In an election between 2 candidates, one got 60 percent of the total valid votes, and 20 percent of the total votes were invalid. If the total number of votes was 8000, how many valid votes did the other candidate get?

1. A

   2560

2. B

   1920

3. C

   1280

4. D

   3200

Appeared in: DSSSB -28 August 2019 (Shift-2)

Explanation

• First, determine the total number of valid votes by subtracting the invalid votes (20% of 8000 = 1600) from the total votes, which gives 8000 - 1600 = 6400 valid votes.
• The first candidate received 60% of these valid votes. The other candidate must have received the remaining 40% of the valid votes.
• Calculate 40% of the 6400 valid votes: 0.40 × 6400 = 2560.
• Therefore, the other candidate received 2560 valid votes.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: This value (1920) is 30% of the valid votes (0.30 x 6400). The other candidate received 40% of the valid votes, not 30%.
• Option C: This value (1280) is 20% of the valid votes (0.20 x 6400). This incorrectly uses the percentage of invalid votes (20%) to calculate the second candidate's share of valid votes.
• Option D: This value (3200) is 40% of the total votes (0.40 x 8000). This is a common error where the calculation is based on the total votes instead of the valid votes.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Percentage and Election Vote Calculation as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• This is a general aptitude question testing mathematical reasoning and is not related to a clinical or nursing context.
• The ability to accurately calculate percentages is a fundamental skill used in many areas, including medication dosage calculations, interpreting lab results, and managing fluid balances in a clinical setting.
• What if? - If the stem changed one defining clue so that 2560 no longer matched, reassess the option whose mechanism, classification, or indication now fits the revised presentation.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify all the given values: Total votes (8000), percentage of invalid votes (20%), and one candidate's share of valid votes (60%).
• The question asks for the number of votes for the other candidate. This requires a multi-step calculation.
• Calculate the number of valid votes by first finding the number of invalid votes and subtracting it from the total.
• Recognize that 'valid votes' is the new total (or base) for calculating the candidates' shares.
• Calculate the second candidate's share. You can do this by finding the first candidate's votes and subtracting from the valid total, or by finding the second candidate's percentage (100% - 60% = 40%) and applying it to the valid vote total.
• Double-check your calculations, especially ensuring you are using the correct base (total votes vs. valid votes) for each percentage.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Percentage and Election Vote Calculation
• Stem keywords: election, candidates, valid votes, invalid votes, total votes, percent
• Lead-in keywords: how many

Question ID

QT3mJmIzZMQ_0EnQH5aysn

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