Manhattan GMAT Guide 3(5th edn) - Chapter 7: Problem # 7

[skD]

Hi Math Tutors,
From the explanation given in the solution part of the book, I'm not able to understand one PS problem of Manhattan GMAT Guide 3(Word Problem - 5th edn.) - Chapter 7: Problem # 7.

As this is a bar graph related problem, so I'm not sure how to post the complete problem with the figure given in the question, hence just typing down the question without the 'bar graph' given in the question.

Qs 7. Each senior in a college course wrote a thesis.The lengths in pages, of those seniors' theses are summarized in the graph above.

a. What is the least possible number of seniors whose these were within six pages of the median length ?
b. What is the greatest possible number of seniors whose these were within six pages of the median length ?

Look forward to your reply.

Thank you!

P.S: Page number of the given problem is #130 of the Manhattan GMAT Guide 3(Word Problem - 5th edn.)

[RonPurewal]

hi,
please give specifics about the issue here.
what do you already understand?
what don't you understand?
in trying to follow the answer key, exactly where do you get lost?
etc.

if you don't post specifics, it's impossible to tell where you're actually having trouble.

[skD]

Hi Ron,
Back here after a quarter almost...! Thanks for your reply.

I'm sorry I couldn't interpret the graph at all..so eventually couldn't understand the solution given in the book. (How we're getting 20 students and median length etc? As you understand hopefully that I'm completely lost :-( )

Could you please help me understand this Sir ?

[tim]

To interpret a graph, look at a piece of information and ask what it represents. Then assemble larger and larger chunks of information to get the big picture. Look at the first bar: There are 0-9 pages, and a height of 1. This means 1 thesis has 0-9 pages. Next bar: There are 4 theses that have 10-19 pages. Does that help?