Last visit was: 24 Apr 2026, 13:02 It is currently 24 Apr 2026, 13:02
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
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.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
Vallabhm001
User avatar
Joined: 17 Oct 2020
Last visit: 15 Dec 2020
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
16
 [1]
Given Kudos: 220
Posts: 12
Kudos: 16
 [1]
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit 13 Dec 2020, 06:30
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

36% (03:16) correct 64% (03:03) wrong based on 44 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit of 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)%. Had he bought for $50 more than M and sold it for $75 more than N, he would have made profit of 43\(\frac{3}{4}\)%. What is the value of M?

A. $250
B. $475
C. $300
D. $500
E. $350
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
E
User avatar
callmeDP
User avatar
Joined: 25 Oct 2020
Last visit: 12 Dec 2022
Posts: 70
Own Kudos:
111
Given Kudos: 274
Status:No one but you matter
Location: India
Schools: Alberta '23 HEC Montreal
Schools: Alberta '23 HEC Montreal
Posts: 70
Kudos: 111
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit 13 Dec 2020, 08:48
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Oh man! This one was a tedious question.

It's totally maths once you know how to write the equation.

A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit of 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)%.

Eqn: M ( 1 + 0.428 ) = N ......... (1)

Had he bought for $50 more than M and sold it for $75 more than N, he would have made profit of 43\(\frac{3}{4}\)%.

Eqn: M + 50 *( 1 + 0.437 ) = N +75 ......... (2)

What is the value of M?

Substitute N in eqn (2), solve for M, you have your answer hopefully... pheww after lot of calc I got approx E.
User avatar
Vallabhm001
User avatar
Joined: 17 Oct 2020
Last visit: 15 Dec 2020
Posts: 12
Own Kudos:
16
Given Kudos: 220
Posts: 12
Kudos: 16
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit 13 Dec 2020, 10:52
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
I was looking for some easy ways to solve this type of questions, but I'm not getting right answers.

M = M + 42.85 ----------------(1)
M+50 = (M + 42.85) + 75 + 43.75---------------(2)
User avatar
Kinshook
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 03 Jun 2019
Last visit: 24 Apr 2026
Posts: 5,986
Own Kudos:
5,859
 [1]
Given Kudos: 163
Location: India
Schools: HBS '26 CBS '26 Wharton '26
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
WE:Engineering (Transportation)
Products:
My Reviews
Schools: HBS '26 CBS '26 Wharton '26
GMAT 1: 690 Q50 V34
Posts: 5,986
Kudos: 5,859
 [1]
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit 13 Dec 2020, 11:23
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Given:
1. A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit of 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)%.
2. Had he bought for $50 more than M and sold it for $75 more than N, he would have made profit of 43\(\frac{3}{4}\)%.
Asked: What is the value of M?

(N - M) / M = 42 6/7%
N - M = 42 6/7% M
N = 142 6/7 % M

(N +75 - M - 50) / (M+50) = (N-M+25)/(M+50) = 43 3/4 %

N- M +25 = 43 3/4% (M+50) = 43 3/4%M + 21 7/8
N = M - 25 + 43 3/4%M + 21 7/8 = 143 3/4% M - 3 1/8
142 6/7 %M = 143 3/4%M - 3 1/8
1 (3/4-6/7) %M = 25/8
(7/4-6/7)%M = 25/8
(49-24)/28 % M = 25/8
(25/2800) M = 25/8
M = 2800/8 = $350

IMO E
User avatar
callmeDP
User avatar
Joined: 25 Oct 2020
Last visit: 12 Dec 2022
Posts: 70
Own Kudos:
111
 [1]
Given Kudos: 274
Status:No one but you matter
Location: India
Schools: Alberta '23 HEC Montreal
Schools: Alberta '23 HEC Montreal
Posts: 70
Kudos: 111
 [1]
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit 13 Dec 2020, 13:11
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vallabhm001
I was looking for some easy ways to solve this type of questions, but I'm not getting right answers.

M = M + 42.85 ----------------(1)
M+50 = (M + 42.85) + 75 + 43.75---------------(2)
Show more


Friend, you have written wrong equation, check my post for the correct equation.

Breaking it down further for your ease, Let me know if it helps.

A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit of 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)%.

Eqn: M ( 1 + 0.428 ) = N ......... (1)

Cost price(CP here "M") ; Selling price (SP here "N") ; profit percentage ( here 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)% but for simplicity let's assume "X")

Profit percentage (X) = \(\frac{ SP - CP}{ CP }\) * 100

OR \(\frac{ X}{100}\) * CP = SP - CP

OR CP + [ \(\frac{ X}{100}\) * CP ] = SP

OR CP [ 1 + \(\frac{ X}{100}\) ] = SP

OR here, M [ 1 + 42\(\frac{6}{7}\) /100 ] = N

42\(\frac{6}{7}\) /100 = 0.428

so, M ( 1 + 0.428 ) = N

Same way try making other equation following the above steps.
User avatar
GMATGuruNY
User avatar
Joined: 04 Aug 2010
Last visit: 02 Apr 2026
Posts: 1,347
Own Kudos:
3,905
 [3]
Given Kudos: 9
Schools:Dartmouth College
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 1,347
Kudos: 3,905
 [3]
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit 13 Dec 2020, 14:55
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Vallabhm001
A bought an article for $M and sold it for $N and he gets profit of 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)%. Had he bought for $50 more than M and sold it for $75 more than N, he would have made profit of 43\(\frac{3}{4}\)%. What is the value of M?

A. $250
B. $475
C. $300
D. $500
E. $350
Show more

We can PLUG IN THE ANSWERS, which represent the value of M.

Case 1: A dealer bought an article for $M, sold it for $N, and made a profit of 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)%.
Since the fraction here has a denominator of 7, the correct answer is almost certain to be a multiple of 7.
Case 2: Had he bought the article for $50 more than M and sold it for $75 more than N, he would have made a profit of 43\(\frac{3}{4}\)%.
Since the fraction here has a denominator of 4, the value of M+50 -- in other words, 50 more than the correct answer -- is almost certain to be a multiple of 4.

Only E -- which implies that M=350 and that M+50=400 -- satisfies both conditions.
When the correct answer is plugged in, Case 2 must yield a profit of 43.75%.

E: 350
Case 1:
M = 350
N = 350 + 42\(\frac{6}{7}\)% of 350 = 350 + 150 = 500

Case 2:
M+50 = 350+50 = 400
N+75 = 500+75 = 575
\(\frac{profit}{cost} * 100 = \frac{575-400}{400} * 100 = 43.75\)
Success!

Show Spoiler
E
Moderators:
Bunuel
Math Expert
109820 posts
Krunaal
Tuck School Moderator
853 posts