Practice GMAT Problem Solving Question
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There are 4 more women than there are men on a local co-ed softball team. If there are a total of 16 players on the team, what is the ratio of men to women?
Correct Answer: D
- Start by setting up two equations to solve for the number of men and women on the team.
- The total number of people is 16, so:
Men + Women = 16
- There are 4 more women than there are men on the team. This means that if you take the number of men and add 4, you get the number of women:
Women = Men + 4
- Plug in the number of women in terms of men from the second equation into the first to yield:
Men + Women = 16
Men + (Men + 4) = 16
- Combine like terms to yield:
Men + (Men + 4) = 16
2(Men) + 4 = 16
- Subtract 4 from each side to yield:
2(Men) = 12.
- Divide by 2 to yield that the number of men on the team is 6.
- Of the 16 players, if 6 are men, 10 must be women. Alternatively, if 6 are men and there are 4 more women than there are men on the team, 6+4, or 10, must be women.
- Since there are 6 men and 10 women, the ratio of men to women is 6/10. The answer is D.
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