Last visit was: 03 Sep 2026, 18:41 It is currently 03 Sep 2026, 18:41
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.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
anushree01
Joined: 06 Apr 2024
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 252
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 183
Products:
Posts: 252
Kudos: 90
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Usernamevisible
Joined: 09 Jun 2022
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 480
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1,282
Products:
Posts: 480
Kudos: 110
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Aayushh
Joined: 11 Apr 2023
Last visit: 29 Aug 2026
Posts: 3
Own Kudos:
2
 [1]
Given Kudos: 19
Products:
Posts: 3
Kudos: 2
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Usernamevisible
Joined: 09 Jun 2022
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 480
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 1,282
Products:
Posts: 480
Kudos: 110
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Interesting way,

you should also think about solving this way

Maximum production in 14 hours using only the faster machine:
14 × 4 = 56
Shortfall:
77 - 56 = 21
H makes 3 dozen/hr
21 ÷ 3 = 7
Minimum overlap = 7 hours.
Aayushh
I applied two concepts here - WorkRatetime and Averages

- 77 units produced in 14 hours means avg pace is 5.5

- To minimise the time both machines work, need to maximise the output from the along working one. Therefore the one that works at the speed of 4 (K).

One machine and both machines
- K (4) and H+K (3+4=7)

- Now 5.5 is the middle value. That means the working ratio is 1:1 ( we can use allegation method, Even if it were not the middle value we would have found the ratio. (5.5-4 : 5.5-7, 1.5:1.5, 1:1)

- 14 hours into 1:1 ratio ((14/2) *1) = 7 hours

7 hours


User avatar
muskang2000
Joined: 22 Nov 2024
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 36
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 7
Location: India
GMAT Focus 1: 605 Q85 V79 DI76
GMAT 1: 620 Q44 V31
Products:
GMAT Focus 1: 605 Q85 V79 DI76
GMAT 1: 620 Q44 V31
Posts: 36
Kudos: 11
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Machine H worked alone for x hrs out of 14,
Machine K worked alone for y hrs out of 14,
Then, Machine H & K together worked for 14 - (x + y) hrs. We need to minimise this. For that, we need to maximise x+y.

3x+4y+7(14-x-y)=77.
Solve to get 4x + 3y = 21.
Possible solutions: x=3,y=3; x=0, y=7
x+y is maximum at x=0, y=7. Hence, 14 - (x+y) = 14 - 7 = 7.

Bunuel please could you confirm if this is also the right approach? thanks!
User avatar
egmat
User avatar
e-GMAT Representative
Joined: 02 Nov 2011
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 6,289
Own Kudos:
33,896
 [1]
Given Kudos: 715
GMAT Date: 08-19-2020
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 6,289
Kudos: 33,896
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi muskang2000,

Yes, your approach is completely valid, and it lands on the same answer the rest of the thread reaches (A, 7 hr). Let me confirm each piece so you can trust it.

Your setup is exactly right:
- H alone for x hours, K alone for y hours, both together for 14 - (x + y) hours.
- Total output: 3x + 4y + 7(14 - x - y) = 77, which cleanly simplifies to 4x + 3y = 21.
- Together-time = 14 - (x + y), so to minimize it you maximize x + y. All correct.

One small thing worth making airtight: you found two sample solutions (x=3, y=3 and x=0, y=7) and picked the larger x+y by inspection. That works here, but it's even safer to show why x=0, y=7 is the true maximum rather than just one of several options.

From 4x + 3y = 21, solve for x: x = (21 - 3y)/4. Then:

x + y = (21 - 3y)/4 + y = (21 + y)/4

This increases as y increases, so you want y as large as possible. Since x can't go below 0, set x = 0, which forces y = 7. That gives x + y = 7, and together-time = 14 - 7 = 7 hours.

Notice this matches the intuition everyone else used: push the faster machine (K) to run alone as much as possible, and bring H in only for the leftover. Your algebra is just the formal version of that same idea - so it's a perfectly good method to use on test day.

