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A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15 by volume. The composition of this solution is altered by adding ethanol, methanol and water such that the amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol increases by 15 percentage points and the amount of water per unit volume of ethanol decreases by two-thirds. If the volume of the altered solution is 340 cubic units, which of the following is the volume, in cubic units, of methanol in the altered solution?
  • a)
    20
  • b)
    40
  • c)
    50
  • d)
    100
  • e)
    200
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15...
Given:
  • Original Solution:
    • Let Amount of Ethanol = x cubic units
    • So, Amount of Methanol = 4x cubic units
    • And, Amount of Water = 15x cubic units
    • In the original solution,
 by 15 percent)
  • So, New volume of Ethanol = 40% of (New volume of Methanol)
  • New volume of Ethanol = 0.4(New Volume of Methanol)
  • So, New volume of Water = 5(New Volume of Ethanol)
  • Let the New volume of Methanol be y cubic units
    • So, the new volume of Ethanol = 0.4y
    • And, the new volume of water = 5*0.4y = 2y
  • Total volume of the altered solution = 340 cubic units
 
To Find : y = ?
Approach:
  1.  To find y, we need an equation in y. This equation is easily obtained by equating the known total volume of the Altered Solution to the sum of the volumes of Ethanol, Methanol and Water in the Altered Solution
  • (Volume of Methanol in the Altered Solution) + (Volume of Ethanol in the Altered Solution) + (Volume of Water in the Altered Solution) = (Total Volume of the Altered Solution)
Working out:
  • Using the equation written in Approach, we get: y + 0.4y + 2y = 340
    • So, 3.4y = 340
    • That is, y = 100 cubic units
Looking at the answer choices, we see that the correct answer is Option D
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Most Upvoted Answer
A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15...
To solve this problem, let's first analyze the given information:

Original Ratio: The original solution contains ethanol, methanol, and water in the ratio of 1:4:15 by volume.
Altered Solution: The altered solution has an increased amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol and a decreased amount of water per unit volume of ethanol.

Let's assume the initial volume of the solution is x cubic units.

Ethanol Content: In the original solution, the volume of ethanol is x/20.
Methanol Content: In the original solution, the volume of methanol is 4x/20 = x/5.
Water Content: In the original solution, the volume of water is 15x/20 = 3x/4.

Now, let's consider the changes in the altered solution:

Increased Ethanol per unit volume of Methanol: The amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol increases by 15 percentage points. This means the new ethanol content per unit volume of methanol is 115% of the original ethanol content per unit volume of methanol.
Decreased Water per unit volume of Ethanol: The amount of water per unit volume of ethanol decreases by two-thirds. This means the new water content per unit volume of ethanol is 1/3 of the original water content per unit volume of ethanol.

Let's calculate the altered solution:

Ethanol Content: The new ethanol content per unit volume of methanol is 115% of the original ethanol content per unit volume of methanol, which is (115/100)*(x/5) = 23x/100.
Methanol Content: The volume of methanol in the altered solution remains the same as in the original solution, which is x/5.
Water Content: The new water content per unit volume of ethanol is 1/3 of the original water content per unit volume of ethanol, which is (1/3)*(3x/4) = x/4.

Now, let's find the volume of the altered solution:

The volume of the altered solution is the sum of the volumes of ethanol, methanol, and water in the altered solution. Therefore, the volume of the altered solution is:

Volume of altered solution = volume of ethanol + volume of methanol + volume of water
Volume of altered solution = (23x/100) + (x/5) + (x/4)
Volume of altered solution = (23x + 20x + 25x)/100
Volume of altered solution = 68x/100
Given that the volume of the altered solution is 340 cubic units, we can set up the equation:

68x/100 = 340

Solving this equation, we find:

68x = 34000
x = 500

Therefore, the volume of methanol in the altered solution is:

Volume of methanol = x/5 = 500/5 = 100 cubic units.

Hence, the correct answer is option D, 100 cubic units.
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A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15 by volume. The composition of this solution is altered by adding ethanol, methanol and water such that the amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol increases by 15 percentage points and the amount of water per unit volume of ethanol decreases by two-thirds. If the volume of the altered solution is 340 cubic units, which of the following is the volume, in cubic units, of methanol in the altered solution?a)20b)40c)50d)100e)200Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15 by volume. The composition of this solution is altered by adding ethanol, methanol and water such that the amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol increases by 15 percentage points and the amount of water per unit volume of ethanol decreases by two-thirds. If the volume of the altered solution is 340 cubic units, which of the following is the volume, in cubic units, of methanol in the altered solution?a)20b)40c)50d)100e)200Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2025 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15 by volume. The composition of this solution is altered by adding ethanol, methanol and water such that the amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol increases by 15 percentage points and the amount of water per unit volume of ethanol decreases by two-thirds. If the volume of the altered solution is 340 cubic units, which of the following is the volume, in cubic units, of methanol in the altered solution?a)20b)40c)50d)100e)200Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for A solution contains ethanol, methanol and water in the ratio of 1:4:15 by volume. The composition of this solution is altered by adding ethanol, methanol and water such that the amount of ethanol per unit volume of methanol increases by 15 percentage points and the amount of water per unit volume of ethanol decreases by two-thirds. If the volume of the altered solution is 340 cubic units, which of the following is the volume, in cubic units, of methanol in the altered solution?a)20b)40c)50d)100e)200Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?.
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