Five mangoes and four oranges cost as much as three mangoes and seven oranges. What is the ratio of the cost of one mango to the…

Question

Five mangoes and four oranges cost as much as three mangoes and seven oranges. What is the ratio of the cost of one mango to the cost of one orange?

1. A. 4:3
2. B. 1:3
3. C. 3:2 (Correct answer)
4. D. 5:2

Correct Answer

Option C — 3:2

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 3:2.

Key Points

• Let one mango cost m and one orange r.
• Given 5m + 4r = 3m + 7r.
• Rearranging: 5m − 3m = 7r − 4r, so 2m = 3r.
• Therefore m : r = 3 : 2.

Additional Information

• The technique is to collect like terms on opposite sides, which turns a comparison of two baskets into a single ratio without ever needing the actual prices.
• Note that the individual costs of a mango and an orange are indeterminate — only their ratio is fixed. Any pair in the ratio 3 : 2 satisfies the condition.
• The same method solves the wider family of "x of A and y of B cost as much as..." questions, which appear in almost every JKSSB quantitative section.