Data Sufficiency - Quant/Math -

Question 4 the day: October 17, 2002
The question for the day is a data sufficiency question. One important thing about Data Sufficiency questions is that more often than not these questions take you about 30 seconds to crack them. And it generally does not involve any difficult calculations which tend to take most of the time when you solve a problem. Here the question is about whether you can solve the problem with the information given and NOT about actually solving the problem.

In this question, there is a question statement which is followed by two statements. You have to decide whether the information provided in the two statements is sufficient for answering the question.

Mark 1

If the question can be answered by using one of the statements alone, but cannot be answered by using the other statement alone.

Mark 2

If the question can be answered by using either statement alone.

Mark 3

If the question can be answered by using both statements together, but cannot be answered by using either statement alone.

Mark 4

If the question cannot be answered even by using both the statements together.

Question

Did Mr. X make a profit on his sale?

1. If he had sold 5 apples lesser than he presently did for Rs.100 his profit would have increased by Rs.20.
2. If he had paid 50 paise less per apple, he would have bought 10 more apples for Rs.100.

Solution:

Statement A just mentions that he would have made Rs.20 more profit that what he did now. But, he could be selling at a loss at the present price. It does not talk about the cost price at all. So insufficient.

Statement B does not talk about he selling price at all. Hence insufficient.

But combining both the statements, we can find out both the selling price and cost price of the apples and hence conclude that he made a profit.