A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash

Question

A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash for a total price of B dollars. If the paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, what is the price of half a bucket of whitewash in dollars?

A. (B + 200)/2.
B. (B + 2)/6.
C. (2B + 200)/3.
D. (B + 2)/3.
E. (B + 2)/6.

A. (B + 200)/2.
B. (B + 2)/6.
C. (2B + 200)/3.
D. (B + 2)/3.
E. (B - 2)/6.

14101992 · Answer

P: cost of 1 paint brush in cents; W: cost of 1 bucket of white wash in cents
P + W = 100*B cents (B dollars)

paintbrush costs 200 cents less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash

So, P-200 = 2W ---> P=2W+200

P + W = 100*B cents (B dollars) ---> 2W+200+W = 100*B ---> 3W = 100*B - 200 ---> W = (100B - 200)/3

Price of half bucket of White wash = W/2 = (100B - 200)/6 dollars or (B-2)/6 in cents.

Answer is E.

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P.S. Don't forget to give Kudos

ReddyL · Answer

Hi Bunuel,

Looks like the answer choices B and E are same. Could you please double check and correct the answers.

Bunuel · Answer

Edited. Thank you.

nikhilbansal08 · Answer

Let paint price = P and white wash price = W

P+W = B

It's given that P= 2W-200/100

Substitute the Value of P

2W-2 + W = B

W= B+2/3.. so half price = (B+2) /6

CounterSniper · Answer

let p and w be the price of paintbrush and bucket,
as per the question
p=2w-200
total price = w+2w-200=100B, 
w=100(B-2)/3 is the price of one bucket in cents
price in dollars = (B-2)/3
price of half a bucket in dollars = (B-2)/6

nipunjain14 · Answer

Looks like OA should be B and not E

P = 2w - 200
thus total price in cents as given should be 
2w-200 +w = 100B
3w - 200 = 100 B
3w = 100 B+200
3w =b+2 (in dollars)
w/2 = (b+2)/6

Ans:B

mygmat201617 · Answer

I agree with nipunjain14, OA should be B, not E.

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

We can let w = the price of a bucket of whitewash in dollars. Since the paintbrush costs 200 cents, or 2 dollars, less than twice the price of a bucket of whitewash, the price of the paintbrush = 2w - 2 dollars. Since the total price is B dollars, we have:

w + 2w - 2 = B

3w = B + 2

w = (B + 2)/3

½w =  /2 = (B + 2)/6

Answer: B

A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash

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A customer asks the clerk for a paintbrush and a bucket of whitewash

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