Week 2 Day 4: Applications: Words to Algebra Practice

GRE Quant Problem Solving
1

25.00 timed, if 2/3 of the number of women attending a centain dance is equal to 1/2 the number of men attending, what fraction of those attending are women?

My solve:
2/3W = 1/2 M
2/3+1/2= 7/6
2/3
------ = 4/7
7/6

But Greg’s solve showing 3/7

How?

2

When there are two unknown variables present, you have to write one variable in terms of other to solve the question.

Given:

\frac{2}{3}W=\frac{1}{2}M \\ W= \frac{3}{4}M

\frac{W}{W+M}= \text{ fraction of those attending are women}

\frac{\frac{3}{4}M}{\frac{3}{4}M+M} \\ \frac{3}{\cancel4} \times\frac{\cancel4}{7} = \frac{3}{7}
1 Like
3

If you assume values it is a lot faster…

Let women w=9

Then 2÷3x9=m÷2; m comes out to be 12

Now total women attending is w, which means 9,

So the fraction of w/total = 9/(9+12) which gives 3/7