BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Median

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 233
Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: New York
Thanked: 7 times
Followed by:2 members

Median

by yellowho » Mon Mar 07, 2011 3:32 am
Which of the 5 terms p, q, p + q, p - 1, and q + 1, represents the median of these 5 terms?

(1) p > q

(2) p - q < 1

Is there a way to do this without plugging?
Top
Source: — Problem Solving |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1022
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:49 pm
Location: Gandhinagar
Thanked: 41 times
Followed by:2 members

by shashank.ism » Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:38 am
yellowho wrote:Which of the 5 terms p, q, p + q, p - 1, and q + 1, represents the median of these 5 terms?

(1) p > q

(2) p - q < 1

Is there a way to do this without plugging?
Median is a type of average, found by arranging the values in order and then selecting the one in the middle.
so lets start arranging and check

Statement 1 : p>q so offcourse p+q>p>q but we cant fix p-1 and q+1 as we dont know anything about p and q or relative relationship...
Not sufficient.

Statement 2: p-q>1 so p>q+1 and p-1 <q
so lets start checking the terms byt putting the values p-1 and q+1
q+1>p & q>p-1
also p-q<1 it may be negative.. so not sufficient..

combined q+1>p>q>p-1 but we dont know abt pand q are they +ve or -ve so we cant say abt p+q hence not sufficient..

The correct answer is E
Last edited by shashank.ism on Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
My Websites:
www.mba.webmaggu.com - India's social Network for MBA Aspirants

www.deal.webmaggu.com -India's online discount, coupon, free stuff informer.

www.dictionary.webmaggu.com - A compact free online dictionary with images.

Nothing is Impossible, even Impossible says I'm possible.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3835
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:00 pm
Location: Milpitas, CA
Thanked: 1854 times
Followed by:523 members
GMAT Score:770

by Anurag@Gurome » Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:42 am
(1) We don't know whether p and q are positive or negative. Accordingly the value of p + q will also change. So, definitely, the given information is NOT SUFFICIENT.

(2) p - q < 1; here p and q may be both positive or negative, that is again it depends on the signs of variables p and q. So, again this statement is NOT SUFFICIENT.

Combining (1) and (2), we still don't know whether p and q are positive or negative. Hence, NOT SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is E.
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., MBA
GMAT Expert, Admissions and Career Guidance
Gurome, Inc.
1-800-566-4043 (USA)

Join Our Facebook Groups
GMAT with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/272466352793633/
Admissions with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/461459690536574/
Career Advising with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/360435787349781/
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 261
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:37 pm
Location: Varanasi
Thanked: 11 times
Followed by:3 members

by ankur.agrawal » Mon Mar 07, 2011 4:50 am
1. Let p-q=2 ( satisfies 1)

then the list will look like : q+2, q, 2(q+1), q+1, q+1-----> q, q+1,q+1, q+2, 2(q+1). Since two values will be same (q+1) we will not be able to say which one is median. NS

2. Let p-q= -1 ( satisfies 2)

Then the list will look like this in ascending Order: q-2, q-1, q, q, 2q. Again NS

Combining both will also not result in a definite answer. So E.


yellowho wrote:Which of the 5 terms p, q, p + q, p - 1, and q + 1, represents the median of these 5 terms?

(1) p > q

(2) p - q < 1

Is there a way to do this without plugging?
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1