At a community meeting, there are double the number of women than men

Question

At a community meeting, there are double the number of women than men and triple the number of children than the total of men and women combined. How many women are there if 96 people attend the meeting?

A. 8
B. 12
C. 16
D. 32
E. 72

A. 8
B. 12
C. 16
D. 32
E. 72

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hinasingh · Answer

At a community meeting, there are double the number of women than men and triple the number of children than the total of men and women combined. How many women are there if 96 people attend the meeting?

A. 8
B. 12
C. 16
D. 32
E. 72

Let men be x.
Women are 2x and children are 3(x+2x) = 9x.
x + 2x + 9x = 96
12x = 96
or x = 8
So, the number of women is 16.
Answer C

ThatDudeKnows · Answer

Two ways.

Algebra:
W=2M
C=3(W+M)=3(2M+M)=3(3M)=9M
W+M+C=96
2M+M+9M=96
12M=96
M=8
W=2M
W=2(8)=16
Answer choice C.

Plugging In The Answers (PITA)...my preferred method (note: it's not my preferred method because I'm bad at math; it's my preferred method because it's easier, faster, has fewer opportunities to make a careless mistake, and generally causes less fatigue than the "real" math...the test doesn't care HOW you get the right answer, only THAT you get the right answer...don't let your ego dictate doing things in a way that isn't the optimal for what you're trying to accomplish, which is the best GMAT score you can get). I can spot that this question is probably a good opportunity to use the PITA technique because it fits two criteria that I always look for: (i) my instinct is to set up an algebraic equation by introducing a variable that isn't in the question and (ii) the answer choices are just numbers. I like trying B or D.
B: 12 women. 6 men. That's 18, which means 54 children. That's a total of 72 people. Not enough people. Eliminate A and B.
D: 32 women. 16 men. That's 48, which means 144 children. Too many people. Eliminate D and E.
Answer choice C.

ThatDudeKnowsPITA
ThatDudeKnowsPluggingInTheAnswers

At a community meeting, there are double the number of women than men

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GMAT Problem Solving (PS) Questions

At a community meeting, there are double the number of women than men

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

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My Rewards