Geometry

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:35 pm

Geometry

by ritula » Fri Sep 05, 2008 1:18 am
PR and QR are two tangents drawn to a circle with centre O. What is angle PRQ?

(1) AnglePOQ = 120°
(2) PRO and ROQ are isosceles triangles.

OA is C but i dnt agree with it . please help
Philosophers have interpreted world in various ways, the point is to change it!

Legendary Member
Posts: 891
Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 4:21 am
Thanked: 27 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:660(

by 4meonly » Fri Sep 05, 2008 7:27 am
hmmm
I have A

Legendary Member
Posts: 1153
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:21 am
Thanked: 146 times
Followed by:2 members

Re: Geometry

by parallel_chase » Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:20 am
ritula wrote:PR and QR are two tangents drawn to a circle with centre O. What is angle PRQ?

(1) AnglePOQ = 120°
(2) PRO and ROQ are isosceles triangles.

OA is C but i dnt agree with it . please help

I guess you are assuming that every tangent drawn to the circle makes a 90 degree angle.
One cannot simply assume that, when it is not mentioned.

Statement I

angle formed at the center of the circle is 120.

We dont know anything about the other 2 tangents or their angles.

Insufficient.

Statement II

two opposite triangles are isosceles triangles, we dont know anything about the other angle formed at the center, therefore Insufficient.

Combining I & II

center angle120 , two sides isosceles means both the angles are 60 degree,


120/ 2= 60

In two triangles we 60-60 formation, therefore angle PRQ=60

Sufficient.

Hence C is the answer.
Last edited by parallel_chase on Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:40 am, edited 2 times in total.

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 11:31 am

by shahdevang87 » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:32 am
Hi parallel_chase,

Would you please explain in detail following points in explanation?

a)center angle120 , two sides isosceles means both the angles are 90 degree,


b)120/ 2= 60

Thanks

Legendary Member
Posts: 1153
Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:21 am
Thanked: 146 times
Followed by:2 members

by parallel_chase » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:44 am
shahdevang87 wrote:Hi parallel_chase,

Would you please explain in detail following points in explanation?

a)center angle120 , two sides isosceles means both the angles are 90 degree,


b)120/ 2= 60

Thanks
I actually made a mistake, i have revised my above post.

"two sides isosceles means both the angles are 90 degree" this means the angle is 60 degrees not 90 thats a typo

120/ 2= 60

this is done to divide the center angle into two equal parts since the two triangles share the same angle at the center.


Hope its clear, Let me know if you have any doubts.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:13 pm

by sanjaylakhani » Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:56 am
Angle formed by tangent and radius is always 90 deg

you do nt have to assume anything, in light of this D will be OA

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:35 pm

Re:

by ritula » Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:27 pm
Sanjay ,
Can u pls explain how statement 2 alone is also sufficient?
sanjaylakhani wrote:Angle formed by tangent and radius is always 90 deg

you do nt have to assume anything, in light of this D will be OA
Philosophers have interpreted world in various ways, the point is to change it!

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 443
Joined: Sat Jun 28, 2008 6:33 pm
Thanked: 5 times

by Vignesh.4384 » Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:27 pm
i think it is D.
Please correct me if i am wrong.
Attachments
circle.JPG

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:35 pm

Re:

by ritula » Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:21 pm
Thanks a lot Vignesh for the wonderful explanation
Vignesh.4384 wrote:i think it is D.
Please correct me if i am wrong.
Philosophers have interpreted world in various ways, the point is to change it!

Legendary Member
Posts: 683
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:58 pm
Location: Dubai
Thanked: 73 times
Followed by:2 members

by mals24 » Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:36 am
@ Vignesh.4384

the answer you get in both the statements is different

In st 1 you get PRQ = 60 degrees
In st 2 you get PRQ = 90 degrees

We should be getting an unique answer with both the statements for D to be correct.
I cant understand how st 2 can give an answer of PRQ = 60 degrees

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 2621
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:17 am
Location: Montreal
Thanked: 1090 times
Followed by:355 members
GMAT Score:780

by Ian Stewart » Wed Sep 10, 2008 5:11 am
The only way both statements can be true together is if R, P and Q are not points on the circle. We can certainly have a tangent line PR that touches the circle at a different point- A, say, and QR might touch the circle at B. Once you see this, it quickly becomes clear that neither statement is sufficient on its own. When you consider both statements together, there is a lot of work involved, unless I'm missing a trick. If POR is isosceles, we need to consider three possibilities- PO = PR, PO = OR and PR = OR- and we need to do the same for the other isosceles triangle. It's far too much work for a GMAT question, and I'm wondering if additional information was provided in the question (a diagram, perhaps?). Also curious about where the question is from.

Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 89
Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:35 pm

by ritula » Wed Sep 10, 2008 11:26 pm
@ IAn
The source of this problem is www.tcyonline.com
Philosophers have interpreted world in various ways, the point is to change it!