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# Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip.

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Intern
Joined: 06 Apr 2011
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Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. [#permalink]

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15 Dec 2013, 17:33
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Difficulty:

55% (hard)

Question Stats:

69% (02:22) correct 31% (01:55) wrong based on 335 sessions

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Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed?

(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12
(E) 16

Just looking for different approaches one can take to solve this problem. To me, this was time consuming.

Appreciate posts with explanation.
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

Last edited by Bunuel on 16 Dec 2013, 00:29, edited 1 time in total.
Renamed the topic and edited the question.

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Manager
Status: Work hard in silence, let success make the noise
Joined: 25 Nov 2013
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Kudos [?]: 87 [3], given: 84

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15 Dec 2013, 21:05
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mniyer wrote:
Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed?
(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12
(E) 16

Just looking for different approaches one can take to solve this problem. To me, this was time consuming.

Appreciate posts with explanation.

It took me around 2.5 minutes to solve this question.

Let the current speed be x miles per hour.
Time taken if speed is 50% faster (i.e. 3x/2 = 1.5x) = 96/1.5x
Time taken if speed is reduced by 4 miles/hr (i.e. (x-4)) = 96/(x-4)

As per question, 96/(x-4) - 96/1.5x = 16
Solving this we get x = 8.

[Reveal] Spoiler:
B
.
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Kudos [?]: 87 [3], given: 84

Director
Joined: 25 Apr 2012
Posts: 721

Kudos [?]: 886 [2], given: 724

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15 Dec 2013, 23:16
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mniyer wrote:
Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed?
(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12
(E) 16

Just looking for different approaches one can take to solve this problem. To me, this was time consuming.

Appreciate posts with explanation.

Here Plugin helps....I always start with C and it gives me a good indication whether to move up or down in answer choices. Note that answer choices are in ascending or descending order always....

So let's start with C, If Current speed is 10 then time take with speed of 10-4 =6 m/hr is 16 hours
Time take at (10+5) m/hr 96/15 ~ 6...hrs difference is 10 hrs

So speed will be lower....

try current speed as 8 and we get at speed of (8-4), time taken 96/4= 24 hrs
and then time taken at (8+4) m/hr is 8 hrs...difference is 16 hrs...

That is what is given in the answer stem. So ans is B ie. 8
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16 Dec 2013, 00:23
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mniyer wrote:
Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed?
(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12
(E) 16

Just looking for different approaches one can take to solve this problem. To me, this was time consuming.

Appreciate posts with explanation.

Given:

$$\frac{96}{s - 4} - \frac{96}{3s/2} = 16$$
$$\frac{6}{s - 4} - \frac{4}{s} = 1$$

Don't try to solve it now. Using the options, we can easily see that s = 8 will satisfy this equation.
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Get started with Veritas Prep GMAT On Demand for $199 Veritas Prep Reviews Kudos [?]: 18465 [13], given: 237 Intern Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Posts: 6 Kudos [?]: [0], given: 229 Re: Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. [#permalink] ### Show Tags 05 Oct 2016, 11:38 VeritasPrepKarishma wrote: mniyer wrote: Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed? (A) 6 (B) 8 (C) 10 (D) 12 (E) 16 Just looking for different approaches one can take to solve this problem. To me, this was time consuming. Appreciate posts with explanation. Given: $$\frac{96}{s - 4} - \frac{96}{3s/2} = 16$$ $$\frac{6}{s - 4} - \frac{4}{s} = 1$$ Don't try to solve it now. Using the options, we can easily see that s = 8 will satisfy this equation. Thank you for your explanations throughout these forums.. it has helped me grasp a number of concepts.. In this case, I attempted this question using the methods in Manhattan's book by setting up a chart.. although it is not ideal for this question, I can not see where I am going wrong.. Below is my workings out: (1) faster speed: 1.5r x t = 96 (2) slower speed: (r-4)(t+16) = 96 Is there a way to proceed if you foil it out? It got messy when I did so and in case I do not see the more elegant method, I would like to see if foiling out will give the correct answer, regardless of the extra time it would take. The main issue I have is how do you know how to set up the equations to get the answer once you are able to set up the given information. Thank you in advance. Kudos [?]: [0], given: 229 Veritas Prep GMAT Instructor Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Posts: 7863 Kudos [?]: 18465 [2], given: 237 Location: Pune, India Re: Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. [#permalink] ### Show Tags 06 Oct 2016, 21:29 2 This post received KUDOS Expert's post yousefalj wrote: VeritasPrepKarishma wrote: mniyer wrote: Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed? (A) 6 (B) 8 (C) 10 (D) 12 (E) 16 Just looking for different approaches one can take to solve this problem. To me, this was time consuming. Appreciate posts with explanation. Given: $$\frac{96}{s - 4} - \frac{96}{3s/2} = 16$$ $$\frac{6}{s - 4} - \frac{4}{s} = 1$$ Don't try to solve it now. Using the options, we can easily see that s = 8 will satisfy this equation. Thank you for your explanations throughout these forums.. it has helped me grasp a number of concepts.. In this case, I attempted this question using the methods in Manhattan's book by setting up a chart.. although it is not ideal for this question, I can not see where I am going wrong.. Below is my workings out: (1) faster speed: 1.5r x t = 96 (2) slower speed: (r-4)(t+16) = 96 Is there a way to proceed if you foil it out? It got messy when I did so and in case I do not see the more elegant method, I would like to see if foiling out will give the correct answer, regardless of the extra time it would take. The main issue I have is how do you know how to set up the equations to get the answer once you are able to set up the given information. Thank you in advance. Always try to keep minimum variables. More variables means messier calculations. 1.5rt = 96 rt = 96/(3/2) = 64 t = 64/r (r-4)(t+16) = 96 rt + 16r - 4t - 64 = 96 64 + 16r - 4t - 64 = 96 4r - t = 24 4r - 64/r = 24 Try options which are divisible by 64. Try r = 8. It fits. 4*8 - 64/8 = 24 Answer (B) _________________ Karishma Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor My Blog Get started with Veritas Prep GMAT On Demand for$199

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Re: Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. [#permalink]

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11 Jan 2018, 13:57
mniyer wrote:
Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip. If he reduced his current speed by 4 miles per hour, the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer than it would if he increased his speed by 50%. What is his current speed?

(A) 6
(B) 8
(C) 10
(D) 12
(E) 16

If we let Pascal’s current rate = r, then his time to complete the remainder of the trip = 96/r.

If we let Pascal’s reduced rate = r - 4, then his new time is 96/(r - 4).

If we let Pascal’s increased rate = 1.5r, then his new time is 96/1.5r = 960/15r = 64/r,

Since the remainder of the trip would take him 16 hours longer with his reduced rate than his increased rate:

64/r = 96/(r - 4) - 16

Multiplying the entire equation by r(r - 4), we have:

64(r - 4) = 96r - 16r(r - 4)

64r - 256 = 96r - 16r^2 + 64r

16r^2 - 96r - 256 = 0

r^2 - 6r - 16 = 0

(r - 8)(r + 2) = 0

r = 8 or r = -2

Since the rate can’t be negative, r = 8. Pascal’s current rate is 8 miles per hour.

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Re: Pascal has 96 miles remaining to complete his cycling trip.   [#permalink] 11 Jan 2018, 13:57
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