Last visit was: 20 Nov 2025, 00:02 It is currently 20 Nov 2025, 00:02
Home
GMAT
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Rewards
Chat
My Profile
Close
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
Your Progress

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
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,537
 [12]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,537
 [12]
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 19 Dec 2013, 11:03
4
Kudos
Add Kudos
8
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

69% (01:29) correct 31% (01:22) wrong based on 447 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger cans cost $80. How many small cans of paint did he buy?

(1) Peter spent $220 on paint.
(2) Peter bought four cans of paint in total.

Show Spoiler

Some problems on the GMAT Quant section cannot be solved with formulas or with algebra. For some problems, the GMAT makes you wrestle with the number properties themselves. For a discussion of difficult numerical reasoning questions, as well as the full solution to this question, see:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/difficult ... questions/

Mike :-)
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
A
User avatar
Paris75
User avatar
Joined: 26 Aug 2013
Last visit: 22 Jul 2024
Posts: 128
Own Kudos:
136
 [1]
Given Kudos: 401
Status:Student
Location: France
Concentration: Finance, General Management
Schools: EMLYON FT'16
GMAT 1: 650 Q47 V32
GPA: 3.44
Schools: EMLYON FT'16
GMAT 1: 650 Q47 V32
Posts: 128
Kudos: 136
 [1]
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 23 Dec 2013, 15:45
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Not really a 700 question but nevertheless an interesting one:

Choice A: If you buy one can at 80, than there are no way to reach the $220. If you buy zero also. And if you buy three than you are already at 240. Than you need two cans at $80 and two at $30. CORRECT

Choice B: no clear information

ANSWER A.

Hope it helps!
User avatar
jlgdr
User avatar
Joined: 06 Sep 2013
Last visit: 24 Jul 2015
Posts: 1,311
Own Kudos:
2,863
Given Kudos: 355
Concentration: Finance
Schools: Wharton '17 (A) HBS '17 (WA$)
Schools: Wharton '17 (A) HBS '17 (WA$)
Posts: 1,311
Kudos: 2,863
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 07 Jan 2014, 10:09
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
mikemcgarry
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger cans cost $80. How many small cans of paint did he buy?
Statement #1: Peter spent $220 on paint.
Statement #2: Peter bought four cans of paint in total.

Some problems on the GMAT Quant section cannot be solved with formulas or with algebra. For some problems, the GMAT makes you wrestle with the number properties themselves. For a discussion of difficult numerical reasoning questions, as well as the full solution to this question, see:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/difficult- ... questions/

Mike :-)
Show more

Not really a 700 question.
Not really a Number Property question, this should be tagged as a Word Problem

Integer constraints are commonly tested on the GMAT

This problem is meant to deal with exactly that

I suggest always simplifying first

3x + 8y = 22

And then x = 22 - 8y / 3

Only 2 works here

Cheers!
J :)
User avatar
mikemcgarry
User avatar
Magoosh GMAT Instructor
Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Last visit: 06 Aug 2018
Posts: 4,479
Own Kudos:
30,537
 [1]
Given Kudos: 130
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 4,479
Kudos: 30,537
 [1]
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 07 Jan 2014, 11:13
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
jlgdr
Not really a 700 question.
Not really a Number Property question, this should be tagged as a Word Problem

Integer constraints are commonly tested on the GMAT

This problem is meant to deal with exactly that

I suggest always simplifying first

3x + 8y = 22

And then x = 22 - 8y / 3

Only 2 works here

Cheers!
J :)
Show more
Dear jlgdr,
By your statement "Only 2 works here", do you mean statement #2? In other words, do you mean to imply that (B) is the answer? If not, it's not clear to me what you think the answer is. Furthermore, I would argue that introducing algebra into this problem doesn't necessarily facilitate the solution, and for some students, may confuse them.
Mike :-)
User avatar
chetan2u
User avatar
GMAT Expert
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Last visit: 15 Nov 2025
Posts: 11,238
Own Kudos:
43,707
Given Kudos: 335
Status:Math and DI Expert
Location: India
Concentration: Human Resources, General Management
GMAT Focus 1: 735 Q90 V89 DI81
Products:
My Reviews
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT Focus 1: 735 Q90 V89 DI81
Posts: 11,238
Kudos: 43,707
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 19 Apr 2017, 19:42
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
anupam87
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger cans cost $80. How many small cans of paint did he buy?

Statement #1: Peter spent $220 on paint.

Statement #2: Peter bought four cans of paint in total.
Show more

Hi

Firstly I am sure this Q must have been discussed earlier too.

Let's see the statements..
I. It gives us equation 30s+80b=220...
ONLY possibility is s=b=2
Sufficient

II. 4 cans can be any combination..
All 4 big. All 4 small. 1&3 etc
Insufficient

A
User avatar
Birla
User avatar
Joined: 18 Apr 2017
Last visit: 21 Aug 2025
Posts: 1
Given Kudos: 13
Posts: 1
Kudos: 0
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 19 Apr 2017, 19:57
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
(A)
Statement 1 - total spending 220$
We know that number of cans will be a natural number.
Let x be number of small cans and y be number of large cans
If y=1 then 30x=140 => no solution
If y=2 then 30x=60=> x=2
Then y cannot be 3 otherwise sum will be greater than 220.
Statement 1 is sufficient.

Statement 2 : Total 4 cans
Possible cases
(0,4)
(1,3)
(2,2)
(3,1)
(4,0)

Only statement 1 is sufficient
(A)
User avatar
adkikani
User avatar
IIM School Moderator
Joined: 04 Sep 2016
Last visit: 24 Dec 2023
Posts: 1,236
Own Kudos:
1,345
Given Kudos: 1,207
Location: India
WE:Engineering (Other)
Posts: 1,236
Kudos: 1,345
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 14 Dec 2017, 18:41
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
chetan2u

Quote:
Let's see the statements..
I. It gives us equation 30s+80b=220...
ONLY possibility is s=b=2
Sufficient
Show more

The moment I see two variables I immediately concluded that I need a second linear equation.
How to avoid this trap?
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 20 Nov 2025
Posts: 105,408
Own Kudos:
778,416
Given Kudos: 99,987
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 105,408
Kudos: 778,416
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 14 Dec 2017, 20:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
adkikani
chetan2u

Quote:
Let's see the statements..
I. It gives us equation 30s+80b=220...
ONLY possibility is s=b=2
Sufficient

The moment I see two variables I immediately concluded that I need a second linear equation.
How to avoid this trap?
Show more

Generally such kind of linear equations (ax + by = c) have infinitely many solutions for x and y, and we cannot get single numerical values for the variables. But, here in 30x + 80y = 220, x and y must represent the # of cans, so they must be non-negative integers and in this case 30x + 80y = 220 is no longer simple linear equation, it's a Diophantine equation (equations whose solutions must be integers only) and for such kind on equations there might be only one combination of x and y possible to satisfy it. When you encounter such kind of problems you must always check by trial and error whether it's the case.

For more, check C-Trap Question Collection from our Special Questions's Directory.
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,592
Own Kudos:
1,079
Posts: 38,592
Kudos: 1,079
Peter went to the store to buy paint. Small cans cost $30 and larger 18 Jun 2025, 11:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
105408 posts
kingbucky
496 posts