Last visit was: 23 Apr 2026, 05:06 It is currently 23 Apr 2026, 05:06
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
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 109,776
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 105,853
Products:
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 109,776
Kudos: 810,757
 [17]
Kudos
Add Kudos
17
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
SaquibHGMATWhiz
User avatar
GMATWhiz Representative
Joined: 23 May 2022
Last visit: 12 Jun 2024
Posts: 623
Own Kudos:
777
 [7]
Given Kudos: 6
Location: India
GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V40
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V40
Posts: 623
Kudos: 777
 [7]
6
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
Himanshiog
Joined: 20 Jul 2021
Last visit: 26 Aug 2023
Posts: 9
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 64
Location: India
Posts: 9
Kudos: 5
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
VoxNihili
Joined: 29 Dec 2022
Last visit: 14 Jan 2023
Posts: 13
Own Kudos:
7
 [1]
Given Kudos: 7
Location: United States
Posts: 13
Kudos: 7
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
SaquibHGMATWhiz
Bunuel
A vessel (capacity 10 liters) is filled entirely with petrol and kerosene in the ratio 3:2. Two liters of this solution is removed and replaced with 2 ltrs of kerosene. This procedure is repeated thrice. Find the % of petrol in the resulting solution.

(A) 20%
(B) 30.72%
(C) 40.23%
(D) 52.15%
(E) 63.2%

Solution:

  • Capactity of vessel \(= 10\) liters
  • Inital amount of petrol \(=\frac{3}{2+3}\times 10=\frac{3}{5}\times 10=6\) liters
  • Inital amount of kerosene \(=\frac{2}{2+3}\times 10=\frac{2}{5}\times 10=4\) liters

  • Every time, \(\frac{2}{10}\) of the petrol gets eliminated
  • So, after 3 removal volume of petrol will be \(=6(1-\frac{2}{10})^3\)
    \(=6(\frac{8}{10})^3\)
    \(=6(\frac{4}{5})^3\)
    \(=6\times \frac{4}{5}\times \frac{4}{5}\times \frac{4}{5}\)
    \(=3.072\)
  • Percentage in the final solution \(=\frac{3.072}{10}\times 100=30.72\%\)

Hence the right answer is Option B

Hi SaquibHGMATWhiz - I couldn't catch the below part quite well. Can you please let me know how did we conclude that

Quote:
Every time, \(\frac{2}{10}\) of the petrol gets eliminated

Thanks in advance
User avatar
ChanSu
Joined: 22 Feb 2020
Last visit: 12 Aug 2023
Posts: 18
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 32
Posts: 18
Kudos: 6
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
SaquibHGMATWhiz
Bunuel
A vessel (capacity 10 liters) is filled entirely with petrol and kerosene in the ratio 3:2. Two liters of this solution is removed and replaced with 2 ltrs of kerosene. This procedure is repeated thrice. Find the % of petrol in the resulting solution.

(A) 20%
(B) 30.72%
(C) 40.23%
(D) 52.15%
(E) 63.2%

Solution:

  • Capactity of vessel \(= 10\) liters
  • Inital amount of petrol \(=\frac{3}{2+3}\times 10=\frac{3}{5}\times 10=6\) liters
  • Inital amount of kerosene \(=\frac{2}{2+3}\times 10=\frac{2}{5}\times 10=4\) liters

  • Every time, \(\frac{2}{10}\) of the petrol gets eliminated
  • So, after 3 removal volume of petrol will be \(=6(1-\frac{2}{10})^3\)
    \(=6(\frac{8}{10})^3\)
    \(=6(\frac{4}{5})^3\)
    \(=6\times \frac{4}{5}\times \frac{4}{5}\times \frac{4}{5}\)
    \(=3.072\)
  • Percentage in the final solution \(=\frac{3.072}{10}\times 100=30.72\%\)

Hence the right answer is Option B
I thought the question stem said 2 liters of “solution” gets removed (not just “petrol”).

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
Archit3110
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 18 Aug 2017
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 8,628
Own Kudos:
5,190
 [3]
Given Kudos: 243
Status:You learn more from failure than from success.
Location: India
Concentration: Sustainability, Marketing
GMAT Focus 1: 545 Q79 V79 DI73
GMAT Focus 2: 645 Q83 V82 DI81
GPA: 4
WE:Marketing (Energy)
Products:
GMAT Focus 2: 645 Q83 V82 DI81
Posts: 8,628
Kudos: 5,190
 [3]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
for this replacement questions use following
( 1- x/10)^n
x is qty of replacement and n is number of times replacement is being done
in this case x is 2 and n is 3
we get ( 1-2/10)^3
(8/10)^3
qty of petrol 6 and that of kerosene 4
% of petrol left will be
6 * ( .8)^3 /100
30.72%


Bunuel
A vessel (capacity 10 liters) is filled entirely with petrol and kerosene in the ratio 3:2. Two liters of this solution is removed and replaced with 2 ltrs of kerosene. This procedure is repeated thrice. Find the % of petrol in the resulting solution.

