number properties

Problem Solving — algebra and arithmetic (GMAT Focus Edition)
This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 344
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 3:21 am
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:2 members

number properties

by sud21 » Thu Jan 19, 2012 11:05 pm
r s t
u v w
x y z

Each of the letters in the table above represents one of the numbers 1, 2, or 3, and each of these numbers occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column. What is the value of r?
1) v + z = 6
2) s + t + u + x = 6
Source: — Quantitative Reasoning |

User avatar
Community Manager
Posts: 1060
Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 6:46 am
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
Thanked: 318 times
Followed by:52 members

by neelgandham » Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:07 am
Each of the letters in the table above represents one of the numbers 1, 2, or 3, and each of these numbers occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column. What is the value of r?
1) v + z = 6
v + z = 6, implies v=z=r = 3. Sufficient to answer the question
2) s + t + u + x = 6
r+s+t = 6, r+u+x = 6. Adding these equations you get r+s+t+r+u+x=12
2r+(s+t+u+x) = 12
2r + 6 = 12
r = 3
Sufficient to answer the question

Answer D
Anil Gandham
Welcome to BEATtheGMAT | Photography | Getting Started | BTG Community rules | MBA Watch
Check out GMAT Prep Now's online course at https://www.gmatprepnow.com/

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 16207
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, BC
Thanked: 5254 times
Followed by:1268 members
GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:00 am
sud21 wrote:r s t
u v w
x y z

Each of the letters in the table above represents one of the numbers 1, 2, or 3, and each of these numbers occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column. What is the value of r?
1) v + z = 6
2) s + t + u + x = 6
Statement 1:
Step 1: If v+z=6, then v and z must both equal 3.
Step 2: If each number occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column, then s cannot equal 3 (since s and v are in the same column) and t cannot equal 3 (since t and z are in the same column).
Step 3: If s and t cannot equal 3, then r must equal 3 (since each number occurs exactly once in each row)
As such, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT

Statement 2:
If each number occurs exactly once in each row and exactly once in each column, the sum of numbers in any row or column will always equal 6.
So, r+s+t=6, and r+u+x=6
When we combine these two equations, we get
(r+s+t)+ (r+u+x)= 6+6
Simplify to get: 2r+(s+t+u+x)=12
Statement 2 tells us that s+t+u+x=6
When we add this to the equation 2r+(s+t+u+x)=12, we get: 2r+(6)=12
When we solve this, we get r=3
As such, statement 2 is SUFFICIENT

Answer = D

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
Image