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Hi Bunuel

Please explain this, especially the underlined portion :

By weight the alloy is 6 parts lead and 5 parts copper. Clearly insufficient: for example tin could be 9 parts (45% of 56 pounds) or 89 part (89% of 56 pounds).

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Subhash
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subhashghosh
Hi Bunuel

Please explain this, especially the underlined portion :

By weight the alloy is 6 parts lead and 5 parts copper. Clearly insufficient: for example tin could be 9 parts (45% of 56 pounds) or 89 part (89% of 56 pounds).

Regards,
Subhash

"By weight the alloy is 6 parts lead and 5 parts copper" means that the ratio lead/copper=6/5, as we don't know how many parts of tin are there then we can not find weight of each. Consider examples: if lead/copper/tin=6/5/9 --> total 20 parts --> tin=9/20=45% of 56 pounds or if lead/copper/tin=6/5/89 --> total 100 parts --> tin=89/100=89% of 56 pounds.
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subhashghosh
Hi Bunuel

Please explain this, especially the underlined portion :

By weight the alloy is 6 parts lead and 5 parts copper. Clearly insufficient: for example tin could be 9 parts (45% of 56 pounds) or 89 part (89% of 56 pounds).

Regards,
Subhash

If Tin is 9 Parts; then the alloy will be 9 Part TIN+ 6 Parts Lead+ 5 Parts copper = 20
Tin's presence in the alloy will be: 9/20*100 = 45% (45% of the 56 lbs alloy is TIN = 56*45/100 = 25.2 lbs will be TIN)

If Tin is 89 Parts; then the alloy will be 89 Part TIN+ 6 Parts Lead+ 5 Parts copper = 100
Tin's presence in the alloy will be: 89/100*100 = 89% (89% of the 56 lbs alloy is TIN = 56*89/100 = 49.84lbs will be TIN)

Likewise; there will be infinitely many possibilities for TIN's weight in the alloy and exact weight of Tin can't be determined.
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parts usually expresses a ratio hence, we do not know how many parts make a pound, we cannot deduct how much tin is present in the alloy per pound.
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Weight of Tin - T lbs
Weight of Copper - C lbs
Weight of Lead - L lbs

T+C+L=56 lbs of the alloy

Q: Value Type

I: By weight the alloy is \(\frac{3}{7}\) lead and \(\frac{5}{14}\) copper

\(L=\frac{3}{7}*56\)
\(C=\frac{5}{14}*56\)
\(T=56-(\frac{3}{7}*56+\frac{5}{14}*56).\)
\(T=56-(\frac{11}{14}*56)\)
\(T=12 lbs\)

Statement I is Sufficient.

II: By weight the alloy is 6 parts lead and 5 parts copper

Let Alloy have y parts of tin.

x be the multiplier

\(6x+5x+yx=56\)
\(11x+yx=56\)
\((11+y)x=56\)

\(y,x\) can have multiples values namely \((45, 1), (17, 2) and (3, 4).\)

Statement II is Not sufficient.

Thus A is the answer.
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