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RaghavSingla
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Query on Proportions 31 Aug 2016, 04:48
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If we have 3 quantities in ration of say 3:5:7, then while solving we usually take total as 3x+5x+7x. Is it necessary that x should be a positive integer always? or it depends on the quantity under consideration.

Example if 3:5:7 is ratios of say people belonging to different categories then x should be a positive integer. But is it a rule that it should always be a positive integer?

Bunuel, could you please help.

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Query on Proportions 31 Aug 2016, 22:03
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RaghavSingla
If we have 3 quantities in ration of say 3:5:7, then while solving we usually take total as 3x+5x+7x. Is it necessary that x should be a positive integer always? or it depends on the quantity under consideration.

Example if 3:5:7 is ratios of say people belonging to different categories then x should be a positive integer. But is it a rule that it should always be a positive integer?

Bunuel, could you please help.
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Logically speaking, the number of people can never be negative, hence we take a positive number.
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SaanviGahlot
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Query on Proportions 31 Aug 2016, 22:59
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Hi,

My question was do we have to take 'x' as a positive integer for all cases ? When case is related to number of people then yes x has to be positive integer. But if say the ratio indicates volume of 3 different liquids, then it should not be mandatory for x to be a positive integer right? It can be a fraction too ?

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Query on Proportions 09 Sep 2016, 09:27
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SaanviGahlot
Hi,

My question was do we have to take 'x' as a positive integer for all cases ? When case is related to number of people then yes x has to be positive integer. But if say the ratio indicates volume of 3 different liquids, then it should not be mandatory for x to be a positive integer right? It can be a fraction too ?
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X can absolutely be a fraction. For instance, if a ratio of water to oil is 4:1, you can have (for example) 3 cups of water and 3/4 cups of oil. That would mean X = 3/4.

I don't know whether X can technically be negative, but I've never seen a ratio using negative numbers in an official GMAT problem. I imagine they'd have to make it extremely clear if they did that, and in most ratio problems, since you're dealing with actual quantities (people, liquids, etc) you won't be able to use negatives anyways.

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