Question

Consider the following spreadsheet. The objective is to minimize the total cost of assigning jobs to machines. A job can be assigned to only one machine and a machine can be assigned only one job. All jobs must be assigned. Cells B3:F7 contain the assignment costs of jobs to machines. Cells B12:F16 contain the decision variables. a) What formula should be placed in cell I3

Answer 1

Available Options Are:

A. =SUM(G12:G16).

B. =SUMPRODUCT(B3:F7, B12:F16)

C. SUMPRODUCT(B3:F7, B12:F16).

D. =SUM(B12:F16)

Answer:

Option B. =SUMPRODUCT(B3:F7, B12:F16)

Explanation:

Here we need summation of two rows B3:F7 and B12:F16. The formula that we will use will be SUMPRODUCT. To calculate sum product in I3 we will edit equal sign first and then "SUMPRODUCT(,)". Then complete the rows that we want to add. Before the coma sign we will place the first row which is B3:F7 and after the coma sign we will place the second row which is B12:F16. In this way we would compute the summation of values present in both rows.

This means that only Option B is correct here.

Option A is not correct because it is the summation of cells present in a single column which doesn't include any cost item assigned. Hence it is incorrect as the formula must be the summation of 2 rows.

Option C is incorrect because it doesn't includes equal sign at the start.

Option D is incorrect because it is only the sum of a single row B12:F16, hence it is incorrect.