The harmonic mean and the geometric mean of two numbers are 10 and 12 respectively. What is their arithmetic mean?

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CDS Maths Previous Paper 10 (Held On: 8 Nov 2020) - 10
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  1. \(\frac{25}{3}\)
  2. √120
  3. 11
  4. 14.4

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 4 : 14.4
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Detailed Solution

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Given :

The harmonic mean and the geometric mean of two numbers are 10 and 12 respectively

Concept used :

(Geometric mean)2 = Harmonic mean × Arithmetic mean 

Calculations :

according to the formula given above 

(12)2 = 10 × Arithmetic mean 

⇒ Arithmetic mean = 144/10 

⇒ 14.4 

∴ Option 4 will be the correct answer.

Alternate Method 

Concept:

A.M. between a and b = \(a+b \over 2\)

G.M. between a and b = \(\sqrt{ab} \)

H.M. between a and b = \(2ab\over a+b \)

Calculation:

Given, G.M. = 12, H.M. = 10

\(GM = \sqrt{ab} \)

\(12^2 = ab\)

ab = 144 ........(1)

\(HM=\frac{2ab}{a+b}\)

\(10=\frac{2ab}{a+b}\)

2ab = 10a + 10b

ab = 5 (a + b)........(2)

From equation (1) and (2)

144 = 5 (a + b)

\(\frac{144}{5}=a+b\)

\(\frac{144}{10}=\frac{a+b}{2}\)

\(\frac{a+b}{2}=14.4\)

But, we know that,

A.M. between a and b = \(a+b \over 2\)

Therefore, AM = 14.4

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