Register    Login    Search    Rss Feeds

 Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] 



 
Author Message
 Post subject: If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60
 Post Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:59 pm 
GMATprep, practice test nº1. Question 11

If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60 is a positive integer, then n has how many different positive prime factors?

Answers are: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8

The correct one is 3, but I have no idea how to solve this one. Any help?

Thanks


Top 
 Post subject: Response...
 Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 12:21 pm 
If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60 is a positive integer, then n has how many different positive prime factors?

Answers are: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8

I believe the question is asking for the number of distinct positive prime factors

14n/60 can be simplified to 7n/30. If 7n/30 is a positive integer, then 30 must be a factor of n, as it is not a factor of 7.

The possibilities for n (given that n < 200) are 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180

If you test these numbers you will quickly see that they all have the same 3 distinct prime factors: 3, 2 and 5.

Hope that helps...


Top 
 Post subject:
 Post Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:09 pm 
Offline
ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 6077
Location: San Francisco
Nice explanation, GMATPaduan!

_________________
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director of Online Community
ManhattanGMAT


Top 
 Post subject: Thanks
 Post Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:02 pm 
Thanks a lot for such great help


Top 
 Post subject: Answer to the previous question
 Post Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:15 am 
You don't need to find the prime factors of all the numbers, since they all are multiples of 30. Only finding the prime factors of 30 is good enough.


Top 
 Post subject: Re: If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60
 Post Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:41 am 
Offline
Forum Guests


Posts: 10
Hi all.

the simplified denominator is 30 hence n have to be multiple of 30 : this involve that the prime factor are at least 2,3,5 . The next prime could be 7 but 30*7 is 210>200 so the only prime admitted by the question is the triplet 2,3,5 so Three is the right answer.


Top 
 Post subject: Re: If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60
 Post Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:12 pm 
Offline
ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 480
Location: Durham, NC
Nicely done.


Top 
 Post subject: Re: If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60
 Post Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:09 pm 
Offline
Students


Posts: 1
If I may contribute a similar solution:

Identify out the prime factors of the denominator:
60: 2, 2, 3, 5

Identify the prime factors of the numerator: 2, 7, n

Therefore for the numerator to be divisible, at minimum, it must contain: 2, 3, 5; therefore, 3 different prime positive factors, choice B.


Top 
 Post subject: Re: Response...
 Post Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 7:32 am 
Offline
ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 7146
GMATPaduan wrote:
If n is a positive interger less than 200 and 14n/60 is a positive integer, then n has how many different positive prime factors?

Answers are: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8

I believe the question is asking for the number of distinct positive prime factors

14n/60 can be simplified to 7n/30. If 7n/30 is a positive integer, then 30 must be a factor of n, as it is not a factor of 7.

The possibilities for n (given that n < 200) are 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180

If you test these numbers you will quickly see that they all have the same 3 distinct prime factors: 3, 2 and 5.

Hope that helps...


i'd like to call extra attention to this particular solution.

it's clear from the answer choices that the actual value of n doesn't matter (since the answers are constants, irrespective of n). therefore, as soon as you find a single value of n that satisfies the hypothesis of the problem, you're done -- just count the prime factors and it's over.

on problems like this, if you don't IMMEDIATELY figure out the theory behind the problem, you should QUICKLY turn to methods like this. it would be a shame to squander several minutes on an unsuccessful attempt at theory, when generating a single value of n is sufficient to solve the problem.


Top 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
 
 Page 1 of 1 [ 9 posts ] 





Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

 
 

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: