Practice GMAT Data Sufficiency Question
Return to the list of practice GMAT data sufficiency questions.
A cake recipe calls for sugar and flour in the ratio of 2 cups to 1 cup, respectively. If sugar and flour are the only ingredients in the recipe, how many cups of sugar are used when making a cake?
- the cake requires 33 cups of ingredients
- the ratio of the number of cups of flour to the total number of cups used in the recipe is 1:3
Correct Answer: A
- Based upon the question, we can set up a few equations:
Equation (1): Sugar/Flour = 2/1
Since one cake could be made from 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of flour (or different number of cups in the same ratio):
Equation (2): Sugar/(Total Ingredients) = 2/(2+1) = 2/3
Equation (3): Flour/(Total Ingredients) = 1/(2+1) = 1/3
-
Evaluate Statement (1) alone.
- Since the cake requires 33 cups of ingredients, using Equation (2), we know that Total Ingredients = 33:
Sugar/(Total Ingredients) = 2/3
Sugar/33 = 2/3
Therefore: Sugar = 22 cups.
- Statement (1) is SUFFICIENT.
-
Evaluate Statement (2) alone.
- Statement (2) does not provide any new information. Based upon the original question, we derived Equation (3). Statement (2) is merely a restatement of Equation (3).
- Consider two examples:
If there were 10 cups of flour, the total amount of ingredients would be 30 cups and there would be 20 cups of sugar.
But, if there were 5 cups of flour, the total amount of ingredients would be 15 cups and there would be 10 cups of sugar.
- Statement (2) is NOT SUFFICIENT since we cannot determine how many cups of sugar were used in the cake.
- Since Statement (1) alone is SUFFICIENT but Statement (2) alone is NOT SUFFICIENT, answer A is correct.
Return to the list of practice GMAT data sufficiency questions.