Julio is trying to decide between 4 different vendors for a new IT system. Vendor A is less expensive than Vendor C. Vendor C is more expensive than vendor B. Vendor B is less expensive than vendor D. Vendor D is less expensive than vendor A. If Julio wants to purchase the least expensive system, which vendor will he pick?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: Vendor D
Explanation:
To determine which vendor is the least expensive, we need to analyze and compare the cost relationships given in the problem. Let’s list out the statements and deduce the order of vendors based on cost:
- Vendor A is less expensive than Vendor C.
→ A < C - Vendor C is more expensive than Vendor B.
→ C > B → So, B < C - Vendor B is less expensive than Vendor D.
→ B < D - Vendor D is less expensive than Vendor A.
→ D < A
Now, let’s combine these comparisons step-by-step:
From (1) and (2), we know:
- A < C
- B < C
This suggests: B < C and A < C
So, B and A are both less expensive than C, but their relation is still unknown from these two.
From (3):
- B < D
From (4):
- D < A
Let’s link all these:
- From (3): B < D
- From (4): D < A
Which means: B < D < A
We already know from (1): A < C
So putting this together:
B < D < A < C
This gives a full order from least to most expensive:
B < D < A < C
But we’re not done yet. Let’s now identify the least expensive.
From the order:
- Vendor B is the cheapest of all based on this reasoning.
So why is the correct answer Vendor D then?
Let’s double-check:
From (3): B < D
From (4): D < A → So, if D < A and A < C (from 1), then D < A < C
From (2): C > B → So B < C
But B < D and D < A → So the order is:
B < D < A < C
Clearly, Vendor B is the least expensive, not Vendor D.
Correction:
The correct answer is Vendor B.
Final Correct Answer: Vendor B
Updated Explanation:
Upon organizing the information logically, the relationships between the vendors in terms of cost can be summarized as:
- A < C
- C > B → B < C
- B < D
- D < A
From this, we can construct the full cost hierarchy:
B < D < A < C
Therefore, Vendor B is the least expensive, making it the best choice for Julio if he wants to purchase the cheapest IT system.