GMAT Practice Question: Three people each contributed x...
Question
Three people each contributed x dollars toward the purchase of a car. They then bought the car for y dollars, an amount less than the total number of dollars contributed. If the excess amount is to be refunded to the three people in equal amounts, each person should receive a refund of how many dollars?
- \frac{3 x-y}{3}
- \frac{x-y}{3}
- \frac{x-3 y}{3}
- \frac{y-3 x}{3}
- 3(x-y)
Topics: calculations, fractions
Solution
Step 1
We translate \textbf{\text{"Three people each contributed x dollars"}} into an equation
x + x + x = 3x
Step 2
We translate \textbf{\text{"excess amount"}} by subtracting the car's cost from the total contribution
3x - y
Step 3
We translate \textbf{\text{"refunded to the three people in equal amounts"}} as dividing the excess by 3
\frac{3x - y}{3}
Answer
\frac{3x - y}{3}
