Carcass wrote:
If 12x = 30y = 15z, and x, y, and z are all positive integers, which of the following correctly orders them from least to greatest?
(A) x, y, z
(B) z, x, y
(C) y, x, z
(D) y, z, x
(E) z, y, x
Let's express all three variables in terms of x
Given: 12x = 30y
Divide both sides by 30 to get: y = 12x/30 = 2x/5 = 0.4x
Given: 12x = 15z
Divide both sides by 15 to get: z = 12x/15 = 4x/5 = 0.8x
Since x is positive, we know that 0.4x < 0.8x < x
Substitute to get: y < z < x
Answer: D