Aptitude Solved Problems

1) A mixture of 150 liters of wine and water contains 20% water. How much more water should be
added so that water becomes 25% of the new mixture?
Answer: 10 liters
Explanation:
Number of liters of water in150 liters of the mixture = 20% of 150 = 20/100 * 150 = 30 liters.
P liters of water added to the mixture to make water 25% of the new mixture.
Total amount of water becomes (30 + P) and total volume of mixture is (150 + P).
(30 + P) = 25/100 * (150 + P)
120 + 4P = 150 + P => P = 10 liters.

2) A vessel contains 20 liters of a mixture of milk and water in the ratio 3:2. 10 liters of the
mixture are removed and replaced with an equal quantity of pure milk. If the process is repeated
once more, find the ratio of milk and water in the final mixture obtained?
Answer: 9:1
Explanation:
Milk = 3/5 * 20 = 12 liters, water = 8 liters
If 10 liters of mixture are removed, amount of milk removed = 6 liters and amount of water
removed = 4 liters.
Remaining milk = 12 - 6 = 6 liters
Remaining water = 8 - 4 = 4 liters
10 liters of pure milk are added, therefore total milk = (6 + 10) = 16 liters.
The ratio of milk and water in the new mixture = 16:4 = 4:1
If the process is repeated one more time and 10 liters of the mixture are removed, then amount of
milk removed = 4/5 * 10 = 8 liters.
Amount of water removed = 2 liters.
Remaining milk = (16 - 8) = 8 liters.
Remaining water = (4 -2) = 2 liters.
The required ratio of milk and water in the final mixture obtained = (8 + 10):2 = 18:2 = 9:1.

3) Two varieties of wheat - A and B costing Rs. 9 per kg and Rs. 15 per kg were mixed in the ratio
3 : 7. If 5 kg of the mixture is sold at 25% profit, find the profit made?
Answer: Rs. 16.50
Explanation:
Let the quantities of A and B mixed be 3x kg and 7x kg.Cost of 3x kg of A = 9(3x) = Rs. 27x
Cost of 7x kg of B = 15(7x) = Rs. 105x
Cost of 10x kg of the mixture = 27x + 105x = Rs. 132x
Cost of 5 kg of the mixture = 132x/10x (5) = Rs. 66
Profit made in selling 5 kg of the mixture = 25/100 (cost of 5 kg of the mixture) = 25/100 * 66 =
Rs. 16.50

4) In a mixture of milk and water, the proportion of milk by weight was 80%. If, in a 180 gm
mixture, 36 gms of pure milk is added, what would be the percentage of milk in the mixture
formed?
Answer: 83.33%
Explanation:
Percentage of milk in the mixture formed = [80/100 (180) + 36] / (180 + 36) * 100%
= (144 + 36)/216 * 100%

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= 5/6 * 100%
= 83.33%.

5) In a can, there is a mixture of milk and water in the ratio 4 : 5. If it is filled with an additional 8
litres of milk the can would be full and ratio of milk and water would become 6 : 5. Find the
capacity of the can?
Answer: 44
Explanation:
Let the capacity of the can be T litres.
Quantity of milk in the mixture before adding milk = 4/9 (T - 8)
After adding milk, quantity of milk in the mixture = 6/11 T.
6T/11 - 8 = 4/9(T - 8)
10T = 792 - 352 => T = 44.

6) In what ratio should a variety of rice costing Rs. 6 per kg be mixed with another variety of rice
costing Rs. 8.75 per kg to obtain a mixture costing Rs. 7.50 per kg?
Answer: 5 : 6
Explanation:
Let us say the ratio of the quantities of cheaper and dearer varieties = x : y
By the rule of allegation, x/y = (87.5 - 7.50) / (7.50 - 6) = 5/6

7) A mixture of 70 litres of milk and water contains 10% water. How many litres of water should
be added to the mixture so that the mixture contains 12 1/2% water?
Answers: 2
Explanation:
Quantity of milk in the mixture = 90/100 (70) = 63 litres.
After adding water, milk would form 87 1/2% of the mixture.
Hence, if quantity of mixture after adding x liters of water, (87 1/2) / 100 x = 63 => x = 72
Hence 72 - 70 = 2 litres of water must be added.

