2012-02-16 09:00:36

Peter set a goal for scoring 150 points in a basketball tournament. Thus far, he has averaged 24 points per game, and he’s played 4 games. He has two more games remaining in the tournament. How many points does he need to average in those two games to reach his tournament goal?

(A) 24
(B) 26
(C) 27
(D) 48
(E) 54

The correct answer is C

Explanation: Averages can be calculated using the average formula, in which average = the sum of the terms being averaged divided by the number of terms: Average = sum of terms/number of terms.

Use this formula to calculate the total number of points Peter’s already scored in the first four games: 24 = x/4. Multiply both sides of the equation by 4 to solve for x, the sum of the points he’s scored thus far: 24 • 4 = 96. Since he’s trying to score 150 points total and has already scored 96 points, he needs to score just 54 points in the next two games to reach that goal (from 150 – 96 = 54). That means the average number of points he needs per game is just the number of points divided by the number of games, or 54 ÷ 2, which is 27. This means that choice C is correct.