Last visit was: 23 Apr 2026, 12:35 It is currently 23 Apr 2026, 12:35
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: 109,785
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: 109,785
Kudos: 810,845
 [28]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
26
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
ScottTargetTestPrep
User avatar
Target Test Prep Representative
Joined: 14 Oct 2015
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 22,283
Own Kudos:
26,531
 [11]
Given Kudos: 302
Status:Founder & CEO
Affiliations: Target Test Prep
Location: United States (CA)
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 22,283
Kudos: 26,531
 [11]
7
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
Lampard42
Joined: 22 Nov 2018
Last visit: 12 Dec 2020
Posts: 424
Own Kudos:
561
 [1]
Given Kudos: 292
Location: India
GMAT 1: 640 Q45 V35
GMAT 2: 740 Q49 V41
GMAT 2: 740 Q49 V41
Posts: 424
Kudos: 561
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
Archit3110
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 18 Aug 2017
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 8,628
Own Kudos:
5,190
 [2]
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
 [2]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Bunuel
A certain electrolyte solution contains 1 gram of salt for every 8 grams of sugar and every 200 grams of water. If the sugar to water ratio is halved, the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, and the resulting solution contains 5 grams of salt, how many grams of water does the resulting solution contain?

A. 250
B. 400
C. 666 2/3
D. 1,000
E. 2,000

given
salt:sugar:water
1:8:200
sugar/water = 8/200 * 1/2 ; 1/50
salt/sugar ; 1/8 * 3 ; 3/8
3x/8= 5
x= 40/3
sugar ; 40*50/3 = 2000/3 IMO C ; 666 2/3
User avatar
GloryBoy92
Joined: 13 Apr 2018
Last visit: 22 Feb 2021
Posts: 28
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 69
Location: Zambia
Concentration: Finance, Real Estate
GPA: 2.98
WE:Analyst (Finance: Investment Banking)
Posts: 28
Kudos: 29
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Arvind42
Bunuel
A certain electrolyte solution contains 1 gram of salt for every 8 grams of sugar and every 200 grams of water. If the sugar to water ratio is halved, the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, and the resulting solution contains 5 grams of salt, how many grams of water does the resulting solution contain?

A. 250
B. 400
C. 666 2/3
D. 1,000
E. 2,000

Salt:8Sugar:200Water; Revised ratio of Sugar to water is 1:50 and Salt to Sugar is 3:8; 5 grams of salt will give 5*8/3=40/3 sugar which will give 40/3*50=666 2/3 water IMO C

When "the salt ratio is trippled" why do we get 3/8 instead of 1/24?

Similarly with halving the sugar to water ratio. Why sis you get 1/50 instead of 8/100?

Best
User avatar
stne
Joined: 27 May 2012
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 1,808
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 678
Posts: 1,808
Kudos: 2,090
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
GloryBoy92
Arvind42
Bunuel
A certain electrolyte solution contains 1 gram of salt for every 8 grams of sugar and every 200 grams of water. If the sugar to water ratio is halved, the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, and the resulting solution contains 5 grams of salt, how many grams of water does the resulting solution contain?

A. 250
B. 400
C. 666 2/3
D. 1,000
E. 2,000

Salt:8Sugar:200Water; Revised ratio of Sugar to water is 1:50 and Salt to Sugar is 3:8; 5 grams of salt will give 5*8/3=40/3 sugar which will give 40/3*50=666 2/3 water IMO C

When "the salt ratio is trippled" why do we get 3/8 instead of 1/24?

Similarly with halving the sugar to water ratio. Why sis you get 1/50 instead of 8/100?

Best

Hi GloryBoy92,

Lets say we have a number 3 , now we want to triple it or increase it. What do we do ? We multiply don't we? We do 3*3 to get 9
Now lets say we want to decease the same number to half its value, what do we do , we divide by 2 don't we hence we have \(\frac{3}{2}\)
Now lets says we wanted to make the same number even smaller or reduce to \(\frac{1}{3}\) of its value , what do we do ? we divide by 3 don't we, to get \(\frac{3}{3}\)=1

Hence to increase a number ( Ratio in this case ) we have to multiply and to decrease a number ( Ratio in this case)we
have to divide.

Similarly Sugar to water ratio is \(\frac{8}{200}\)we want to make it half or decrease it hence as shown above we have to divide by 2 to get \(\frac{8}{400}\) which when reduced gives \(\frac{1}{50}\)
What you are doing is multiplying \(\frac{8}{200}\)*2 = \(\frac{8}{100}\) but this operation is increasing the number instead of decreasing it.
In the same way we have a number \(\frac{1}{8}\) now we want to triple it or increase it , What do we do? like the first case above we multiply by 3 don't we? hence we do \(\frac{1}{8}\)*3 to get \(\frac{3}{8}\)
If we wanted to decrease \(\frac{1}{8}\) to \(\frac{1}{3}\) of its value then we needed to divide \(\frac{1}{8}\) by 3 to get \(\frac{1}{24}\).This is what you were doing.

Hope this answer's your question, please fee free to ask if anything is still unclear.Thanks.
User avatar
legacyhope
Joined: 15 Nov 2024
Last visit: 12 Mar 2026
Posts: 1
Given Kudos: 31
Posts: 1
Kudos: 0
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
when you halve the ratio of sugar to water why is the ratio 8:400 and not 4:100 since I am assuming we muliply 1/2 on both sides of the ratio
ScottTargetTestPrep
Bunuel
A certain electrolyte solution contains 1 gram of salt for every 8 grams of sugar and every 200 grams of water. If the sugar to water ratio is halved, the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, and the resulting solution contains 5 grams of salt, how many grams of water does the resulting solution contain?

A. 250
B. 400
C. 666 2/3
D. 1,000
E. 2,000

We have an initial ratio of:

Salt: sugar : water = 1 : 8 : 200

Since the sugar to water ratio is halved, we have:

sugar/water = 1/2 x 8/200 = 8/400

Since the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, we have:

salt/sugar = 3 x 1/8 = 3/8

Thus, the new ratio is:

Salt: sugar : water = 3 : 8 : 400 or 3x : 8x : 400x

Since there is 5 grams of salt:

3x = 5

x = 5/3

The amount of water is 400 * 5/3 = 2,000/3 = 666 2/3.

Answer: C
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 23 Apr 2026
Posts: 109,785
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: 109,785
Kudos: 810,845
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
legacyhope
when you halve the ratio of sugar to water why is the ratio 8:400 and not 4:100 since I am assuming we muliply 1/2 on both sides of the ratio
ScottTargetTestPrep
Bunuel
A certain electrolyte solution contains 1 gram of salt for every 8 grams of sugar and every 200 grams of water. If the sugar to water ratio is halved, the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, and the resulting solution contains 5 grams of salt, how many grams of water does the resulting solution contain?

A. 250
B. 400
C. 666 2/3
D. 1,000
E. 2,000

We have an initial ratio of:

Salt: sugar : water = 1 : 8 : 200

Since the sugar to water ratio is halved, we have:

sugar/water = 1/2 x 8/200 = 8/400

Since the salt to sugar ratio is tripled, we have:

salt/sugar = 3 x 1/8 = 3/8

Thus, the new ratio is:

Salt: sugar : water = 3 : 8 : 400 or 3x : 8x : 400x

Since there is 5 grams of salt:

3x = 5

x = 5/3

The amount of water is 400 * 5/3 = 2,000/3 = 666 2/3.

Answer: C

Halving the ratio means multiplying the ratio by 1/2, so halving 8/200 becomes 8/200 * 1/2 = 8/400.
Moderators:
Math Expert
109785 posts
Tuck School Moderator
853 posts