8) All the water in container A which was filled to its brim was poured into two containers B and
C. The quantity of water in container B was 62.5% less than the capacity of container A. If 148
liters was now transferred from C to B, then both the containers would have equal quantities of
water. What was the initial quantity of water in container A?
Answer: 1184
Explanation:
B has 62.5% or (5/8) of the water in A. Therefore, let the quantity of water in container A(initially)
be 8k.
Quantity of water in B = 8k - 5k = 3k.
Quantity of water in container C = 8k - 3k = 5k
Container: A B C
Quantity of water: 8k 3k 5k
It is given that if 148 liters was transferred from container C to container B, then both the
containers would have equal quantities of water.
5k - 148 = 3k + 148 => 2k = 296 => k = 148
The initial quantity of water in A = 8k = 8 * 148 = 1184 liters.

9) Two vessels P and Q contain 62.5% and 87.5% of alcohol respectively. If 2 litres from vessel P
is mixed with 4 litres from vessel Q, the ratio of alcohol and water in the resulting mixture is?
Answer: 19 : 5

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Explanation:
Quantity of alcohol in vessel P = 62.5/100 * 2 = 5/4 litres
Quantity of alcohol in vessel Q = 87.5/100 * 4 = 7/2 litres
Quantity of alcohol in the mixture formed = 5/4 + 7/2 = 19/4 = 4.75 litres
As 6 litres of mixture is formed, ratio of alcohol and water in the mixture formed = 4.75 : 1.25 =
19 : 5.

10) A vessel of capacity 90 litres is fully filled with pure milk. Nine litres of milk is removed from
the vessel and replaced with water. Nine litres of the solution thus formed is removed and replaced
with water. Find the quantity of pure milk in the final milk solution?
Answer: 72.9
Explanation:
Let the initial quantity of milk in vessel be T litres.
Let us say y litres of the mixture is taken out and replaced by water for n times, alternatively.
Quantity of milk finally in the vessel is then given by [(T y)/T]n * T
For the given problem, T = 90, y = 9 and n = 2.
Hence, quantity of milk finally in the vessel
= [(90 9)/90]2 (90) = 72.9 litres.

11) What is the are of an equilateral triangle of side 16 cm?

Answer: 643 cm2
Explanation:
Area of an equilateral triangle = 3/4 S2
If S = 16, Area of triangle = 3/4 * 16 * 16 = 643 cm2;

12) If the sides of a triangle are 26 cm, 24 cm and 10 cm, what is its area?
Answers: 120 cm2
Explanation:
The triangle with sides 26 cm, 24 cm and 10 cm is right angled, where the hypotenuse is 26 cm.
Area of the triangle = 1/2 * 24 * 10 = 120 cm2

13) The perimeter of a triangle is 28 cm and the inradius of the triangle is 2.5 cm. What is the area
of the triangle?
Answer: 35 cm2
Explanation:
Area of a triangle = r * s
Where r is the inradius and s is the semi perimeter of the triangle.
Area of triangle = 2.5 * 28/2
= 35 cm2

14) Find the area of trapezium whose parallel sides are 20 cm and 18 cm long, and the distance
between them is 15 cm.
Answer: 285 cm2
Explanation:
Area of a trapezium = 1/2 (sum of parallel sides) * (perpendicular distance between them)
= 1/2 (20 + 18) * (15) = 285 cm2

15) Find the area of a parallelogram with base 24 cm and height 16 cm.
Answer: 384 cm2
Explanation:

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Area of a parallelogram = base * height
= 24 * 16 = 384 cm2

16) Find the roots of the quadratic equation: x2+ 2x - 15 = 0?

Answer: -5, 3
Explanation:
x2 + 5x - 3x - 15 = 0
x(x + 5) - 3(x + 5) = 0
(x - 3)(x + 5) = 0
=> x = 3 or x = -5.

17) Find the roots of the quadratic equation: 2x2 + 3x - 9 = 0?

Answer: 3/2, -3
Explanation:
2x2 + 6x - 3x - 9 = 0
2x(x + 3) - 3(x + 3) = 0
(x + 3)(2x - 3) = 0
=> x = -3 or x = 3/2.

18) The roots of the equation 3x2 - 12x + 10 = 0 are?

Answer: irrational and unequal
Explanation:
The discriminant of the quadratic equation is (-12)2 - 4(3)(10) i.e., 24. As this is positive but not a
perfect square, the roots are irrational and unequal.

19) If the roots of a quadratic equation are 20 and -7, then find the equation?
Answer: x2 - 13x - 140 = 0
Explanation:
Any quadratic equation is of the form
x2 - (sum of the roots)x + (product of the roots) = 0
where x is a real variable. As sum of the roots is 13 and product of the roots is -140, the quadratic
equation with roots as 20 and -7 is: x2 - 13x - 140 = 0.

