Ratio Proportion Variation

Question 1:
P is x % more than Q. Q is (x - 10) % less than R. If P > R, what is the range of values
x can take? (Square root of 41 = 6.40)

Question 2:
A is x % more than B and is x % of sum of A and B. What is the value of x?
(Square root of 5 = 2.23)

Question 3:
A is x % more than B. B is y % less than C. If A, B and C are positive and A is greater
than C, find the relation between x and y.

Question 4:
a is x % of b, b is x% more than a. Find x? (Square root of 5 = 2.23)

Question 5:
In a class, if 50% of the boys were girls, then there would be 50% more girls than
boys. What percentage of the overall class is girls?

Question 6:
A two digit number ab is 60% of x. The two-digit number formed by reversing
the digits of ab is 60% more than x. Find x?

Question 7:
Class B has 50% more students than class A. Number of girls in class A is equal to
number of boys in class B. The percentage of girls is the same in both classes.
What percentage of the student group are boys?

Question 8:
A, B, C and D share a loot. A gets a% of the total. B gets b% of the remaining (after
A has taken his share). C gets c% of the remaining and D gets the rest. D gets a%
less than what A gets, B and C get equal amounts. b = 2a.
i. What percentage of what A got did C get?
ii. If the total amount is equal to Rs. 1000, what is the difference between
what A got and what D got?

Question 9:
An alloy of copper and aluminum has 40% copper. An alloy of Copper and Zinc
has Copper and Zinc in the ratio 2: 7. These two alloys are mixed in such a way
that in the overall alloy, there is more aluminum than Zinc, and copper
constitutes x % of this alloy. What is the range of values x can take?


Question 10:
A merchant can buy goods at the rate of Rs. 20 per good. The particular good is
part of an overall collection and the value is linked to the number of items that
are already on the market. So, the merchant sells the first good for Rs. 2, second
one for Rs. 4, third for Rs. 6and so on. If he wants to make an overall profit of
at least 40%, what is the minimum number of goods he should sell?

Question 11:
Traders A and B buy two goods for Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000 respectively. Trader A
marks his goods up by x%, while trader B marks his goods up by 2x% and offers
a discount of x%. If both make the same profit, find x.





Question 1
P is x% more than Q. Q is (x - 10) % less than R. If P > R, what is the range of values x can take?
A. 10% to 28%
B. 10% to 25%
C. 10% to 37%
D. 10% to 43%
Explanatory Answer
P = Q

Q = R

R =

P > R

Q >





(100 + x) (110 x) > 100 x 100
11,000 + 110x 100x x
2
> 10000
1000 + 10x x
2
> 0
x
2
10x 1000 < 0
x
2
10x + 25 < 1000 + 25
(x 5)
2
< 1025
x 5 < 32
x < 37
x could range from 10% to 37%

Answer Choice (C)

Question 2
A is x% more than B and is x% of sum of A and B. What is the value of x?
Explanatory Answer
a = b (1 + x) => = 1 + x
a = x (a + b), dividing by a throughout

1 = x

1 = x

1 = x

x + 1 = x
2
+ 2x

=> x
2
+ x - 1 = 0


Now, we need to solve this equation. Using the discriminant method, when we solve this, x
turns out to be .
x has to lie between 0 and 1 and there for cannot be .
So, the only solution is . This is roughly 0.62.
Or, x has to be 62% approximately. The ration 1.618 is also called the golden ratio, and is the
conjugate and reciprocal of 0.618.
The golden ratio finds many mentions, from the Fibonacci series to Da Vinci. So, it is a big
favourite of mathematician.
Correct Answer : Roughly 62%





Question 3
A is x % more than B. B is y% less than C. If A, B and C are positive and A is greater than C, find
the relation between x and y.
Explanatory Answer
a = (1 + x) b
b = c (1 - y)
c =

a is greater than c
Or, b (1 + x) >
1 + x >
(1 + x) (1 - y) > 1
1 + x - y - xy > 1
x > y (1 + x)
y <

Question 4
a is x % of b, b is x% more than a. Find x?
Explanatory Answer
a = bx
b = a (1 + x), substituting this in the previous equation, we get
x (x + 1) = 1
x
2
+ x - 1 = 0

or x is approximately 0.62 or 62%

Question 5
In a class, if 50% of the boys were girls, then there would be 50% more girls than boys. What
percentage of the overall class is girls?
Explanatory Answer
For questions of this type, it is best to go from the final step. In the final state, the number of
girls should be 1.5 * the number of boys.
When 50% of the boys are taken as girls, let the number of boys = x
Number of girls = 1.5x
total number of students = 2.5x

Original number of boys = 2x (50% of boys = x)
Original number of girls = 0.5x

Girls form 20% of the overall class.


Question 6
A two digit number ab is 60% of x. The two-digit number formed by reversing the digits of ab
is 60% more than x. Find x?
Explanatory Answer
10a + b = 0.6x
10b + a = 1.6x

Subtracting one from the other, we have

9b - 9a = x or x = 9 (b - a)
x should be a multiple of 9.


