In a college election between two rivals, a candidate got 30% of the total votes polled. He was defeated by his rival by 200 votes. The total number of votes polled was:
- A500
- B300
- C400
- D600
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
Let the total number of votes polled be x.
The defeated candidate received 30% of the votes, which is 0.30x.
Since there are only two candidates, the winning candidate must have received the remaining votes:
100%−30%=70% of the votes=0.70x
The difference between their votes is given as 200:
0.70x−0.30x=200
0.40x=200
x=
0.40
200
=500
The total number of votes polled was 500.
The defeated candidate received 30% of the votes, which is 0.30x.
Since there are only two candidates, the winning candidate must have received the remaining votes:
100%−30%=70% of the votes=0.70x
The difference between their votes is given as 200:
0.70x−0.30x=200
0.40x=200
x=
0.40
200
=500
The total number of votes polled was 500.