20) If the roots of the equation 2x2 - 5x + b = 0 are in the ratio of 2:3, then find the value of b?
Answers: 3
Explanation:
Let the roots of the equation 2a and 3a respectively.
2a + 3a = 5a = -(- 5/2) = 5/2 => a = 1/2
Product of the roots: 6a2 = b/2 => b = 12a2
a = 1/2, b = 3.

21) The sum of the squares of two consecutive positive integers exceeds their product by 91. Find
the integers?
Answer: 9, 10
Explanation:
Let the two consecutive positive integers be x and x + 1
x2 + (x + 1)2 - x(x + 1) = 91
x2 + x - 90 = 0
(x + 10)(x - 9) = 0

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=> x = -10 or 9.
As x is positive x = 9
Hence the two consecutive positive integers are 9 and 10.

22) One root of the quadratic equation x2 - 12x + a = 0, is thrice the other. Find the value of a?
Answer: 27
Explanation:
Let the roots of the quadratic equation be x and 3x.
Sum of roots = -(-12) = 12
a + 3a = 4a = 12 => a = 3
Product of the roots = 3a2
= 3(3)2
= 27.

23) The sum of the square of the three consecutive even natural numbers is 1460. Find the
numbers?
Answer: 20, 22, 24
Explanation:
Three consecutive even natural numbers be 2x - 2, 2x and 2x + 2.
(2x - 2)2 + (2x)2 + (2x + 2)2 = 1460
4x2 - 8x + 4 + 4x2 + 8x + 4 = 1460
12x2 = 1452 => x2 = 121 => x = 11
As the numbers are positive, 2x > 0. Hence x > 0. Hence x = 11.
Required numbers are 20, 22, 24.

24) If a and b are the roots of the equation x2 - 9x + 20 = 0, find the value of a2 + b2 + ab?
Answer: 61
Explanation:
a2 + b2 + ab = a2 + b2 + 2ab - ab
i.e., (a + b)2 - ab
from x2 - 9x + 20 = 0, we have
a + b = 9 and ab = 20. Hence the value of required expression (9)2 - 20 = 61.

25) In an examination, every candidate took physics or mathematics or both 65.8% took physics
and 59.2% took mathematics the total number of candidates was 2000. How many candidates took
both physics and mathematics?
Answer: 500
Explanation:
Let x% candidates take both the subjects.
Therefore, Percentage of candidates who opted physics = 65.8%
And percentage of candidates who opted mathematics = 59.2%
Therefore, x =(65.8 + 59.2 - 100)%
= (125 -100)% = 25%
Also total number of candidates = 2000
Therefore, Number of candidates who opted both the subjects = 25/100 x 2000 =500

26) Two numbers X and Y are respectively 20% and 28% less than a third number Z. By what
percentage is the number Y less than that of the number X?
Answer: 10%
Explanation:

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Here Z = 100, x =80 and y =72
Accoroding to Formula = New Amount Original amount/ Original amount*100%
Percentage change = 8/80 x 100% = 10%
Hence Y is less than X by 10%

27) In a survey it was found that 80% of those surveyed owned a car while 60% of those surveyed
owned a mobile phone, if 55% owned both a car and a Mobile phone, What percent of those
surveyed owned a car or a mobile phone or both?
Answer: 85%
Explanation:
Given that percentage of car owners = 80%
Percentage of mobile phone owners = 60%
Percentage of people having both car and mobile phone = 55%
Percentage of people having only car = 80 -55 = 25%
Percentage of people having only mobile phone = 60 -55 =5%
Percentage of people having car or mobile phone or both = 55% + 25% + 5% = 85%

28) If the price of petral is increased by 20% by what percentage should the consumption be
decreased by the consumer if the expenditure on petral remains unchanged?
Answer: 16 2/3%
Explanation:
Required decrease in consumption = a/100+a *100%
20/100+20*100%
Here a = 20% = 20/120 x 100% = 16 2/3%

29) If Mohan while selling two goats at the same price makes a profit of 10% on one goat and
suffers a loss of 10% on the other, he
Answer: Suffers a loss of 1%
Explanation:
Let SP of each goat be Rs. X
On one goat profit earned = 10%
Therefore CP of first goat = Rs. 10X/11
On other goat loss occurred = 10%
Therefore CP of second goat = Rs. 10X/9
Thus, total CP of two goats = (10X/11 + 10X/9)
Here CP > SP
Therefore loss percentage
= 2x/99 x 99/200x x 100% =1%
Suffers a loss of 1%

30) The tank full of petrol in Aruns motorcycle lasts for 10 days, if he starts using 25% more
every day for how many days will the tank full of petrol last?
Answer: 8days
Explanation:
Let us assume that Arun uses X units of petrol everyday.
So the amount of petrol in the tank when it is fuel will be 10X.
If he started using 25% more petrol every day, then the amount of petrol he how uses everyday will
be
X (1 +25/100) =1.25x

