Question

A student has to secure 40% marks to pass. He got 40 marks and failed by 40 marks. The maximum number of marks is
(a) 400
(b) 300
(c) 200
(d) 100

Answer 1

Hint: We will be using the concept of percentage to tackle this question. We will assume the maximum number of marks to be x. Student got 40 marks and he failed by 40 marks so the total mass required to pass is 80 which means 40% of the maximum marks is equal to 80.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Let the maximum number of marks be x.
Also if we have to turn a percentage into a fraction we will just divide by 100.
Here it is mentioned in the question that the student got 40 marks and he failed by 40 marks. Using this information, we get,
Marks achieved by the student \[=40......(1)\]
Marks by which the student failed \[=40......(2)\]
So adding equation (1) and equation (2) we get the total marks needed to pass.
Marks required to pass \[=40+40=80......(3)\]
It is also mentioned in the question that the student has to secure 40% marks to pass, so using this information we get,
 \[\Rightarrow 40%\,\text{of }x\text{=80}.........\text{(4)}\]
Now changing the percentage into fraction in equation (4) we get,
 \[\Rightarrow \dfrac{40}{100}\,\times \text{ }x\text{=80}.........\text{(5)}\]
 Solving for x in equation (5) we get,
 \[\Rightarrow x\text{=}\dfrac{80\times 100}{40}=200\]
Hence 200 is the maximum marks and so option (c) is the right answer.

Note: Whatever the question is asking us to find we will take it to be x, this way it consumes less time. We just have to remember the percentage formula and then read the question properly. In a hurry, we can make a mistake by taking 40% of total marks required to pass.