GMAT Quant — Applied Mathematics (Word Problems)

Question

Next year, if Company Q produces x units of a certain product and sells y units of this product, its total profit, in dollars, from this product will be . If x and y are related by the equation and if Company Q's average (arithmetic mean) profit per item produced next year must be at least $4.50, what is the least possible value of r?
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Answer Choices

  • A.
    0.65
  • B.
    0.70
  • C.
    0.75
  • D.
    0.80
  • E.
    0.85

Steps

ExplanationCalculationsHelp
We translate "average profit per item produced next year must be at least 4.50" into an inequality comparing profit per item to 4.50.
Theory & Tactics Method Card
TRANS1-F
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We substitute "y = rx" into the inequality to express everything in terms of r and x.
We simplify the numerator by factoring out x and then cancel x from numerator and denominator.
Theory & Tactics Method Card
FDPR2-A
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We add 4 to both sides of the inequality to isolate the term with r.
Theory & Tactics Method Card
INEQ0-C
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We divide both sides by 10 to solve for r.
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INEQ1-A
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Final Answer

E