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Therefore, number of days his petrol will how last = Amount of petrol in tank / amount of petrol
used everyday = 10x/1.25x = 10/1.25 = 8 Days

31) Candidates in a competitive examination consisted of 60% men and 40% women 70% men and
75% women cleared the qualifying test and entered the final test where 80% men and 70% women
were successful? Which of the following statements is correct?
Answer: More men cleared the examination than women
Explanation:
Let there are 100 persons in which 60 men and 40 women number of men who cleared the
qualifying test
= 70 x 60/100 = 42
Number of women who cleared the qualifying test
= 40 x = 30
Number of men who get success in final test
= 42 x 4/5 = 33.6
Number of women who get success in final test
= 30 x 70/100 = 21
Hence more men cleared the examination than a woman.

32) In a test a candidate attempted only 8 Questions and secured 50% marks in each of the
questions if the obtained a total of 40% in the test and all questions in the test carried equal marks,
how many questions were there in the test?
Answer: 10
Explanation:
Let the marks of each question be 10
Total marks got by the candidate = 8 x 5 =40 marks
40% = 40 : 100 = 100
Therefore, Total number of questions = 100/10 =10

33) A city has a population of 300000 out of which 180000 are males 50% of the population is
illiterate if 70 % of the males are literate, then the number of literate females is
Answer: 24000
Explanation:
Total population = 300000
Total number of males = 180000
Total literates = 5% of total population = 150000
Number of literate males = 70% of males = 126000

34) In a company, 60% of the employees are men, of this 40 % are drawing more than Rs. 50000
per year. 36% of the total employees of the company draw more than Rs.50000 per year then what
is the percentage of women who are drawing less than Rs. 5000 per year?
Answer: 70%
Explanation:
Total number of employees be 100
Then number of men = 6000/100 = 60
Number of women = 4000/100 = 40
Therefore, number of men drawing more than Rs. 50000 = 2400/100 = 24 men
Since the number of total employees drawing more than Rs. 50000 = 3600/100 = 36
Number of women who draw more than Rs. 50000 = 36- 24 = 12
Number of women who draw less than Rs. 50000 = 40 -12 = 28

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Therefore, Percentage of the women who draw less than Rs. 50000 per year = 28/40 x 100% =
70%

35) 10 % of the electorate did not cast their votes in an election between two candidates. 10 % of
the votes polled were found invalid. The successful candidate got 54 % of the valid votes and won
by a majority of 1620 votes. The number of voters enrolled on the voter's list was
Answer: 25000
Explanation:
Let the number of votes enrolled be x
Votes cast = (90/100 x) = 9x/10
Valid votes = 90% of 9x/10 = (90/100 9x/10) = 81x/100
Votes polled by successful candidate
= (54/100 81x/100) = 4374x/10000
Votes polled by defeated candidate
= (46/100 81x/100)
= 3726x/10000
=> 4374x 3726x
= 16200000
=> x = 16200000/648
= 25000

36) Three candidates in an election received 1136, 7636 and 11628 votes respectively. What
percentage of the total votes did the winning candidate get?
Answer: 57%
Explanation:
Total votes = (1136 + 7636 + 11628) = 20400
Required % = (11628/20400 100)% = 57%

37) The value of a plant depreciates by 10 % annually. If the present value of the plant is Rs.
100000, then what will be its value after 2 years?
Answer: Rs. 81000
Explanation:
Value after 2 Years = Rs[100000 (1 10/100)2]
= Rs (100000 0.9 0.9) = Rs 81000

38) If the numerator of a fraction is increased by 250 % and the denominator is increased by 400
% the resultant fraction is 7/19. What is the original fraction?
Answer: 10/19
Explanation:
Let the original fraction be x/y, then
350% of X/500% of Y = 7/19
=> 3.5/5 x/y = 7/19
=> 350/500 x/y = 7/19
=>7/10 x/y = 7/19
=> x/y =(7/19 10/7) = 10/19
Therefore Original Fraction = 10/19

39) The price of a certain item is increased by 15 %. If a consumer wants to keep his expenditure
on the item same as before how much percent must he reduce his consumption of that item?
Answer: 13 1/23 %

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Explanation:
Reduction % in consumption
= {r/(100+r) 100} % =(15/115 100)%
= 300/23 %
= 13 1/23 %

