A family has two children along with their parents. The average of the weights of the children and their mother is 50 kg. The average of the weights of the children and their father is 52 kg. If the weight of the father is 60 kg, then what is the weight of the mother ?
- (a) 48 kg
- (b) 50 kg
- (c) 52 kg
- (d) 54 kg ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• Children + mother = 3 × 50 = 150 kg, and children + father = 3 × 52 = 156 kg.
• The father weighs 60 kg, so the two children together weigh 156 − 60 = 96 kg.
• Mother = 150 − 96 = 54 kg, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 48 kg
- If the mother weighed 48 kg the children would weigh 102 kg, making the father 54 kg, not 60 kg.
- (b) 50 kg
- 50 kg is the average of the children and mother, not the mother's weight.
- (c) 52 kg
- 52 kg is the average of the children and father, not the mother's weight.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2019, held on 2 June 2019. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.