Last visit was: 25 Nov 2024, 08:11 It is currently 25 Nov 2024, 08:11

Close

GRE Prep Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GRE score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Close

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 30022
Own Kudos [?]: 36391 [1]
Given Kudos: 25928
Send PM
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 09 Feb 2023
Posts: 1
Own Kudos [?]: 2 [2]
Given Kudos: 3
Send PM
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 18 Sep 2022
Posts: 2
Own Kudos [?]: 0 [0]
Given Kudos: 1
Send PM
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 30022
Own Kudos [?]: 36391 [1]
Given Kudos: 25928
Send PM
Re: A ribbon 40-inches long is to be cut into three pieces, each of whose [#permalink]
1
Expert Reply
OE


Minimizing the length of the longest piece is equivalent to maximizing the lengths of the remaining pieces, as long as they are shorter than the longest piece. Suppose that the longest piece were 14 inches long (a choice motivated by wanting to be less than the 15 in Quantity B). That would leave 40 − 14 = 26 inches to be accounted for by the other two pieces. Because each piece must be a different number of inches long, those pieces cannot each be 13 inches long. This, in turn, implies that one of the two remaining pieces would have to be more than 13 inches long—but then, that piece would be 14 inches long, again violating the constraint that each piece be of a different length. Thus, the longest piece must be at least 15 inches long, and the shorter pieces could then be 12 and 13 inches long, for a total of 40 inches. Thus, the two quantities are equal.
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 18 Sep 2022
Posts: 2
Own Kudos [?]: 0 [0]
Given Kudos: 1
Send PM
Re: A ribbon 40-inches long is to be cut into three pieces, each of whose [#permalink]
Carcass wrote:
OE


Minimizing the length of the longest piece is equivalent to maximizing the lengths of the remaining pieces, as long as they are shorter than the longest piece. Suppose that the longest piece were 14 inches long (a choice motivated by wanting to be less than the 15 in Quantity B). That would leave 40 − 14 = 26 inches to be accounted for by the other two pieces. Because each piece must be a different number of inches long, those pieces cannot each be 13 inches long. This, in turn, implies that one of the two remaining pieces would have to be more than 13 inches long—but then, that piece would be 14 inches long, again violating the constraint that each piece be of a different length. Thus, the longest piece must be at least 15 inches long, and the shorter pieces could then be 12 and 13 inches long, for a total of 40 inches. Thus, the two quantities are equal.



Thanks a lot. I got it now
Prep Club for GRE Bot
Re: A ribbon 40-inches long is to be cut into three pieces, each of whose [#permalink]
Moderators:
GRE Instructor
84 posts
GRE Forum Moderator
37 posts
Moderator
1111 posts
GRE Instructor
234 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne