I suppose that the 2nd stmt is "x - |y| is not a positive number"
Is x < 0?
1) x^2 is +ve.
x can be -ve or +ve. Insufficient.
2) x - |y| is not a positive number. This means that the result can be a zero or -ve number. y is positive irrespective of the sign.
Take x=2, y=3, 2-3 = -1 (NO)
Take x=-1, y=3, -1-3 = -4 (YES)
Insufficient.
Combined, Still insufficient. Don't know whether x is +ve or -ve.
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try now...edited!!papgust wrote:I suppose that the 2nd stmt is "x - |y| is not a positive number"
Is x < 0?
1) x^2 is +ve.
x can be -ve or +ve. Insufficient.
2) x - |y| is not a positive number. This means that the result can be a zero or -ve number. y is positive irrespective of the sign.
Take x=2, y=3, 2-3 = -1 (NO)
Take x=-1, y=3, -1-3 = -4 (YES)
Insufficient.
Combined, Still insufficient. Don't know whether x is +ve or -ve.
mmslf75 wrote:try now...edited!!papgust wrote:I suppose that the 2nd stmt is "x - |y| is not a positive number"
Is x < 0?
1) x^2 is +ve.
x can be -ve or +ve. Insufficient.
2) x - |y| is not a positive number. This means that the result can be a zero or -ve number. y is positive irrespective of the sign.
Take x=2, y=3, 2-3 = -1 (NO)
Take x=-1, y=3, -1-3 = -4 (YES)
Insufficient.
Combined, Still insufficient. Don't know whether x is +ve or -ve.
Alright, the 2nd stmt is still insufficient
2) x * |y| is not a positive number. This means that the result can be a zero or -ve number.
If y=0, x * 0 = 0 (x is NOT < 0)
If y= +ve/-ve --> y is +ve. So x will be -ve or zero. Again, you do not get a defined result.
Combined, Still not sure whether x is a -ve or +ve. Insufficient.
Hence, E
Are you sure e is correct because this is what i got
statement 1) x is either positive or negative, and x is not zero because zero is considered neutral by the gmat
2) x is zero or negative
hence together since x is not zero it but be negative answer choice C
statement 1) x is either positive or negative, and x is not zero because zero is considered neutral by the gmat
2) x is zero or negative
hence together since x is not zero it but be negative answer choice C
Is x a negative number?mmslf75 wrote:Hi
I came across this good DS question
TRY....
Is x a negative number?
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
E
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
x can be positive or negative; insufficient.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
Because zero is not a positive number, this statement permits:
x*|y| = 0
and because absolute value is either positive OR zero, |y| can just be zero:
x*0 = 0
in which case, x can be positive, negative, or zero; insufficient.
(1) + (2):
Because zero is not a positive number, from (1), we know that x^2, and therefore x, is not zero. But x can still be positive or negative; insufficient.
The statements remain insufficient even when combined; choose E.
In DS, when dealing with absolute value and/or with non-positive and non-negative, be eager to use zero because it will either a) speed things up (as it did here in the second statement's analysis) or b) uncover a subtlety that turns the statement's sufficiency.
@qazpt: your analysis was almost perfect but you forgot to consider that |y| can be zero...see how important it is to consider zero when dealing with absolute value!
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Testluv wrote:Is x a negative number?mmslf75 wrote:Hi
I came across this good DS question
TRY....
Is x a negative number?
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
E
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
x can be positive or negative; insufficient.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
Because zero is not a positive number, this statement permits:
x*|y| = 0
and because absolute value is either positive OR zero, |y| can just be zero:
x*0 = 0
in which case, x can be positive, negative, or zero; insufficient.
(1) + (2):
Because zero is not a positive number, from (1), we know that x^2, and therefore x, is not zero. But x can still be positive or negative; insufficient.
The statements remain insufficient even when combined; choose E.