Answer: A

muskang2000
Machine H worked alone for x hrs out of 14,
Machine K worked alone for y hrs out of 14,
Then, Machine H & K together worked for 14 - (x + y) hrs. We need to minimise this. For that, we need to maximise x+y.

3x+4y+7(14-x-y)=77.
Solve to get 4x + 3y = 21.
Possible solutions: x=3,y=3; x=0, y=7
x+y is maximum at x=0, y=7. Hence, 14 - (x+y) = 14 - 7 = 7.

Bunuel please could you confirm if this is also the right approach? thanks!
User avatar
nishantpatil
Joined: 12 Apr 2016
Last visit: 06 Jul 2026
Posts: 1
Given Kudos: 1
Posts: 1
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Suppose H works for x hr and K works for y and 14-x-y hr they work together:
Than:
3x + 4y + (14-x-y)7 = 77
3x + 4y -7x - 7y + 14.7 = 77
14.7 - 11.7 = 4x +3y
(14-11).7 = 4x + 3y
3.7 = 4x+3y
21= 4x + 3y (for least time let x = 0)
that gives y=7, machine K works for 7hrs
User avatar
yogeshr2
Joined: 24 Dec 2023
Last visit: 02 Sep 2026
Posts: 10
Given Kudos: 3
Products:
Posts: 10
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
For whoever finds it system of equations better, we can set up two equations. x = # of hours H works alone. y = # of hours K works alone. z = # of hours they work together

36x + 48y + 84z = 77(12) ; 84 because you add the rates together, 77*12 because it says 77 dozen
--> 3x + 4y +7z = 77
x + y + z = 14

Goal: find min and max value of z

y = 14 - x - z
3x + 4(14-x-z) + 7z = 77
3x + 56 - 4x - 4z +7z = 77
x = 3z-21

substitute into y, y = 35-4z

both x and y >=0, so 3z-21 >= 0, and 35-4z >= 0

7 <= z <= 8.75

7 is the answer

bb
Wow. What a convoluted question. I don’t think I would’ve read it the correct way if I hadn’t known the OA.

First, you have to calculate how many hours the machines had worked together during the 14 hours to produce 77 units, and it has to be the least so you have to assume the best case scenario. in this case, you would assume that the 4 unit machine is working the entire 14 hours and makes 56 units and then the other 3-unit machine would have to make 21 units, which would take 7 hrs.

So the four unit machine would work 14 hours straight without stopping and the three unit machine would work only half the time for seven hours to complete the 77 unit production.

Frankly, I feel the question could have been clearer and easier to understand. I don’t think GMAT plays tricks like this because I misunderstood the question after reading it the first time. Maybe it’s just me

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
Krish13tss
Joined: 09 May 2024
Last visit: 03 Sep 2026
Posts: 71
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 40
Location: India
Posts: 71
Kudos: 17
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Goal: make the two machines overlap as little as possible.
Trick: run the fast machine (K) the whole time. Let it work all 14 hours.
  • K: 4 dozen × 14 hrs = 56 dozen
Remaining work: 77 − 56 = 21 dozen, done by slow machine H.
  • H time = 21 ÷ 3 = 7 hours
Those 7 hours of H all happen while K is also running → overlap = 7 hours.
Answer: A.

nick13
Machine H produces a certain product at a constant rate of 3 dozen units per hour, and machine K produces the same product at a constant rate of 4 dozen units per hour. The two machines produced 77 dozen units during a 14-hour period, and at least one of the two machines was working at any time in that period. What was the least amount of time that the two machines could have worked simultaneously in that period to complete the production of 77 dozen units?

A. 7 hr
B. 7 hr 30 min
C. 8 hr 45 min
D. 10 hr 15 min
E. 11 hr

Attachment:
Work.png
   1   2 
Moderator:
Math Expert
113098 posts