swerve wrote:Source: Veritas Prep



In the right triangle shown above, what is the value of a?

(1) c = 5.
(2) a < b.

Target question: What is the value of a?
Let's jump straight too....

Statements 1 and 2 combined
Statement 1 tells us that c = 5.
Statement 2 tells us that a < b
There are several values of a, b and c that satisfy BOTH statements. Here are two cases:
Case a: a = 3, b = 4 and c = 5. Notice that the Pythagorean Theorem holds true: 3² + 4² = 5². In this case, the answer to the target question is a = 3
Case b: a = √11, b = √14 and c = 5. Notice that the Pythagorean Theorem still holds true: (√11)² + (√14)² = 5². In this case, the answer to the target question is a = √11
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT

Answer: E

Cheers,
Brent