If 3 pounds of dried apricots that cost x dollars per pound are mixed

Question

If 3 pounds of dried apricots that cost x dollars per pound are mixed with 2 pounds of prunes that cost y dollars per pound, what is the cost, in dollars, per pound of the mixture?

(A)  \frac{3x + 2y}{5}

(B)  \frac{3x + 2y}{x + y}

(C)  \frac{3x + 2y}{xy}

(D)  5(3x + 2y)

(E)  3x + 2y

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

SOLUTION

If 3 pounds of dried apricots that cost x dollars per pound are mixed with 2 pounds of prunes that cost y dollars per pound, what is the cost, in dollars, per pound of the mixture?

(A) (3x + 2y)/5
(B) (3x + 2y)/(x + y)
(C) (3x + 2y)/(xy)
(D) 5(3x + 2y)
(E) 3x + 2y

The cost per pound is (total cost)/(total number of pounds) = (3x + 2y)/(2 + 3) = (3x + 2y)/5.

Answer: A.

Cosmas · Answer

By number picking strategy, my answer is A

AKG1593 · Answer

Cost of 3 pds=3x
Cost of 2 pds=2y
Total=3x+2y
Per pd cost=(3x+2y)/5
Ans.A

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nutshell · Answer

Total Cost = Weight(in pounds) * Price/pound;
To find Total cost/pound, Divide by total pounds.

Cost of Dried apricots = 3x;
Cost of prunes = 2y;

Cost per pound = (3x + 2y)/5;

Ans is (A).

stne · Answer

if x is the cost per pound of Apricots then 3 pounds cost = 3x
If y is the cost per pound of prunes then 2 pounds cost =2y

So the total cost is 3x+2y for the 5 pounds 
So per pound cost will be = (3x+2y)/5

Answer A

yagobert · Answer

Isn't this also a weighted average problem?

KarishmaB · Answer

Yes, 'cost per pound of the mixture' is the 'weighted average cost'. You are essentially using the formula Cavg = (C1*w1 + C2*w2)/(w1 + w2)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi all,

This question can be solved in a variety of ways. If you catch the fact that there are only 5 total pounds of fruit, then you can avoid most of the work altogether, since the question asks for the average price per POUND of fruit.

Since none of the other explanations have TESTed VALUES, I'll show you how to use that approach here:

We have...
3 pounds of dried apricots that cost $X per pound and...
2 pounds of prunes that cost $Y per pound.

IF...
X = 3
Y = 4

Then the apricots cost 3($3) = $9
and the prunes cost 2($4) = $8

Total cost = $17 and total weight = 5 pounds, so the correct answer will be 17/5

Answer A: (9+8)/5 = 17/5 This IS a match.
Answer B: (9+8)/(3+4) = 17/7 NOT a match
Answer C: (9+8)/(3)(4) = 17/12 NOT a match
Answer D: 5(9+8) = 85 NOT a match
Answer E: 9 + 8 = 17 NOT a match

Final Answer:  A

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

devctg · Answer

as per question stem:
Total cost of 3 pound of Apricots - 3x
Total cost of 2 pound of Prunes - 27

Total cost of mixture = 3x+2y
Total Mixture = 5 pound

so cost of 5 pound = 3x+2y
then cost of 1 pound = ((3x+2y)/5)

Shiv2016 · Answer

Bunuel  If we divide the total cost by x+y, what does that gives us?

Bunuel · Answer

Dividing total cost (3x + 2y) by the sum of the prices per pound (x+y) gives us nothing.

sahilvijay · Answer

Ans is A

3 pound Apricot with 2 pound prunes

total cost is 3x+2y
but this is for 5 pounds (3+2)

so cost per pound will be 3x+2y / 5

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

We can create the following weighted average equation:

(3x + 2y)/(3 + 2) = (3x + 2y)/5

Alternate Solution:

We add 3 pounds at x dollars per pound to 2 pounds at y dollars per pound to yield 5 pounds at z dollars per pound. We set up the following equation and solve for z:

3x + 2y = 5z

(3x + 2y)/5 = z

Answer: A

Arsh4MBA · Answer

Total cost for 5 pounds =3x+2y.
Cost per pound of the mixture = 3x+2y/5.

Ans:A

Harry8014 · Answer

for such questions

(price 1 X quantity 1 + price 2 X Quantity 2 ) / quantity 1 + quantity 2

totaltestprepNick · Answer

A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-nBHkEeHdg Nick Slavkovich, GMAT/GRE tutor with 20+ years of experience tutoring@totaltestprep.net

If 3 pounds of dried apricots that cost x dollars per pound are mixed

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