10a + b = , this implies that x should also be a multiple of 5.Or, x should be a multiple of 45
x should be equal to 45, ab = 27, ba = 72


Question 7
Class B has 50% more students than class A. Number of girls in class A is equal to number of
boys in class B. The percentage of girls is the same in both classes. What percentage of the
student group are boys?
Explanatory Answer
Let number of girls in class A = x
Let number of boys in class A = y
Total number of students = x + y
Proportion of girls =

Number of boys in class B = x
Total number of students in class B = 1.5( x + y)
Proportion of girls = 1 -

Percentage of boys in the overall student community = * (x + y) * 100 = 40%



Question 8
A, B, C and D share a loot. A gets a% of the total. B gets b% of the remaining (after A has taken
his share). C gets c% of the remaining and D gets the rest. D gets a% less than what A gets, B
and C get equal amounts. b = 2a.
i. What percentage of what A got did C get?
ii. If the total amount is equal to Rs. 1000, what is the difference between what A got
and what D got?
Explanatory Answer
Let total amount = T.

A would have got T * a. After A takes his share, there would be T (1 - a) left
B would have got T (1 - a) * b
C would have got T (1 - a)(1 - b) * c
D would have got T (1 - a) (1 - b) (1 - c)
D gets a % less than what A gets, or, T *a (1 - a) = T(1 - a) (1 - b) (1 - c), or

a = (1 - b)(1 - c) -------- Eqn 1


B and C get the same amounts, or (1 - a) * b = (1 - a) * (1 - b) * c, or b = (1 - b) c, or, b = c - cb, or
b = ------------ Eqn 2
b = 2a -----------------Eqn 3

Substituting, eqn 2 in and 3 in eqn 1, we get

Or, c = 2 -2c, or c =

b = , a =


a gets 20% of the loot, b gets 40% of the remaining 80%, or 32% of the loot. C gets 66.6% of
48%, or 32% of the overall loot. And d gets the final 16% of the overall amount (20% lesser than
A's share)
Now, to the questions


i. What percentage of what A got did C get?
A got 20% of overall, C got 32% of overall. Or, C got 160% of A

ii. If the total amount is equal to Rs. 1000, what is the difference between what A got
and what D got?
A would have got Rs. 200, D Rs. 160. A would have got Rs. 40 more than D.

Question 9
An alloy of copper and aluminum has 40% copper. An alloy of Copper and Zinc has Copper and
Zinc in the ratio 2: 7. These two alloys are mixed in such a way that in the overall alloy, there
is more aluminum than Zinc, and copper constitutes x% of this alloy. What is the range of
values x can take?
A. 30% x 40%
B. 32.5% x 42%
C. 33.33% x 40%
D. 32.5% x 40%
Explanatory Answer
Alloy 1 Copper Aluminium
2x 3x
Alloy 2 Copper Zinc
2y 7y


If Aluminium and Zinc have to be equal, 3x = 7y. The simplest case occurs at the LCM, when
both Aluminium and Zinc are 21kg.

Alloy 1 Copper Aluminium
14 21
Alloy 2 Copper Zinc
6 21


Even a gram of alloy 1 above this level would mean that there is more Aluminium than Zinc in
the total alloy. So, this table is a limit on the percentages of different metals.
The percentage of Copper in the total alloy would be (14 + 6)* = 32.25%
On the other hand, if we want more Aluminium than Zinc, we can use tons and tons of alloy
1, and only a microgram of Alloy 2. The quantity of alloy 2 can be made so small that its
presence can be almost neglected, as it will have as good as zero impact on the overall
percentage of copper. This is another extreme case, in which Copper will have 40% weight in
the alloy .
Thus, the percentage of Copper ranges from 32.25% to 40% in this alloy.

Answer Choice (A)


Question 10
A merchant can buy goods at the rate of Rs. 20 per good. The particular good is part of an
overall collection and the value is linked to the number of items that are already on the
market. So, the merchant sells the first good for Rs. 2, second one for Rs. 4, third for Rs.
6and so on. If he wants to make an overall profit of at least 40%, what is the minimum
number of goods he should sell?
A. 24
B. 18
C. 27
D. 32
Explanatory Answer
Let us assume he buys n goods.
Total CP = 20n
Total SP = 2 + 4 + 6 + 8 .n terms
Total SP should be at least 40% more than total CP
2 + 4 + 6 + 8 .n terms 1.4 * 20 n
2 (1 + 2 + 3 + .n terms) 28n
n(n + 1) 28n
n
2
+ n 28n
n
2
- 27n 0
n 27
He should sell a minimum of 27 goods.

Answer Choice (C)


Question 11
Traders A and B buy two goods for Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000 respectively. Trader A marks his
goods up by x%, while trader B marks his goods up by 2x% and offers a discount of x%. If both
make the same profit, find x.
A. 25%
B. 12.5%
C. 37.5%
D. 40%
Explanatory Answer
SP of trader A = 1000 (1 + x)
Profit of trader A = 1000 (1 + x) - 1000

MP of trader B = 2000 (1 + 2x)
SP of trader B = 2000 (1 + 2x) (1 - x)
Profit of trader B = 2000 (1 + 2x) (1 - x)- 2000

Both make the same profit => 1000 (1 + x) 1000 = 2000(1 + 2x) (1 - x) - 2000

1000x = 2000 4000x
2
+ 4000x 2000x - 2000
4000x
2
-1000x = 0
1000x (4x - 1) = 0
x = 25%