UPSC Prelims 2011·CSAT·Quantitative Aptitude·Arithmetic

A contract on construction job specifies a penalty for delay in completion of the work beyond a certain date is as follows: Rs. 200 for the first day, Rs. 250 for the second day, Rs. 300 for the third day etc., the penalty for each succeeding day being 50 more than that of the preceding day. How much penalty should the contractor pay if he delays the work by 10 days?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. ARs. 4950
  2. BRs. 4250Correct
  3. CRs. 3600
  4. DRs. 650

Explanation

This problem describes an arithmetic progression (AP). 1. Identify the first term (a): The penalty for the first day is Rs. 200. So, a = 200. 2. Identify the common difference (d): The penalty for each succeeding day is Rs. 50 more than the preceding day. So, d = 50. 3. Identify the number of terms (n): The contractor delays the work by 10 days. So, n = 10. 4. Use the formula for the sum of an arithmetic progression (Sn): Sn = n/2 * [2a + (n-1)d] 5. Substitute the values: S10 = 10/2 * [2*200 + (10-1)*50] S10 = 5 * [400 + 9*50] S10 = 5 * [400 + 450] S10 = 5 * [850] S10 = 4250 Therefore, the total penalty the contractor should pay is Rs. 4250. Option A (Rs. 4950) is incorrect. Option B (Rs. 4250) is correct. Option C (Rs. 3600) is incorrect. Option D (Rs. 650) is incorrect. The final answer is B
Quantitative Aptitude: A contract on construction job specifies a penalty for delay in completion of the work beyond a certain date is as follo
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