ExpertsGlobal5
250 rooms are booked at a particular hotel for the 17th of May. If the cumulative number of nights these rooms have been booked for is 500, how many rooms have been booked for just 1 night?
(1) 50 of the rooms have been booked for 2 nights.
(2) 60 of the rooms have been booked for 3 or more nights.
Explanation: Let the number of rooms booked for exactly 0 nights be w.
Let the number of rooms booked for exactly 1 night be x.
Let the number of rooms booked for exactly 2 nights be y.
Let the number of rooms booked for 3 or more nights be z.
Since 250 rooms are booked: w + x + y + z = 250. (Equation I)
The cumulative number of nights these rooms have been booked for is 500.
We need to find whether the value of x can be determined. Statement (1) y = 50 (Equation II)
From Equation I and Equation II, we have 2 equations with 4 unknown variables.
It is NOT possible to determine with certainty the value of x.
Hence, Statement (1) is insufficient. Statement (2) z = 60 (Equation III)
From Equation I and Equation III, we have 2 equations with 4 unknown variables.
It is NOT possible to determine with certainty the value of x.
Hence, Statement (2) is insufficient. As Statement (1) alone as well as Statement (2) alone is insufficient to answer the question, we need to now combine the two statements.
Statement (1) and Statement (2) combined From Equations I, II, and III, we have 3 equations with 4 unknown variables.
Also, the
information regarding the cumulative number of nights these rooms have been booked for, which is 500,
does not help determine the value of x. If the variable z denoted the number of rooms booked for exactly 3 nights, then we would have the equation 0w + 1x + 2y + 3z = 500, but
since z could be any value greater than 2, we also cannot use this information to determine the value of x.
It is NOT possible to determine with certainty the value of x.
Hence, Statement (1) and Statement (2) combined are insufficient. E is the correct answer choice.