UPSC Prelims 1995 · General Studies
Question 132: Basic Numeracy
In track meets both 100 yards and 100 metres are used as distances. By how many metres is 100 metres longer than 100 yards?
AnswerThe answer is (b).
One yard is 0.9144 metre, so 100 yards is 91.44 metres. The difference from 100 metres is 100 - 91.44 = 8.56 metres, which makes the metric race roughly 9 per cent longer than the one in yards. Remember: a yard is slightly shorter than a metre, about 91.4 centimetres.
How you could have got this
No shortcut here: in a “how many” question, ruling out options doesn’t help. Every statement has to be judged.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) 0.856 m is ten times too small.
- (b) Right: 8.56 m.
- (c) 0.0856 m is a hundred times too small.
- (d) 1.0 m ignores the yard's real length of 0.9144 m.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1995, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.