30 g of sugar was mixed in 180 ml water in a vessel A, 40 g of sugar was mixed in 280 ml of water in vessel B and 20 g of sugar was mixed in 100 ml of water in vessel C. The solution in vessel B is:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) less sweet than that in C
Sweetness depends on sugar per unit of water. A has 30/180 = 1/6, B has 40/280 = 1/7 and C has 20/100 = 1/5 g per ml, so B is the weakest and is less sweet than C.
- Sugar per ml of water — A: 30/180 = 1/6; B: 40/280 = 1/7; C: 20/100 = 1/5.
- 1/7 < 1/6 < 1/5, so B is the least sweet of the three.
- So B is less sweet than C (and than A); (a), (b) and (c) are false.
Remember · Compare concentrations as ratios; reducing each to a simple fraction (1/5, 1/6, 1/7) makes the order obvious.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·