Question

@Directrix Could you help me with this problem? I'm really stuck!
70 percent of a magazine’s readers are women. Of those, 45% read the magazine’s movie reviews. If reading the movie reviews is independent of gender, what percent of men read the movie reviews?

a. 31.5%
b. 115%
c. 45%
d. 25%

Answer 1

Any hint would be great, if there is a formula to figure this out?

Answer 2

I'm not sure but this is how I'm thinking:

70 percent of a magazine’s readers are women.
-----
70% R = W where R = readers and W = women

Of those, 45% read the magazine’s movie reviews.
----------------------------
45% (75% R) = MR where MR = readers who read the movie reviews.

Answer 3

Okay, that makes sense!

Answer 4

Now, we have to interpret it.

Answer 5

In the question, do you think "Of those," refers to the total women readers or to the total number of readers of the magazine?

Answer 6

If there were 100 readers total,

70 would be females and 31.5 of them read Movie Reviews which is 31.5% of the women reading MRs

30 would be males

The question, though, appears to be about the males.

Answer 7

We know that 31.5% of the women read the movie reviews.
This statement that "reading the movie reviews is independent of gender" would indicate that the same percentage of men read the movie reviews as do the women.

With that, do you agree that 31.5% of the men read the movie reviews?

I don't know why the "independent of gender" did not register with me when I first read the question.

I'm going with the 31.5%. See what you think.

@bumblebee3

Answer 8

That's what I got too! Thank you so much!

Answer 9

You are welcome.