The largest gap — Tables & Charts Aptitude Question
The largest gap: | Stream | Boys | Girls | Total | |------------|------|-------|-------| | Science | 240 | 160 |… Answer and worked solution on CodeKairo.
- Topic: Tables & Charts
- Section: Data Interpretation
- Difficulty: Medium
- Time target: 60 seconds
Question
| Stream | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science | 240 | 160 | 400 |
| Commerce | 180 | 120 | 300 |
| Arts | 80 | 220 | 300 |
| Total | 500 | 500 | 1000 |
In which stream is the difference between boys and girls the greatest?
Options
- Science
- Commerce
- Arts
- Science and Arts equally
Show the answer and the worked solution
Correct answer: C. Arts
Worked solution
- Science: 240 − 160 = 80.
- Commerce: 180 − 120 = 60.
- Arts: 220 − 80 = 140.
- The greatest gap is in Arts.
Answer: Arts.
The idea
Take the absolute difference regardless of which sex leads. The direction of the gap does not matter unless the question says so.
Shortcut. The gap equals |2 × boys − total|: Science 80, Commerce 60, Arts 140. Arts is also the only stream where one side is under a third.
Common trap. "Science" — taking boys minus girls with its sign, so Arts' 80 − 220 = −140 looks the smallest; the size of the gap is what counts.