Tag: ratio problem

GMAT Ratio DS Problem

Expressing Different Notations

Hey guys!

Expressing different notations is often challenging when you’re first starting out on the GMAT and by different notations mean percentages fractions decimals ratios. We learn all these separately and we tend to of them as separate systems of math when in fact they’re all different expressions of the same math. One half is no different from 0.5 is no different from 50 percent there are different ways of the same thing.

Breaking Down The Problem

In this problem all their testing is our ability to shift notations. We’re being asked what the ratio, keyword ratio, is between boys and girls in the or what do we need is just that a ratio it’s fairly straightforward. So they’re probably going to come to us with weird information that doesn’t quite look like a ratio. The big thing to note before we dive in is that when we’re being asked for a ratio. In fact, when we’re being asked for any sort of relative notation, fractions, percentages, anything that needs a base that is compared to a whole. We don’t need precise numbers.

Possible ways to solve this problem

So this leaves us open either to run scenarios if we want to or to deal entirely in the relative. So we’re looking for an expression of that ratio in a non-ratio sort of language. Number one tells us there are three times as many boys and girls. We can run a scenario with 3 boys, 1 girl, 75 boys, 25 girls, but we’re being given that ratio. It’s being expressed in language rather than with the term ratio or with the two dots : in between but it’s still a ratio. So it’s sufficient!

What Did You Miss?

Correction!! Number one states there are three times as many girls as there are boys. Why do we leave that error in? To point out that here it doesn’t matter. We’re not looking to determine whether the ratio is 1 boy to 3 girls or 3 girls to 1 boy or 3 boys to 1 girl. The only thing that matters, the threshold issue on this problem, is getting to a single specific ratio. What that is or in this case even reversing the boys and girls doesn’t matter because it’s a referendum on the type of information that we have. The moment we have a quantitative comparison of boys and girls coming from number one we know that number one is sufficient. Being able to have flexibility and even focus on the more abstract thing you’re looking for sometimes leads to careless errors on the details though and this is important. Many times those careless errors don’t matter, freeing yourself up to make those and understanding that you don’t have to manage the nitty-gritty once you have the big abstract understanding is very important.

Looking at Statement No. 2

Number two goes fractional, telling us that 1/4 of the total class is boys. We can break that into a ratio by understanding that a ratio compares parts to parts whereas a fraction is part of a whole so one out of four has a ratio of one to three. If this isn’t immediately obvious, imagine a pizza and cut it into four slices. One slice is one quarter of the total pizza the comparison of the one slice to the other three slices is the ratio one to three so if you get one slice and your friends get the other ones. The ratio of your slice to the others is 1:3. You have 1/4 of the total so two is also sufficient. Therefore, the answer choice here is D.

Hope this helped guys! Practice this skill of going in between these different notations because it’s one that pays off in dividends. Check out the links below for other problems and we’ll see you again real soon.

If you enjoyed this GMAT Ratio DS Problem, try your hand at this Triangle DS Problem.

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