<p>ok i can never figure out how to do these problems on the sat that have a gazillion variables ...like this one for eg:
A company produces soap at the rate of b bars in h hours. If the company can sell each bar of soap for 3 dollars, how many dollars worth of soap does it produce in x hours?
(A) 3b/h
(B) bx/3h
(C) 3h/bx
(D) 3bx/h
(E) 3bh/x
how do i go about solving this one without going blank for like 5 mins initially ....i was wondering if maybe you had a magical way to simplify it and not make it seem so complex..</p>
<p>Alright, it's early but I'll take a shot.</p>
<p>each bar is worth 3 dollars, so the price of b bars is 3b.
You make b bars every h hours.
so the price would be 3b/h.</p>
<p>Or you can substitute variables.</p>
<p>Lets say we make 6 bars every 2 hours.
Each bar is worth 3 dollars, so we have 3*6, or $18 worth of bars.
We made that 18$ worth of bars in 2 hours, so divide 18 by 2 and you have $9.</p>
<p>So, b=6, h=2 and the only listed answer that gives us 9 is A, 3b/h</p>
<p>The question itself however is kinda screwy. They give 2 variables for the same time, h and x. In every listed answer but A, however, h and x will cancel each other out.</p>
<p>Hope that helped.</p>
<p>Bars per hour will be = b/h
Each is $3, so in one hour they can earn 3b/h
The in x hours the'll earn 3bx/h</p>
<p>^That, my friend, is why you don't do math in the morning.
nngmm did it right and much better.</p>