(A) 20%
(B) 30.72%
(C) 40.23%
(D) 52.15%
(E) 63.2%


Are You Up For the Challenge: 700 Level Questions
User avatar
prachisaraf
Joined: 03 Jan 2023
Last visit: 31 Jul 2023
Posts: 27
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 299
Posts: 27
Kudos: 4
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ChanSu
SaquibHGMATWhiz
Bunuel
A vessel (capacity 10 liters) is filled entirely with petrol and kerosene in the ratio 3:2. Two liters of this solution is removed and replaced with 2 ltrs of kerosene. This procedure is repeated thrice. Find the % of petrol in the resulting solution.

(A) 20%
(B) 30.72%
(C) 40.23%
(D) 52.15%
(E) 63.2%

Solution:

  • Capactity of vessel \(= 10\) liters
  • Inital amount of petrol \(=\frac{3}{2+3}\times 10=\frac{3}{5}\times 10=6\) liters
  • Inital amount of kerosene \(=\frac{2}{2+3}\times 10=\frac{2}{5}\times 10=4\) liters

  • Every time, \(\frac{2}{10}\) of the petrol gets eliminated
  • So, after 3 removal volume of petrol will be \(=6(1-\frac{2}{10})^3\)
    \(=6(\frac{8}{10})^3\)
    \(=6(\frac{4}{5})^3\)
    \(=6\times \frac{4}{5}\times \frac{4}{5}\times \frac{4}{5}\)
    \(=3.072\)
  • Percentage in the final solution \(=\frac{3.072}{10}\times 100=30.72\%\)

Hence the right answer is Option B
I thought the question stem said 2 liters of “solution” gets removed (not just “petrol”).

Same doubt.
User avatar
SaquibHGMATWhiz
User avatar
GMATWhiz Representative
Joined: 23 May 2022
Last visit: 12 Jun 2024
Posts: 623
Own Kudos:
777
 [2]
Given Kudos: 6
Location: India
GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V40
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V40
Posts: 623
Kudos: 777
 [2]
2
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
ChanSu

I thought the question stem said 2 liters of “solution” gets removed (not just “petrol”).

Posted from my mobile device

prachisaraf

I thought the question stem said 2 liters of “solution” gets removed (not just “petrol”).

Same doubt.

Hi Prachi and ChanSu,

That was a typo. I have corrected it now. It is a solution only.

So what happens in such a question can be understood in the following manner.


1. First we have 10 liters of a solution with 6 liters of petrol and remove 2 from it so we have 8 liters of solution left.
    So both petrol and kerosene get reduced to \(\frac{8}{10}\) of the initial amount.
    This means we have 6 × \(\frac{8}{10}\) liter of petrol
    Next, we add kerosene. But it does not change the amount of petrol
2. Now we have 10 liters of solution with 6 × \(\frac{8}{10}\) liters of petrol.
    And we do a similar process as above so our net petrol becomes 6 × \(\frac{8}{10}\) × \(\frac{8}{10}\)

Once we repeat this process again we multiply it again by \(\frac{8}{10}\)

Hope this helps.
User avatar
KarishmaB
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 16,441
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 484
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,441
Kudos: 79,393
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
A vessel (capacity 10 liters) is filled entirely with petrol and kerosene in the ratio 3:2. Two liters of this solution is removed and replaced with 2 ltrs of kerosene. This procedure is repeated thrice. Find the % of petrol in the resulting solution.

(A) 20%
(B) 30.72%
(C) 40.23%
(D) 52.15%
(E) 63.2%


Are You Up For the Challenge: 700 Level Questions

Check out this post first: https://anaprep.com/arithmetic-replacement-in-mixtures/

While working with the ingredient that we are NOT adding back, i.e. petrol here,

\(Cf = Ci * \frac{Vi}{Vf}\)

Vi = Volume after removal
Vf = Volume after replacing back.

Since the process is repeated twice more, we get
\(Cf = Ci * (\frac{Vi}{Vf})^3\)

\(Cf = \frac{3}{5} * (\frac{8}{10})^3 \)

Now, \(\frac{8}{10} = \frac{4}{5}\) and \((\frac{4}{5})^3 = \frac{64}{125}\)

Note that \(\frac{64}{125}\) is slightly more than \(\frac{1}{2}\) because \(\frac{62.5}{125}\) will be exactly half.

So Cf = 60% * slightly more than \(\frac{1}{2}\)

So Cf = Slightly more than 30%

Answer (B)
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 38,957
Own Kudos:
Posts: 38,957
Kudos: 1,117
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Automated notice from GMAT Club BumpBot:

A member just gave Kudos to this thread, showing it’s still useful. I’ve bumped it to the top so more people can benefit. Feel free to add your own questions or solutions.

This post was generated automatically.
Moderators:
Math Expert
109776 posts
Tuck School Moderator
853 posts