document.write( "Question 3921: Of the z students at a certain college, x are studying French and y are studying German. If w are studying both French and German, which of the following expresses the number of students at the college not studying either French or German ?
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document.write( " (A) z + w – x – y
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document.write( " (B) z – w – x – y
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document.write( " (C) z – w – x + y
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document.write( " (D) w + x + y – z
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document.write( " (E) w – x – y – z
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Algebra.Com's Answer #1721 by longjonsilver(2297)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! think of an enclosed box with 2 circles inside, overlapping each other - the classic Venn diagram.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Let F - circle1 for those who study French \n" ); document.write( "Let G - circle2 for those who study German\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "If you think of the 2 circles as apart, first, then some people must be in both circles (since they study both French and German). As you merge the 2 circles, these people will be in the overlapping area (FnG) but will have been counted twice.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now the total number of people in the circles = all in F circle + all in G circle minus one lot of those in both\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In maths notation, FuG, meaning (F union G) is everyone in the 2 sets (circles). \n" ); document.write( "Whilst FnG (F intersection G) is those people just in BOTH sets ( circles)...i remember this by the n symbol looking like the n in iNtersection. Petty, but it works for me :-).\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "So, (FuG) = F + G - (FnG)\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In your question, you have different lettering, so lets put them in instead:\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "FuG = x + y - w\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "Now, since FuG are those STUDYING the languages, then those who don't study them must be all the rest, surely?\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "As the total number of students is z, then those NOT studying F and/or G will be:\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "z-(x+y-w) which becomes z-x-y+w, which is answer A.\r \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "jon. \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |