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Question 176296: I'm not sure if this problem can be solved. It appeared on an aptitude test that was part of a job application.
Jack makes twice as much as Mary. Jill makes 8 more than Mary. Who makes more?
I have come to the conclusion that this problem cannot be solved without more information. This is the answer I gave on the test, but it keeps bugging me. I have tried to solve for each of the variables but never get to an actual number.
Help?
Answer by EMStelley(208)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! You're right, you need to know at least one more piece of information. All you can do now is say that Mary makes m. Then Jack makes 2m and Jill makes m+8. But without a given constant, you're stuck. You can however, give conditions:
When do they make the same?
2m=m+8
So m=8. If Mary makes $8, Jack and Jill make the same amount. If Mary makes less than $8, say $7 for an example, Jack makes $14 and Jill makes $15, so Jill will be the winner if Mary makes less than $8. If Mary makes more than $8, say $9 for an example, Jack makes $18 and Jill makes $17. So if Mary makes more than $8, Jack is the winner.
Unfortunately, the creator of the aptitude test did not consult a mathematician :)
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