CAT 1996 — QA Question 23
Direction: Answer the questions based on the following information.
A salesman enters the quantity sold and the price into the computer. Both the numbers are two-digit numbers. But, by mistake, both the numbers were entered with their digits interchanged. The total sales value remained the same, i.e. Rs. 1,148, but the inventory reduced by 54.
In a mile race, Akshay can be given a start of 128 m by Bhairav. If Bhairav can give Chinmay a start of 4 m in a 100 m dash, then who out of Akshay and Chinmay will win a race of one and half miles, and what will be the final lead given by the winner to the loser? (One mile is 1,600 m.)
Answer & solution
- A
Akshay, mile
- B
Chinmay, mile
- C
Akshay, mile
Chinmay, mile
In a mile race, Akshay can be given a start of 128 m by Bhairav. This means that Bhairav can afford to start after Akshay has travelled 128 m and still complete one mile with him. In other words, Bhairav can travel one mile, i.e. 1,600 m in the same time as Akshay can travel (1600 – 128) = 1,472 m. Hence, the ratio of the speeds of Bhairav and Akshay = Ratio of the distances travelled by them in the same time = = 25 : 32. Bhairav can give Chinmay a start of 4 miles. This means that in the time Bhairav runs 100 m, Chinmay only runs 96 m. So the ratio of the speeds of Bhairav and Chinmay = = 25 : 24.
Hence, we have B : A = 25 : 23 and B : C = 25 : 24. So A : B : C = 23 : 25 : 24. This means that in the time Chinmay covers 24 m, Akshay only covers 23 m. In other words, Chinmay is faster than Akshay. So if they race for miles = 2,400 m, Chinmay will complete the race first and by this time Aksahy would only complete 2,300 m. In other words, Chinmay would beat Akshay by 100 m = mile.