Two business partners who operate a truck have agreed that neither partner will drive the truck for more than 10...
GMAT Graphics Interpretation : (GI) Questions
Two business partners who operate a truck have agreed that neither partner will drive the truck for more than 10 hours in any calendar day. The graph shows the number of kilometers that the truck was driven during each of 12 consecutive calendar days. On days 7, 8, 9, and 11, the driving time was equally divided between the two partners. On each of the other days, only one of the partners drove. No one else drove the truck. Everywhere the truck was driven during the period shown, the maximum speed limit was 100 kilometers per hour or less.
Based on the information provided, select from each drop-down menu the option that creates the most accurate statement.
Owning the Dataset
Table 1: Text Analysis
| Text Component | Literal Content | Simple Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Business partners | Two business partners who operate a truck | Two people own and drive one truck |
| Driving time rule | Neither partner will drive the truck for more than 10 hours in any calendar day | Each partner must not drive more than 10 hours per day |
| Time period | 12 consecutive calendar days | Data is for 12 continuous days |
| Shared driving days | Days 7, 8, 9, and 11: driving time equally divided between two partners | On those days, both partners drove equal times |
| Other days | On each of the other days, only one partner drove | Days 1-6, 10, and 12: only one partner drove |
| Exclusivity | No one else drove the truck | Only the two named partners ever drove |
| Speed limit | Maximum speed limit was 100 km/h or less everywhere the truck was driven | Truck could be driven at most 100 km/h |
Table 2: Chart Analysis
| Chart Feature | What is Shown | What This Tells Us |
|---|---|---|
| Y-axis | Kilometers driven: 0 to 1,600 in 200 km increments | Daily distances up to 1,600 km are possible |
| X-axis | 12 consecutive days | Each day labeled 1-12 |
| Highest values | Days 7 (~1450 km), 8 (~1400 km) | Maximum distances occur on shared-driving days |
| Other high values | Days 6 (~1240 km), 10 (~1220 km), 11 (~1240 km) | Several days above 1,000 km, including some single-driver |
| Days below 1,000 km | Days 1-5, 9, and 12 | On these, 10 hr at 100 km/h could cover the distance |
| Pattern | Peaks and plateaus, especially days 6-8 and 10-11 | Intense activity in that range of days |
Key Insights
- Any day where a single partner drove more than about 1,000 km must have required more than 10 hours at legal speeds, violating the agreement if only one person drove.
- Days with equally divided driving (7, 8, 9, and 11) show the highest overall distances but are allowable, since no individual exceeds the limit if their half is under 1,000 km.
- The 1,000 km threshold on the chart represents the practical daily upper bound for a single driver at the maximum allowed speed; visually, most days remain below this, but a few single-driver days (6, 10, possibly 11) slightly exceed it, implying possible overstepping of the rule.
Step-by-Step Solution
Question 1: Identifying the First Day the Maximum Driving Time Was Exceeded
Complete Statement:
If the information in the graph and accompanying text is accurate and if neither driver violated the speed limit at any time, it follows that the agreed-on maximum driving time per day was exceeded on Day [BLANK 1]
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: agreed-on maximum driving time per day
- Meaning: Drivers were not permitted to drive more than the agreed-upon time each day.
- Relation to Chart: We must look for days where the required driving time to cover the day's distance exceeds the agreement.
- Important Implications: Any day a driver went above this limit represents a violation of the agreement.
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: neither driver violated the speed limit at any time
- Meaning: Drivers did not exceed the maximum legal speed of 100 km/hr.
- Relation to Chart: This means the furthest a driver can go in 10 hours is 1,000 kilometers.
- Important Implications: If a day's trip required more than 1,000 km for a single driver, that driver must have driven for more than 10 hours.
- What is needed: Which day among choices 6, 7, 8, 9 was a single-driver day with a distance above 1,000 km.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Compare distance driven on single-driver days to the 1,000 km maximum allowed (since \\(10 \text{ hours} × 100 \text{ km/hr} = 1,000 \text{ km}\\)). - Necessary Data points:
From the graph: Day 6 (single driver, 1,240 km); Day 7, 8, and 9 (split driving); - Calculations Estimations:
Day 6: \\(1,240 \text{ km} ÷ 100 \text{ km/hr} = 12.4 \text{ hours}\\). That's above the 10-hour limit. Other days either don't exceed 1,000 km or are split between two drivers. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Among options 6, 7, 8, and 9, only Day 6 is a single-driver day that exceeds 1,000 km.
FINAL ANSWER Blank 1: 6
Question 2: Identifying the Second Day the Maximum Driving Time Was Exceeded
Complete Statement:
and also on Day [BLANK 2]
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: and also on Day [BLANK 2]
- Meaning: A second day also exceeded the agreed maximum driving time.
- Relation to Chart: We must use the same process for the remaining possible days.
- What is needed: Which day among choices 10, 11, and 12 is a single-driver day exceeding 1,000 km.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Use the established threshold: a single-driver day with mileage over 1,000 km means the maximum time was exceeded. - Necessary Data points:
From the graph: Day 10 (single driver, 1,220 km), Day 11 (split, 1,240 km), Day 12 (single driver, 700 km). - Calculations Estimations:
Day 10: \\(1,220 \text{ km} ÷ 100 \text{ km/hr} = 12.2 \text{ hours}\\) (over 10 hours). Day 11's 1,240 km is split between two drivers. Day 12 is under the threshold. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Only Day 10, a single-driver day, exceeds the allowed 1,000 km. Therefore, Day 10 is also a violation.
FINAL ANSWER Blank 2: 10
Summary
When drivers did not break the speed limit of 100 km/hr and the maximum agreed driving time is 10 hours per day, any day where a single driver covered more than 1,000 km means the agreement was violated. On Day 6, a single driver covered 1,240 km; on Day 10, a single driver covered 1,220 km. These are the only days among the choices where the agreement was certainly exceeded.
Question Independence Analysis
Both blanks are independent. Each asks you to find a separate day where the maximum driving time was exceeded, using the same reasoning but not relying on each other. Solving one blank does not provide information about the other.