In a certain nursery, 15 percent of the plants developed a fungus and

Question

In a certain nursery, 15 percent of the plants developed a fungus and died. If 40 percent of the plants that developed the fungus did not die, what percent of the plants in the nursery developed the fungus?

A. 25%
B. 27%
C. 35%
D. 40%
E. 55%

A. 25%
B. 27%
C. 35%
D. 40%
E. 55%

gmatophobia · Accepted Answer

We can use a 2*2 matrix to jot down the information. Assume there are 100 plants in the nursery.

15 percent of the plants developed a fungus and died

Number of plants that developed a fungus and died = 15

40 percent of the plants that developed the fungus did not die

Assume that the number of plants that developed a fungus = x

40% of 'x' did not die ; therefore, 60% of 'x' died.

This 60% is the 15 plants that died.

\frac{60}{100} * x = 15

x = 25

Required percentage =  \frac{25}{100} * 100 = 25 %

Option A

AshishDevliyal · Answer

Am I the only one not able to get these sentences right

for e.g. 15 percent of the plants developed a fungus and died is understood as 15 % of total developed fungus and died But

If 40 percent of the plants that developed the fungus did not die this sentence appears convulted and can have many interpretations like 40 percent of that developed fungus i.e. 40 percent of X or 40 percent of total 100 percent.

i am the only one getting this wrong or are there others also

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

If N is the total number of plants in the nursery and f is the number of plants that developed the fungus, we have:

# fungus & died = 0.15N

# fungus = f

Since 40 percent of f did not die, 60 percent of f did die.

# fungus & died = 0.6f

It must be true that:

0.6f = 0.15N

f/N = 0.15/0.6 = 1/4 = 25%

Therefore, 25% of the plants in the nursery developed the fungus.

Answer: A

Archit3110 · Answer

2x2 matrix

---Die--ND---Total
F--15---10--- 25 
NF--()---()---75
total-- ()--()---100
option A 25%

KarishmaB · Answer

15% of Total => developed fungus and died.
40% of plants that developed fungus did not die => 60% of plants that developed fungus DID die

So 15% of Total = 60% of plants that developed fungus
Plants that developed fungus = 1/4 * Total = 25% of Total

Answer (A)

Check this video on percentages: 
 https://youtu.be/HxnsYI1Rws8

btsaami · Answer

Assume 100 plants.
15 plant had fungus and died.
40% of plants that had developed fungus did not die. Therefore 60% of plants having fungus died.

Let x be the no.of plants that got fungus.

60% of x=15
x= 15*(5/3)
x= 25

Therefore, 25 of them had fungus. 25%

Posted from my mobile device

scooter1 · Answer

Hi, Ashish.

I'm not sure if you figured it out or not. But you have to concentrate on the wordplay here.
1)  15 percent of plants developed fungus . i.e. in the entire collection of 100 plants, 15 died due to fungus. Now lets take it oppositely, we know 85 didn't die, but we are not aware in 85 how many were (a) affected and survived and (b) not affected at all.
2) if  40% of the plants that developed the fungus  did not die. So emphasis on  plants that developed,  its trying to say overall   x   amount of plants developed fungus and from that 40% didn't die. Which implies 60% of   x   of did die.

so   60/100 * x = 15   and then you solve from there

DanTheGMATMan · Answer

Classic overlapping sets:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBjVFcvOVVI

Aalto700 · Answer

15% of all, developed a fungus and die, equavalent to x% of fungus
40% of fungus, did not die 
40%+x% =100% fungus
x =60% fungus =15% all

fungues =15%/6*10 =  25%

HarshavardhanR · Answer

GMAT-Club-Forum-gr24a80t.png ___ Harsha

Kinshook · Answer

In a certain nursery, 15 percent of the plants developed a fungus and died.

If 40 percent of the plants that developed the fungus did not die, what percent of the plants in the nursery developed the fungus?

Fungus + Died = 15%

Let us assumed that x% of plants developed fungus.

Fungus + not died = .4x

Fungus = x = .4x + 15
x = 15/.6 =25 %

IMO A

vipsgmat · Answer

Here it is important to take the note of language to avoid getting this wrong due to silly mistake :

Fungus plants  (F)  = Fungus plants died + Fungus plant didn't died

15% of Total  (T)  = plants developed fungus and died....(1)

Also
 40% of plants developed that developed fungus did not died implies
 60% of plants developed fungus died....(2)

Therefore 
 15% T = 60% F
 T = 4F

Hence to calculate percent of the plants in the nursery developed the fungus

F/T * 100 = F/4F * 100 = 25% Answer

In a certain nursery, 15 percent of the plants developed a fungus and

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