Can anyone please help me with this question.

Asked by Sneha Biswas on 2026-04-22 in CAT Prep

Consider a class of 40 students whose average weight is 40 kgs. m new students join this class whose average weight is n kgs. If it is known that m + n = 50, what is the maximum possible average weight of the class now? The answer is 40.56kgs. Can anyone please help.

3 Answers

Meet · 2026-04-23 · 3 helpful

FINALLY I SOLVED IT:
m+n=50 so, n=50-m
Extra Weight per New Student= n-40
so, Total Extra Weight= m(n-40)= m(10-m).
THINK OF THIS "TOTAL EXTRA WEIGHT" LIKE A BUCKET OF WATER. TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE AVERAGE WEIGHT OF THE CLASS INCREASES, YOU HAVE TO POUR THE EXTRA WEIGHT EQUALLY OVER EVERYONE NOW IN THE CLASS.

Increase in Avg. = total extra weight/ total number of students. = m(10-m) / 40+m.

To maximize avg., we need INCREASE to its highest.
Imagine you have 2 numbers that always add upto 10.(whose total is 10).

1*9=9
2*8=16
3*7=21
4*6=24
5*5=25
6*4=24.....

Here we've (m & 10-m)
PRODUCT is always maximized when the numbers are as close to equal as possible.

FINAL STEP:
m= 5
INCREASE= m(10-m) / 40+m
=25/45 =5/9
5/9 = 0.55555555...

NEW AVERAGE = OLD + INCREASE = 40 + 0.55555

FINAL ANSWER = 0.55555/ 40.56kgs

Vandana Pramod · 2026-04-22 · 2 helpful

You are given: m+n=50
To maximize the final average,
For a fixed sum, the product m×n is maximum when both are equal. So, m=25,n=25
Step 1: Original total weight = 40×40=1600
Step 2: Added total weight = 25×25=625
Step 3: New average

Total students = 40+25=65

Average= (1600+625) / 65 = 2225 / 65
≈34.23

VIVEK KUMAR MISHRA · 2026-04-23 · 2 helpful

Initial avg= 40
Initial students=40
Total initial weight= 1600 kgs
m new students added, avg weight is n. Total new weight added = m*n.
Avg after addition of m students is (1600+m*n) Kgs / (40+m) i.e. total weight/ total students.
For this fraction to be maximum, denominator should be minimum. i.e. m=1. => n= 49
average= (1600+ 1*49)/ 40+1 = 1649/41 = 40.21 kgs.

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