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# John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a

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SVP
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1878

Kudos [?]: 1443 [0], given: 1

Schools: CBS, Kellogg
John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a [#permalink]

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25 Feb 2008, 02:33
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Difficulty:

55% (hard)

Question Stats:

64% (01:21) correct 36% (01:47) wrong based on 175 sessions

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John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a certain job together. John worked on the job for 10 hours and Mary worked 2 hours less than John. If Mary gave John y dollars of her payment so that they would have received the same hourly wage, what was the dollar amount, in terms of y, that John was paid in advance?

(A) 4y
(B) 5y
(C) 6y
(D) 8y
(E) 9y

OPEN DISCUSSION OF THIS QUESTION IS HERE: john-and-mary-were-each-paid-x-dollars-in-advance-to-do-a-144782.html
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

_________________

Last edited by Bunuel on 16 Jun 2013, 00:20, edited 16 times in total.
Moved to PS forum.

Kudos [?]: 1443 [0], given: 1

Director
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
Posts: 684

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Re: 220. each and total dollars? [#permalink]

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25 Feb 2008, 02:46
3
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Is it 9y?

10/x+y =8/x-y => x =9y

regards,
Pras
_________________

Persistence+Patience+Persistence+Patience=G...O...A...L

Kudos [?]: 617 [3], given: 0

SVP
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1878

Kudos [?]: 1443 [0], given: 1

Schools: CBS, Kellogg
Re: 220. each and total dollars? [#permalink]

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25 Feb 2008, 19:52
prasannar wrote:
Is it 9y?

10/x+y =8/x-y => x =9y

regards,
Pras

A million thanks to you, after reading your approach, I realized that I missed the important point: John and Mary were each paid x dollars
_________________

Kudos [?]: 1443 [0], given: 1

Intern
Joined: 10 Nov 2007
Posts: 13

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Re: 220. each and total dollars? [#permalink]

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27 Feb 2008, 17:16
1
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sondenso wrote:
prasannar wrote:
Is it 9y?

10/x+y =8/x-y => x =9y

regards,
Pras

A million thanks to you, after reading your approach, I realized that I missed the important point: John and Mary were each paid x dollars

I don't agree.
Hourly wages were x/10 and x/8.
So
x/10 + y = x/8 - y
2y = x/8 - x/10 = x/20
40y = x
he was paid 40y/10 + y = 5y

B

Kudos [?]: 7 [1], given: 0

SVP
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1878

Kudos [?]: 1443 [0], given: 1

Schools: CBS, Kellogg
Re: 220. each and total dollars? [#permalink]

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27 Feb 2008, 21:43
sondenso wrote:
prasannar wrote:
Is it 9y?

10/x+y =8/x-y => x =9y

regards,
Pras

A million thanks to you, after reading your approach, I realized that I missed the important point: John and Mary were each paid x dollars

I don't agree.
Hourly wages were x/10 and x/8.
So
x/10 + y = x/8 - y
2y = x/8 - x/10 = x/20
40y = x
he was paid 40y/10 + y = 5y

B

You made the same mistake as I did.
Let take a look again! cheer!
_________________

Kudos [?]: 1443 [0], given: 1

Intern
Joined: 07 Feb 2013
Posts: 13

Kudos [?]: 23 [2], given: 9

GMAT 1: 650 Q48 V32
GMAT 2: 730 Q49 V41
WE: Engineering (Other)
Re: John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a [#permalink]

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15 Jun 2013, 20:52
2
KUDOS
Although the answer was derived from the above methods, pls take note
hourly wage = X/10 and X/8 respectively not 10/X or 8/X

New hourly wages after Mary gives John Y is : (X+Y)/10 and (X-Y)/8 and not 10/(X+Y) & 8/(X-Y)
while it may not make any difference to the result, its better to correct the basics

Kudos [?]: 23 [2], given: 9

Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 42269

Kudos [?]: 132852 [6], given: 12378

Re: John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a [#permalink]

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16 Jun 2013, 00:21
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Expert's post
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John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a certain job together. John worked on the job for 10 hours and Mary worked 2 hours less than John. If Mary gave John y dollars of her payment so that they would have received the same hourly wage, what was the dollar amount, in terms of y, that John was paid in advance?

(A) 4y
(B) 5y
(C) 6y
(D) 8y
(E) 9y

The amount Mary has in the end is x-y dollars and she worked for 8 hours;
The amount John has in the end is x+y dollars and he worked for 10 hours;;

We are told that in this case their hourly wage was the same: $$hourly \ wage=\frac{wage}{# \ of \ hours \ worked}=\frac{x-y}{8}=\frac{x+y}{10}$$, from $$\frac{x-y}{8}=\frac{x+y}{10}$$ we get that $$x=9y$$.

OPEN DISCUSSION OF THIS QUESTION IS HERE: john-and-mary-were-each-paid-x-dollars-in-advance-to-do-a-144782.html
_________________

Kudos [?]: 132852 [6], given: 12378

Re: John and Mary were each paid x dollars in advance to do a   [#permalink] 16 Jun 2013, 00:21
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