A telephone station has x processors, each of which can process a maximum

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A telephone station has x processors, each of which can process a maximum of y calls at any particular time, where x and y are positive integers. If 500 calls are sent to the station at a particular time, can the station process all of the calls?

(1) x = 600
(2) 100 < y < 200

Answer: A
Source: Official Guide
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

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Target question => If 500 calls are sent to the station at a particular time, can the station process all of the calls?


The station has x processors and each of x can process a maximum of y calls at a particular time
So from target question, we want to estimate if xy > 500; where x > = 1 and y > = 1
The minimum value of x and y = 1


Statement 1 =>x = 600
If y = 1 (which is the minimum value)
xy = 600 * 1 = 600
600 > 500
The station can process all the 500 calls sent to the station at that time. Statement 1 is SUFFICIENT

Statement 2 => 100 < y < 200
y can be any value between 101 and 199
The minimum value of y is now 101 and make value = 199
If x = 1 (which is the minimum value of x) and y = 101
xy = 101 * 1 = 101 and xy < 500
But if x = 1000 and y = 199
xy = 1000 * 199 = 199000 and xy > 500
The information provided is not enough to arrive at a definite value. Statement 2 is NOT SUFFIUCIENT

Since statement 1 alone is SUFFICIENT,
Answer = A

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BTGModeratorVI wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:56 am
A telephone station has x processors, each of which can process a maximum of y calls at any particular time, where x and y are positive integers. If 500 calls are sent to the station at a particular time, can the station process all of the calls?

(1) x = 600
(2) 100 < y < 200

Answer: A
Source: Official Guide
Target question: Can the station process 500 calls?
This is a good candidate for rephrasing the target question.
Each INDIVIDUAL processor can process y calls.
So, 2 processors can process 2y calls.
3 processors can process 3y calls....
And x processors can process xy calls.

We can write...
REPHRASED target question: Is xy ≥ 500?

Statement 1: x = 600
Since we're told that x and y are POSITIVE INTEGERS, the smallest possible value of y is 1
Even when y = 1, xy =(600)(1) = 600. So, the value of xy is AT LEAST 600.
In other words, xy ≥ 500
Since we can answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT

Statement 2: 100 < y < 200
There are several values of x and y that satisfy statement 2. Here are two:
Case a: x = 1 and y = 101. in this case, xy = (1)(101) = 101. In other words, xy < 500
Case b: x = 10 and y = 101. in this case, xy = (10)(101) = 1010. In other words, xy ≥ 500
Since we cannot answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Answer: A

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