40) The sum of two numbers is 2490. If 6.5 % of one number is equal to 8.5 % of the other then
the numbers are:
Answer: 1411, 1079
Explanation:
Let the number be x and (2490 - x).
Then 6.5 % of x = 8.5 % of (2490 - x)
=> 6.5/100 x = 8.5/100 (2490 - x)
=> 65x/1000 = 85(2490 - x)/1000
=> 65x = (85 2490) 85x
=> 150x =(85 2490)
=> x = 211650/150 = 1411
Hence the numbers are 1411 and (2490 1411)
= 1079

41) A reduction of 20 % in the price of rice enables a person to buy 3.5 kg more rice for Rs. 385.
The original price of rice is:
Answer: Rs. 27.50 per kg
Explanation:
Let the original price be Rs x per kg.
New price per kg = Rs (80/100 x) = Rs 4x/5
=> 1925/4x 385/x = 7/2
=> (1925 - 1540) = 14x
=> 14x = 385
=> 2x =55
=> x = 27.50
Hence, the original price of the rice is Rs 27.50 per kg

42) 8 % of the voters in an election did not cast their votes in the election, there were only two
candidates. The winner by obtaining 48 % of the total votes defeated his contestant by 1100 votes.
The total number of voters in the election was.
Answer: 27500
Explanation:
Let the total number of voters be x
Votes cast = 92 % of x = (92/100 x) = 23x/25
Votes in favour of winning candidate = 48/100 x
= 12x/25
Votes polled by defeated candidate = (23x/25 12x/25)
= 11x/25 12x/25 11x/25 = 1100
=> 12x 11x = 27500
=> x = 27500

43) In an election between two candidates. One got 55 % of the total valid votes. 20 % of the votes
were invalid. If the total number of votes was 7500. The number of valid votes that the other

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candidate got was
Answer: 2700
Explanation:
Valid votes = (80/100 7500) = 6000
Valid votes polled by one candidates
=(55/100 6000) = 3300
Valid votes polled by another candidate
= (6000 - 3300) = 2700

44) In an election between two candidates 75 % of the voters cast their votes. Out of which 2 % of
the voters were declared invalid. A candidate got 9261 votes which were 75 % of the total valid
votes. The total number of voters enrolled in that election was:
Answer: 16800
Explanation:
Let the enrolled votes be x,
Votes cast = (75/100 x) = 3x/4
Valid votes = (98/100 3x/4)
= 147x/200 75/100 147x/200 = 9261
=> 441x = (9261 800)
=> x = 16800

45) The edge of a cube is 2a cm. Find its surface?

Answer: 24a2cm2
Explanation:
6a2 = 6 * 2a * 2a = 24a2

46) A wooden box of dimensions 8m x 7m x 6m is to carry rectangular boxes of dimensions 8cm x

7cm x 6cm. The maximum number of boxes that can be carried in 1 wooden box is?
Answer: 1000000
Explanation:
Number of Boxes
=Volume of wooden box in cm3/ Volume of 1 small Box
=800*700*600/8*7*6
= 1000000

47) A metal sheet 27 cm long 8cm broad and 1 cm thick is melted into a cube. The difference
between the surface areas of two solids is
Answer: 286 cm2
Explanation:
Volume of sheet = (27 8 1)cm3 = 216 cm3
Volume of cube formed = 216 cm3
Therefore, Edge of the cube = (6 6 6)1/3 = 6 cm
Surface area of original cuboid = 2 (27 8 + 8 1 + 27 1) cm2 = 502 cm2
Surface area of the cube formed = [6 (6) 2] cm2 = 216 cm2
Therefore, Difference in areas = (502 - 216)cm2= 286 cm2

48) If the volumes of two cubes are in the ratio 8: 1, the ratio of their edges is
Answer: 2 : 1
Explanation:
Volumes be 8x3 and x3

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2x and x respectively
Therefore, Ratio of their edges = 2 : 1

49) If the length, breadth and the height of a cuboid are in the ratio 6: 5: 4 and if the total surface
area is 33300 cm2, then length breadth and height in cms, are respectively?
Answer: 90, 75,60
Explanation:
Length = 6x
Breadth = 5x
Height = 4x in cm
Therefore, 2(6x 5x + 5x 4x + 6x 4x) = 33300
148x2 = 33300
=> x2 = 33300/148 = 225
=> x = 15.
Therefore, Length = 90cm,
Breadth = 75cm,
Height = 60cm
90, 75 , 60 cm

50) The surface area of a cube is 726m2, its volume is?

Answer: 1331 m3
Explanation:
6a2 = 726
=> a2 = 121
=> a = 11 Cm
Therefore, Volume of the cube
= (11 11 11) cm3 = 1331 cm3

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