IMO B
Do confirm
Question from GMATprep software: DS : absolute value
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Source: Beat The GMAT — Data Sufficiency |
- eaakbari
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(1)
|x-3|>=y
buy y>= 0
hence |x-3|>=0
Insuff
(2)
|x-3| <= -y
but y>=0
therefore -y<=0
Hence |x-3| <= 0
Absolute value cannot be negative Hence x=3
Suff
Answer B
|x-3|>=y
buy y>= 0
hence |x-3|>=0
Insuff
(2)
|x-3| <= -y
but y>=0
therefore -y<=0
Hence |x-3| <= 0
Absolute value cannot be negative Hence x=3
Suff
Answer B
Last edited by eaakbari on Thu Apr 22, 2010 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- tpr-becky
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statement one simply says the absolute value of x-3 is positive or zero- but we know that already because an absolute value is always positive so that will give no information regarding the value of x.
Statement 2 says that the absolute value of x-3 is less than or equal to either a negative or a zero - an absolute value can never be less than a negative number so tha tmeans that x-3 must equal zero. that means x=3
So IMO the answer is B.
Statement 2 says that the absolute value of x-3 is less than or equal to either a negative or a zero - an absolute value can never be less than a negative number so tha tmeans that x-3 must equal zero. that means x=3
So IMO the answer is B.
Becky
Master GMAT Instructor
The Princeton Review
Irvine, CA
Master GMAT Instructor
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- eaakbari
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Ooh Thanks Becky, I did make a silly mistake. Shall edit my post. Thankstpr-becky wrote:statement one simply says the absolute value of x-3 is positive or zero- but we know that already because an absolute value is always positive so that will give no information regarding the value of x.
Statement 2 says that the absolute value of x-3 is less than or equal to either a negative or a zero - an absolute value can never be less than a negative number so tha tmeans that x-3 must equal zero. that means x=3
So IMO the answer is B.
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Please if could help me with my line of thinking too....tpr-becky wrote:statement one simply says the absolute value of x-3 is positive or zero- but we know that already because an absolute value is always positive so that will give no information regarding the value of x.
Statement 2 says that the absolute value of x-3 is less than or equal to either a negative or a zero - an absolute value can never be less than a negative number so tha tmeans that x-3 must equal zero. that means x=3
So IMO the answer is B.
I was thinking
for 1.
|x-3| >= y therefore x-3>=y (for x>=3) or 3-x>=y (for x<3). i.e x>=y+3 or x<=3-y. Now b'cos y can take any value >=0, x can take more than one values. INSUFFICIENT
for 2.
|x-3| <= -y therefore x-3>=-y (for x>=3) or 3-x>= -y (for x<3). i.e x>=3-y or x<=3+y. Now again b'cos y can take any value >=0, x can take more than one values.
Please correct me where I am going wrong.
Thanks.
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- eaakbari
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The deal here is you cannot open a modulus the way you did. You can square it and open it, but that wont help in this question.iamseer wrote:Please if could help me with my line of thinking too....tpr-becky wrote:statement one simply says the absolute value of x-3 is positive or zero- but we know that already because an absolute value is always positive so that will give no information regarding the value of x.
Statement 2 says that the absolute value of x-3 is less than or equal to either a negative or a zero - an absolute value can never be less than a negative number so tha tmeans that x-3 must equal zero. that means x=3
So IMO the answer is B.
I was thinking
for 1.
|x-3| >= y therefore x-3>=y (for x>=3) or 3-x>=y (for x<3). i.e x>=y+3 or x<=3-y. Now b'cos y can take any value >=0, x can take more than one values. INSUFFICIENT
for 2.
|x-3| <= -y therefore x-3>=-y (for x>=3) or 3-x>= -y (for x<3). i.e x>=3-y or x<=3+y. Now again b'cos y can take any value >=0, x can take more than one values.
Please correct me where I am going wrong.
Thanks.
For any |x| = 1
Implies x=1 or x=-1
Also for a modulus operator
for |x|
= x if x>0
=-x if x<0
HTH
Last edited by eaakbari on Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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You cannot have an absolute value equal to a negative number, it is always positive - the way you have opened the equation is not allowed because it does not eliminate the possiblity of the absolute value being negative.
Becky
Master GMAT Instructor
The Princeton Review
Irvine, CA
Master GMAT Instructor
The Princeton Review
Irvine, CA
sorry didn't get that. B'cos that would mean |0.6| = 1 ????eaakbari wrote: For any |x| = 1
Implies -1<x<1
I think, |x| means distance from zero. So, if |x| = 1 then x=1 or x=-1, right?
Yes, this is correct.eaakbari wrote: Also for a modulus operator
for |x|
= x if x>0
=-x if x<0
HTH
"Choose to chance the rapids and dance the tides"
Yups now I get it. Thanks for the explanation.tpr-becky wrote:You cannot have an absolute value equal to a negative number, it is always positive - the way you have opened the equation is not allowed because it does not eliminate the possiblity of the absolute value being negative.
So, b'cos they have specifically mentioned y>=0, -y is always negative or zero. And absolute value cannot be negative so for the absolute value |x-3| to be equal or less than y only possibility is when y=0.
my wrong: in my working I was not taking the fact y>=0 into account and in the process making things unnecessarily difficult
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My bad, Dont know how i mistyped that. I meant x=-1 or x=1. Thanks for correcting. Shall edit the postiamseer wrote:sorry didn't get that. B'cos that would mean |0.6| = 1 ????eaakbari wrote: For any |x| = 1
Implies -1<x<1
I think, |x| means distance from zero. So, if |x| = 1 then x=1 or x=-1, right?
Yes, this is correct.eaakbari wrote: Also for a modulus operator
for |x|
= x if x>0
=-x if x<0
HTH
Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.
- Henry Ford
- Henry Ford












