A certain cleaning product is composed of water, soap, and fragrance.

Question

A certain cleaning product is composed of water, soap, and fragrance. If the ratio of water to soap is 2:1 and the ratio of soap to fragrance is three times greater, what is the ratio of water to fragrance after half of the water evaporates?

A. 1:12
B. 1:6
C. 2:1
D. 3:1
E. 6:1

A. 1:12
B. 1:6
C. 2:1
D. 3:1
E. 6:1

matthewsmith_89 · Accepted Answer

water to soap
2:1 multiply by 6 => 12:6

soap to fragrance
6:1

water to fragrance = 12: 1. Therefore, if half of the water evaporates the water to fragrance ratio is 6:1.

Answer is E.

KrishnakumarKA1 · Answer

Water : soap = 2:1 or 6:3
Soap: fragrance = 3:1
Therefore water : soap: fragrance = 6:3:1
Hence water: fragrance = 6:1

Option E

Funsho84 · Answer

W/S = 2/1
S/F = 6/1

So W/F = 12/1
after 1/2 evaporation = (12/1) *(1/2) = 6/1

Answer E

JeffTargetTestPrep · Answer

We are given that the the ratio of water to soap is 2 : 1, and since the ratio of soap to fragrance is 3 times greater, we have 6 : 1 as the ratio of soap to fragrance.

We can multiply the ratio of water to soap by 6 and we have: water to soap = 12 : 6

So we have:

water : soap : fragrance = 12 : 6 : 1

Since half of the water evaporates, we have:

water : soap : fragrance = 6 : 3 : 1, and thus the ratio of water to fragrance is 6 to 1.

Answer: E

BillyZ · Answer

OFFICIAL SOLUTION

Let’s start by writing out the two ratios given: w:s = 2:1 and s:f = 6:1. To combine them, we need the common term (soap) to be equal, so multiply both parts of the first ratio by 6 to get w:s = 12:6, and a three-part ratio of w:s:f = 12:6:1. If half the water evaporates, our ratio becomes w:s:f = 6:6:1, giving us a final water to fragrance ratio of 6:1.

hellosanthosh2k2 · Answer

Hi  VeritasPrepKarishma , I have one question, though i solved this question.

I have a question, initially i thought the ratio of soap to fragrance is 3 times greater than ratio of water to soap means 300% more => say ratio is x, 3 times greater is x + 3x = 4x, so i solved the question with ratio of soap to fragrance = 8:1 instead of 6:1, but could not find my answer for ratio after water evaporates (8:1) in the choices. Then i had to consider as 6:1 and solve it again. Had there been an answer choice as 8:1, i would have picked up that by mistake. Luckily it was n't there, but we can definitely expect such trap in real exam.

can you please clarify , is n't 3 times greater = x + 3x?
 and 3 times = 3x?

Thanks

ekanshgoyal · Answer

I have same doubt. Since three times larger must mean its four times of the value. Please clarify.

Bunuel · Answer

Agree that it's confusing but check below:

Merriam Webster's  Dictionary of English Usage :

The argument in this case is that  times more  (or  times larger ,  times stronger ,  times brighter , etc.) is ambiguous, so that "He has five times more money than you" can be misunderstood as meaning "He has six times as much money as you." It is, in fact, possible to misunderstand  times more  in this way, but it takes a good deal of effort. If you have $100, five times that is $500, which means that "five times more than $100" can mean (the commentators claim) "$500 more than $100," which equals "$600," which equals "six times as much as $100." The commentators regard this as a serious ambiguity, and they advise you to avoid it by always saying "times as much" instead of "times more." Here again, it seems that they are paying homage to mathematics at the expense of language. The fact is that  "five times more" and "five times as much" are idiomatic phrases which have - and are understood to have - exactly the same meaning .

The "ambiguity" of  times more  is imaginary: in the world of actual speech and writing, the meaning of  times more  is clear and unequivocal. It is an idiom that has existed in our language for more than four centuries, and there is no real reason to avoid its use.

More on this  here .

Also, check the following posts by Ianstewart:

To summarize, I think the actual wording on the GMAT will always use " times as many " (at least in quant section), so you should not worry about it.

KarishmaB · Answer

All three mean the same:
x is 3 times y.
x is 3 times more than y.
x is 3 times greater than y.
They all mean x = 3y

'times' means multiplication so language ignores 'more than/greater than' and assumes that they show that 'x is more than y' or 'x is greater than y' and that the relation between x and y is given by 'times' i.e. x = 3* y

When we talk about percentages, then 'more than/greater than' means an additional increase.

So x is 300% more than y is 'x = 4y'
x is 300% of y is 'x = 3y'

Krishnahelps · Answer

Hi  JeffTargetTestPrep   KarishmaB   Bunuel , 
In water : soap : fragrance = 12 : 6 : 1, if half of the water is evaporated, then that should also make the fragrance half, so, how is it 6:3:1 and not 6:3:0.5? Please help.

Paras96 · Answer

A certain cleaning product is composed of water, soap, and fragrance. If the ratio of water to soap is 2:1 and the ratio of soap to fragrance is three times greater, what is the ratio of water to fragrance after half of the water evaporates?

A. 1:12
B. 1:6
C. 2:1
D. 3:1
E. 6:1

Let W denotes water content, S denotes soap content and F denotes fragrance content
=> W: S: F
 (2: 1 )*6
 (6: 1)
=> 12:6:1

Now, after half of the water evaporates, the content ratio
=> W: S: F
=> 6: 6: 1

Therefore W : F= 6:1

Hence E

youcouldsailaway · Answer

Can someone please explain how three times the ratio of 2:1 gives us 6:1? Shouldn't it be 6:3?

Nabneet · Answer

3 *  \frac{2}{1}  = \frac{6}{1}

KarishmaB · Answer

First note that 4:2 is the same ratio as 2:1. It is not twice the ratio 2:1 and 2:1 is not half the ratio 4:2. They are both the same. Also note that we got that water : soap : fragrance = 12 : 6 : 1. This means that we have 12 parts of water, 6 parts of soap and 1 part of fragrance (fragrance is a different ingredient, say rose essential oil) in the mix (or assume 12 litres, 6 litres and 1 litre) Now half the water evaporated means the water became 6 parts instead of 12. The other two ingredients did not change (only water evaporated). So we can say that now we have 6 litres of water, 6 litres of soap and 1litre of fragrance. Hence the new ratio of water : fragrance is 6 : 1. Answer (E) Check this video on ratios: https://youtu.be/5ODENGG5dvc

Malar95 · Answer

Answer as attached

Adarsh_24 · Answer

answer doesn't change. But, shouldn't it be 6:6:1 rather than 6:3:1

Bunuel · Answer

Yes, it should be 6:6:1. A simple typo.

anushree01 · Answer

Yeah got it, in the first go!

A certain cleaning product is composed of water, soap, and fragrance.

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