) A*B=18, so A and B -> 9 and 2 or 3 and 6.
Do the same process with those numbers and you will find that all will yield a sum of C+B>10, thus the constraint of D<10 is not satisfied. The answer options are not possible.
Because 10>8 answer option B) is the largest possible.

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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the [#permalink]

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27 Oct 2013, 01:04
Chiranjeevee wrote:
TirthankarP wrote:
Attachment:

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?
A) 8
B) 10
C) 12
D) 14
E) 18

I do a thorough search before posting any new question. But this time I couldn't find this link
Forum moderator may delete this thread
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Collection of some good questions on Number System

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28 Nov 2013, 22:18
ABC
+BCB
CDD

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?

a. 8
b. 10
c. 12
d. 14
e. 18
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29 Nov 2013, 02:48
debmithu wrote:
ABC
+BCB
CDD

In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent the nonzero digits of three 3-digit numbers. What is the largest possible value of the product of A and B ?

a. 8
b. 10
c. 12
d. 14
e. 18

Merging similar topics. Please refer to the solutions above.

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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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06 Dec 2013, 11:19
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saintforlife wrote:
How do we do all that in less than 2 mins, is my only question :)

Posted from my mobile device

This problem can be solved much faster if you start with the options. As Mike has wonderfully explained, none of the digits will have a carry over.

Option E is $$18 = 9 * 2$$(no other case is possible). Now$$9+2>=10$$. Therefore, it will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

Option D is $$14 = 7 * 2$$(no other case is possible). Since $$C=A+B$$, therefore $$C= 9$$. Since $$C=9$$ and $$B$$ is a non zero digit, $$C+B>=10$$. Therefore, it will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

Option C is 12. This will have 2 cases-
$$Case 1--> 12 = 4 * 3$$

Here $$C= 4+3=7$$. Now $$7+4>=10$$ and [$$7+3>=10$$. Therefore, both cases will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

(OR) $$Case 2--> 6 * 2$$.

Here $$C= 6+2=8$$. Now $$8+2>=10$$ and $$8+6>=10$$. Therefore, both cases will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

Option B is $$10 = 5 * 2$$. If you follow the same set of steps you'll notice that there will not be any carry over digit for the case $$C=7, A=5, B=2$$. So right answer!

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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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10 Dec 2014, 20:56
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In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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01 Jul 2015, 08:02
HKHR wrote:
saintforlife wrote:
How do we do all that in less than 2 mins, is my only question :)

Posted from my mobile device

This problem can be solved much faster if you start with the options. As Mike has wonderfully explained, none of the digits will have a carry over.

Option E is $$18 = 9 * 2$$(no other case is possible). Now$$9+2>=10$$. Therefore, it will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

Option D is $$14 = 7 * 2$$(no other case is possible). Since $$C=A+B$$, therefore $$C= 9$$. Since $$C=9$$ and $$B$$ is a non zero digit, $$C+B>=10$$. Therefore, it will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

Option C is 12. This will have 2 cases-
$$Case 1--> 12 = 4 * 3$$

Here $$C= 4+3=7$$. Now $$7+4>=10$$ and [$$7+3>=10$$. Therefore, both cases will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

(OR) $$Case 2--> 6 * 2$$.

Here $$C= 6+2=8$$. Now $$8+2>=10$$ and $$8+6>=10$$. Therefore, both cases will have a carry over digit 1. So reject this option.

Option B is $$10 = 5 * 2$$. If you follow the same set of steps you'll notice that there will not be any carry over digit for the case $$C=7, A=5, B=2$$. So right answer!

Wonderful explanation. Just thought to add some more from my side. As we see only B satisfies all the necessary requirement(not to carry over any digits).

In option A, taking A=4 and B=2 also satisfies the condition as it is something like
426
+262
-------
688

But since we need maximum value well go for option B
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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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23 Aug 2015, 12:25
took me 5 minutes to back solve
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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent [#permalink]

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Re: In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent   [#permalink] 11 Sep 2017, 22:49
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# In the addition shown above, A, B, C, and D represent

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