Percentage Q41

41.

A shepherd has 1 million sheep at the beginning of Year 2000. The numbers grow by x% (x > 0) during the year. A famine hits his village in the next year and many of his sheep die. The sheep population decreases by y% during 2001 and at the beginning of 2002 the shepherd finds that he is left with 1 million sheep. Which of the following is correct?

	A.	x > y
	B.	y > x
	C.	x = y
	D.	Cannot be determined

Answer - (A)
Solution:
Let us assume the value of x to be 10%.
Therefore, the number of sheep in the herd at the beginning of year 2001 (end of 2000) will be 1 million + 10% of 1 million = 1.1 million

In 2001, the numbers decrease by y% and at the end of the year the number sheep in the herd = 1 million.
i.e., 0.1 million sheep have died in 2001.

In terms of the percentage of the number of sheep alive at the beginning of 2001, it will be (0.1/1.1)*100 % = 9.09%.

From the above illustration it is clear that x > y.