QuantProblem Solving

Free GMAT Problem Solving Practice Question

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Two inlet pipes, A and B, and a single drain each operate at a constant rate. Working alone from empty, pipe A takes 6 hours longer to fill a certain reservoir than pipe B does. With pipe B and the drain open together, the empty reservoir fills in 8 hours; with pipe A and the drain open together, it fills in 24 hours. With both pipes and the drain all open together, how many hours will it take to fill the reservoir from empty?

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Answer & Explanation

Correct answer

C

Use reciprocal rates with careful signs, since a filler adds its rate and a drain subtracts. Let b be pipe B's solo time, so pipe A's is b + 6. The two scenarios give:

Pipe B with the drain: 1/b − 1/d = 1/8. Pipe A with the drain: 1/(b + 6) − 1/d = 1/24.

Subtract to eliminate the drain: 1/b − 1/(b + 6) = 1/8 − 1/24 = 1/12. The left side is 6 / (b(b + 6)), so b(b + 6) = 72, that is b² + 6b − 72 = 0, factoring as (b − 6)(b + 12) = 0. Only b = 6 is valid, so B fills in 6 hours and A in 12 hours.

Back out the drain: 1/d = 1/6 − 1/8 = 1/24, so the drain empties a full reservoir in 24 hours. Checking pipe A with the drain, 1/12 − 1/24 = 1/24, matches the stated 24 hours.

With all three open, the net rate is 1/6 + 1/12 − 1/24 = 4/24 + 2/24 − 1/24 = 5/24 per hour, so the fill time is 24/5 hours, that is 4.8 hours. So the answer is C.

A (24/7) flips the drain's sign and adds 1/24 instead of subtracting it. B (4) drops the drain and uses only the inlets, though the drain is open in the asked scenario. D (6) reaches the right system but reports pipe B's solo time. E (8) just restates the given pipe-B-with-drain scenario. Each given equation involves the drain rate, so verifying any candidate forces solving the full system.