Of the following, which is closest to the increase from 1975 to 1980

Question

https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=17046

Of the following, which is closest to the increase from 1975 to 1980 in the amount received by the processor in producing 6 ounces of frozen orange juice?

(A) $0.03 
(B) $0.05 
(C) $0.06 
(D) $0.08 
(E) $0.13

MahmoudFawzy · Accepted Answer

simply,
in 1980, 0.7*18.0/100 = 0.1260
in 1975, 0.3*31.7/100 = 0.0951
Difference = 0.0309
so A

(usually, using approximation would be faster, by because the values of choices are so near to each other, precision is a better approach,
for example, if we use approximation,
in 1980, 0.7*20/100 = 0.140
in 1975, 0.3*32/100 = 0.096
Difference = 0.044
so you would be confused either to choice 0.03 or 0.05, or you may end up choosing 0.05 as a nearer value, which is a wrong answer)

kanakdaga · Answer

Can someone please explain this question in simpler terms?

MahmoudFawzy · Answer

Greetings  kanakdaga

I am not an expert, so let's help together step by step.

I will start with explaining the question itself:

The left pie represents the cost of 6 ounces of orange juice in 1975 which is $ 0.3

the $ 0.3 comes from the different stages through which the orange juice went through.
there are 5 stages according to the pie chart : farmer, retailer, wholesaler, processor, transporter.

the farmer is 28.1% of $ 0.3
the retailer is 21.7% of $ 0.3
the wholesaler is 11.4% of $ 0.3
the processor is 31.7% of $ 0.3 --------> so the cost incurred by the processor = (31.7/100) * (0.3) = $ 0.0951
the transporter is 7.1% of $ 0.3

the sum is 100% which represents the $ 0.3

then repeat the process on the right pie, then find the difference

KanishkM · Answer

Lets convert the cost to consumer in terms of 100, said that
for 1975 cost to consumer becomes 30, for 1975 cost to consumer becomes 70

Now {18*70 - 31.7 * 30} change from 1980 to 1975

309/100

~3.09, but since we had initially multiplied the initial cost with 100, we will divide it by 100

$0.03

Shrey9 · Answer

https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=17046

Of the following, which is closest to the increase from 1975 to 1980 in the amount received by the processor in producing 6 ounces of frozen orange juice?

(A) $0.03 
(B) $0.05 
(C) $0.06 
(D) $0.08 
(E) $0.13

It looks like a cumbersome problem at first, but approximation can help here, if you use it well...
NOTE - we need to subtract 1980's value from 1975's value to find the difference

use 3 for 1975 instead of 0.3 AND 
7 for 1980 instead of 0.7

so for 1975
31.7% is equivalent to a little less than 1/3 = 33/100
therefore 33% of 3 is 1 or a little less than that, lets say around 0.9

now, for 1980
18% of 7 is close to 20% of 7 and 20% is 1/5 
so 1/5*7 is around 1.4 and if we calculate
1.4-0.9 = 0.5
and divide it by 10 to make up for the step we did to make our calculation easier.. - 0.05
but we know that we have rounded up.. so we need to pick an answer less than this value only (A) 0.03 is the one..

and yes, even if you, while calculating 1/5*7, could have rounded it down to lets say 1.2 or 1.3 which would have given you 0.03/0.04 .. to make sure that (A) is the right answer..

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Of the following, which is closest to the increase from 1975 to 1980

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Of the following, which is closest to the increase from 1975 to 1980

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