Max@Math Revolution wrote:[Math Revolution GMAT math practice question]
If x^2-3x=10, what is the value of x?
1) x^2-4 = 0
2) x<6
Given: x² - 3x = 10
Subtract 10 from both sides to get: x² - 3x - 10 = 0
Factor: (x - 5)(x + 2) = 0
So,
EITHER x = 5 OR x = -2
Target question: What is the value of x?
Statement 1: x² - 4 = 0
Factor: (x + 2)(x - 2) = 0
So, EITHER x = -2 OR x = 2
When we combine this with the fact that
EITHER x = 5 OR x = -2, we can see that
x must equal -2
Since we can answer the
target question with certainty, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT
Statement 2: x < 6
We already determined that
EITHER x = 5 OR x = -2
Since 5 and -2 are each less than 6, statement 2 doesn't help us.
It COULD be the case that
x = 5 or it COULD be the case that
x = -2
Since we cannot answer the
target question with certainty, statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT
Answer: A
Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