In DS, when dealing with absolute value and/or with non-positive and non-negative, be eager to use zero because it will either a) speed things up (as it did here in the second statement's analysis) or b) uncover a subtlety that turns the statement's sufficiency.
@qazpt: your analysis was almost perfect but you forgot to consider that |y| can be zero...see how important it is to consider zero when dealing with absolute value!
@testluv: Is absolute of 0 valid???????
Absolute value is defined as the distance of something from zero on the number line. If we say |x| = 4, then we are saying that x is four units away from zero: either four to the left or else four to the right of zero, and therefore x = +4 or -4.mmslf75 wrote:Testluv wrote:Is x a negative number?mmslf75 wrote:Hi
I came across this good DS question
TRY....
Is x a negative number?
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
E
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
x can be positive or negative; insufficient.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
Because zero is not a positive number, this statement permits:
x*|y| = 0
and because absolute value is either positive OR zero, |y| can just be zero:
x*0 = 0
in which case, x can be positive, negative, or zero; insufficient.
(1) + (2):
Because zero is not a positive number, from (1), we know that x^2, and therefore x, is not zero. But x can still be positive or negative; insufficient.
The statements remain insufficient even when combined; choose E.
In DS, when dealing with absolute value and/or with non-positive and non-negative, be eager to use zero because it will either a) speed things up (as it did here in the second statement's analysis) or b) uncover a subtlety that turns the statement's sufficiency.
@qazpt: your analysis was almost perfect but you forgot to consider that |y| can be zero...see how important it is to consider zero when dealing with absolute value!
@testluv: Is absolute of 0 valid???????
It is valid to ask the question "how far away from zero is zero?" but the answer is clearly "zero units". Because (in this universe) distance cannot be a negative measure, absolute value is always non-negative. Therefore, absolute value is always either positive OR zero.
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
yes
mmslf75 wrote:Testluv wrote:Is x a negative number?mmslf75 wrote:Hi
I came across this good DS question
TRY....
Is x a negative number?
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
E
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
x can be positive or negative; insufficient.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
Because zero is not a positive number, this statement permits:
x*|y| = 0
and because absolute value is either positive OR zero, |y| can just be zero:
x*0 = 0
in which case, x can be positive, negative, or zero; insufficient.
(1) + (2):
Because zero is not a positive number, from (1), we know that x^2, and therefore x, is not zero. But x can still be positive or negative; insufficient.
The statements remain insufficient even when combined; choose E.
In DS, when dealing with absolute value and/or with non-positive and non-negative, be eager to use zero because it will either a) speed things up (as it did here in the second statement's analysis) or b) uncover a subtlety that turns the statement's sufficiency.
@qazpt: your analysis was almost perfect but you forgot to consider that |y| can be zero...see how important it is to consider zero when dealing with absolute value!
@testluv: Is absolute of 0 valid???????
deserter611 wrote:yes
mmslf75 wrote:Testluv wrote:Is x a negative number?mmslf75 wrote:Hi
I came across this good DS question
TRY....
Is x a negative number?
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
E
(1) x^2 is a positive number.
x can be positive or negative; insufficient.
(2) x * |y| is not a positive number.
Because zero is not a positive number, this statement permits:
x*|y| = 0
and because absolute value is either positive OR zero, |y| can just be zero:
x*0 = 0
in which case, x can be positive, negative, or zero; insufficient.
(1) + (2):
Because zero is not a positive number, from (1), we know that x^2, and therefore x, is not zero. But x can still be positive or negative; insufficient.
The statements remain insufficient even when combined; choose E.
In DS, when dealing with absolute value and/or with non-positive and non-negative, be eager to use zero because it will either a) speed things up (as it did here in the second statement's analysis) or b) uncover a subtlety that turns the statement's sufficiency.
@qazpt: your analysis was almost perfect but you forgot to consider that |y| can be zero...see how important it is to consider zero when dealing with absolute value!
@testluv: Is absolute of 0 valid???????
Got it...thnaks
