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A stupid question, but I'm wrong, pls explain me

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by tracyyahoo » Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:33 am
if |x+4|=2, what is the value of m?

(1) m<0
(2) m^2+8m+12=0

I chose D because m could be either -2 or -6, that should answer the question

why is E? is it because m has two value is wrong??? Because m just only has these two values no others, don't you think both are suff.???

Pls explain me, thank you so much
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by shankar.ashwin » Mon Sep 26, 2011 12:57 am
In DS questions 2 answers is not acceptable, you need to find 1 unique solution.
Here you get 2 values m (or is it x?) can take. So its E (cannot be determined)
tracyyahoo wrote:if |x+4|=2, what is the value of m?

(1) m<0
(2) m^2+8m+12=0

I chose D because m could be either -2 or -6, that should answer the question

why is E? is it because m has two value is wrong??? Because m just only has these two values no others, don't you think both are suff.???

Pls explain me, thank you so much
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by Anurag@Gurome » Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:15 am
tracyyahoo wrote:if |x+4|=2, what is the value of m?

(1) m<0
(2) m^2+8m+12=0

I chose D because m could be either -2 or -6, that should answer the question

why is E? is it because m has two value is wrong??? Because m just only has these two values no others, don't you think both are suff.???

Pls explain me, thank you so much
Absolutely, in DS questions, we need to be very careful that we are getting a unique answer. If we are getting more than 1 value, then it not sufficient, as in the present case. So, here the answer has to be E.
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., MBA
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