Question

The oil burner in a certain house is used to heat the house and to heat the hot water. During the seven cold months when the house is heated, an average of 200 gallons of oil a month is used. In the remaining 5 months, when the house is not heated, a total of 200 gallons of oil is used. What percentage of the year's oil supply is required to heat water during these five months?

(A) 1/8%
(B) 7%
(C) 8%
(D) 12 1/2 %
(E) 14%

Answer 1

7*200 = 1400 gallons of oil are used in the winter

1*200 = 200 gallons of oil are used in the non-winter 5 months

So, 1600 gallons of oil are used every 12 months.

Do you agree with that so far, @KawasumiKimiko

Answer 2

Why did you multiply 200 by 7? Isnt 200 gallons used for the first 7 months the average?

Answer 3

I read this: During the seven cold months when the house is heated, an average of 200 gallons of oil a month is used

and saw 200 gallons of oil a MONTH. So , each of the 7 months, 200 gallons of oil is used.

Answer 4

For the non-winter months, the gallons are given for the entire 5 months.

Answer 5

oh....

Answer 6

The percentage of oil used in that 5 month period can be found by dividing the amount of oil used in that period by the total amount of oil used for the year.

Divide 200 by 1600 and then write that quotient as a percentage. Let me know what you get. Okay?

Answer 7

I got 800.

Uh...so the percent is 80000%?

Answer 8

wait, nvm. I got 12.5%

Answer 9

its 12.5%?

Answer 10

Yeh. I think it's D.

Answer 11

12.5 % is what I got.

Answer 12

yay! ^^

Answer 13

>I got 800. It is always good to analyze errors.

I think you divided the numerator into the denomator and that made the answer incorrect. Do you agree?

Answer 14

Er...yeh