Absolute x

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Re: Absolute x

by sudhir3127 » Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:43 am
crak.gmat wrote:If x < 0 , what is the value of (-x.|x|) ^ 1/2.

Ans. Should it be -x or x?
plug in...

let x =-2

(-x.|x|) ^ 1/2

[-(-2).|-2|)^1/2
4^1/2 = 2 which is -X

hope that helps...

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Re: Absolute x

by crak.gmat » Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:49 am
sudhir3127 wrote:
crak.gmat wrote:If x < 0 , what is the value of (-x.|x|) ^ 1/2.

Ans. Should it be -x or x?
plug in...

let x =-2

(-x.|x|) ^ 1/2

[-(-2).|-2|)^1/2
4^1/2 = 2 which is -X

hope that helps...

Yes it does help and that is the correct answer. But the place where I got confused was where you did the final evaluation of 4^1/2. The result could be either 2 or -2? How did you know to go with 2?

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Re: Absolute x

by sudhir3127 » Sun Aug 24, 2008 11:54 am
crak.gmat wrote:
sudhir3127 wrote:
crak.gmat wrote:If x < 0 , what is the value of (-x.|x|) ^ 1/2.

Ans. Should it be -x or x?
plug in...

let x =-2

(-x.|x|) ^ 1/2

[-(-2).|-2|)^1/2
4^1/2 = 2 which is -X

hope that helps...


Yes it does help and that is the correct answer. But the place where I got confused was where you did the final evaluation of 4^1/2. The result could be either 2 or -2? How did you know to go with 2?
AFAIK .... there no negative square-roots in GMAT... so its always positive...

hope that helps..