One TRICKY problem in Princeton Review Math Workout for SA





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College Discussion Forums: SAT/ACT Tests and Test Preparation: August 2003 Archive: One TRICKY problem in Princeton Review Math Workout for SA
By Notinnotin (Notinnotin) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 04:51 am: Edit

in Page 167 #4

In a certain classroom, there is an equal number of boys and girls. If 2 girls and 1 boy left to go home, the ratio of boys to girls in the room would be 4:3. how many girls are in the classroom NOW.

what's your answer??

(I'm not kidding)
(Princeton Review got trouble)

By Spectzix (Spectzix) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 06:47 am: Edit

3

By Fairyofwind (Fairyofwind) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 08:58 am: Edit

Sorry, but why is it not 5? There are 5 boys and 5 girls in the classroom now. 5-2 = 3 girls. 5-1=4 boys. 4 boys:3 girls.

Eh.... never mind, I see it. "NOW." *sigh* what a bad question. Actually not really... because it's "would be." What's the correct answer.

By Tootall (Tootall) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 10:25 am: Edit

x is the amount of number of boys and girls. x-1 is the amount of boys after one leaves. x-2 is the amount of girls. x-1/x-2=4/3 3(x-1)=4(x-2)
3x-3=4x-8 solve for x and it's 5. That's the original amount. So x-2 =5-2 and you get 3. The answer is 3.

By Aoe2guy (Aoe2guy) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 12:01 pm: Edit

yup! 3

By Serene (Serene) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 12:15 pm: Edit

hmm.... I don't know. i'd agree with Fairy on the wording. =) (i mean, the "if" hasn't taken place yet, has it?)

By Akaflex (Akaflex) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 12:54 pm: Edit

Its 5, if it WOULD BE 4/3 if 3 people leave then 4/3x=3 dont it and then x = 4/9 ration boys to girls and 5/9 girls to boys

By Bitz (Bitz) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 08:07 pm: Edit

It should be 5 (such a badly phrased conditional!).

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 08:24 pm: Edit

That's is WHY nobody should waste any time on the tests in PR, Gruber's, Kaplan's or Barron's.

Another example of how pathetic test writers can be.

By Notinnotin (Notinnotin) on Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 06:53 am: Edit

5 is the corret answer!!!!!! It is just the

answer in PR. why?? someone may wondering the

word "NOW", this is the trick here. But there is

another trick. Let's read the problem again,as

Serene (Serene) mentioned, the trick "if" hasn't

taken place yet, so "Now" means the class

without the "IF", another word, NO CHANGE. So PR

is right, 5!

What did i just say??? uh?? TRICKY PROBLEM!! I

strongly urge no "such a badly phrased

conditional"(quote from Bitz (Bitz)) problem in

real SAT!

By Akaflex (Akaflex) on Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 08:15 am: Edit

they way i explained it was it righjt>?


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