If the price of 6 toys is Rs. 264.37, what will be the approximate price of 5 toys at the same rate?

Introduction / Context:
This is a direct application of the unitary method within the broader idea of the chain rule. The question asks you to find the approximate price of 5 toys when the price of 6 toys is given. Problems of this kind are very common in aptitude tests and help you understand proportional relationships and basic calculations involving money and quantities.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Cost of 6 toys = Rs. 264.37.
• We are asked to find the approximate cost of 5 toys.
• The price per toy is assumed to be constant, so the cost is directly proportional to the number of toys.
• We are allowed to approximate the final amount to a reasonable nearby value.

Concept / Approach:
When the quantity is directly proportional to cost, we can first find the cost of one unit and then scale it. This is called the unitary method. The steps are: calculate cost per toy by dividing the total cost by the number of toys, then multiply this cost per toy by the desired number of toys, which is 5 in this question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Cost of 6 toys = Rs. 264.37 Cost of 1 toy = 264.37 / 6 Approximate 264.37 / 6 ≈ 44.06 rupees per toy Now cost of 5 toys = 44.06 * 5 44.06 * 5 ≈ 220.30 So the approximate cost of 5 toys is about Rs. 220.30 Rounding to the nearest reasonable option, we select Rs. 220

Verification / Alternative check:
We can do a quick mental check. If each toy is around Rs. 44, then 6 toys would be near 6 * 44 = 264, which matches the given 264.37 fairly well. Then 5 toys would be about 5 * 44 = 220, which again points to Rs. 220 as the best approximate answer. This quick estimate confirms our more detailed computation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rs. 120 and Rs. 100 are far too low and would correspond to a cost of around Rs. 20 per toy, which is inconsistent with the given data. Rs. 200 is a bit closer but still significantly lower than the calculated approximate value. Rs. 240 is slightly higher than the calculated approximate cost of Rs. 220.30 and does not match the nearest rounded value. Therefore, Rs. 220 is the best approximation.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes multiply instead of divide when finding the cost per unit, which completely reverses the logic. Another mistake is to ignore the word approximate and expect an exact match with the decimal value, even when the options are rounded. Some learners also attempt to directly scale 6 toys to 5 toys without passing through the per toy cost, which often leads to calculation errors. Using the unitary method step by step keeps the process clear and reliable.

Final Answer:
The approximate price of 5 toys at the same rate is Rs. 220.