Is |x| + |y| = 0?

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Is |x| + |y| = 0?

by wholelottalove » Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:20 pm
I'm having difficulty understanding this problem. I understand why 1 and 2 are insufficient on their own. We know that x<0 and y<0. If x<0 and y<0 then I would say that |x|+|y| cannot equal zero. However, the correct answer states that I am to combine both statements and find the actual value of x and y (which both happen to be zero) to solve. Why can't I solve simply by looking at the signs of x and y and inferring that |x| + |y| cannot = 0? Thanks!!!

#1 x + 2|y| = 0

x + 2|y| = 0
2|y| = -x
|y| = -(x/2)
The only way for x to equal |y| is if x is negative. Therefore, we know the sign of x but nothing else.
INSUFFICIENT

#2 y + 2|x| = 0
The same steps taken with #1 can be applied here. To find the sign of y we can isolate |x|
y + 2|x| = 0
2|x| = -y
|x| = -(y/2)
For -(y/2) to be equal to an absolute value, y must be negative.

1+2)
if x<0 and y<0 then |x| + |y| ≠ 0 (This reasoning however is incorrect) The correct answer is as follows (why is the correct answer lol?)

1+2)
Knowing the signs of x and y, we can set x + 2|y| = 0 and y + 2|x| = 0 equal to one another and solve:

y + 2|x| = 0 = x + 2|y|
y - 2x = 0, x - 2y = 0
y = 2x
x - 2(2x) = 0
-3x = 0
3x=0
x=0

y-2x = 0
y - 2(0) = 0
y=0

so x=0, y=0
SUFFICIENT

(C)
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jul 25, 2013 1:57 pm
Is |x| + |y| = 0?

Statement 1: x + 2|y| = 0
x = -2|y|.

Case 1: x=0 and y=0.
In this case, |x| + |y| = 0.

Case 2: x=-2 and y=1.
In this case, |x| + |y| ≠ 0.
INSUFFICIENT.

Statement 2: y + 2|x| = 0
y = -2|x|.

Case 1: x=0 and y=0.
In this case, |x| + |y| = 0.

Case 3: x=1 and y=-2.
In this case, |x| + |y| ≠ 0.
INSUFFICIENT.

Statements combined:
Squaring x = -2|y|, we get:
x² = 4y².

Squaring y = -2|x|, we get:
y² = 4x².

Substituting y² = 4x² into x² = 4y², we get:
x² = 4(4x²)
x² = 16x²
0 = 15x²
0 = x²
0 = x.
Since x=0, we know that y=0, as indicated in Case 1 above.
Thus, |x| + |y| = 0.
SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is C.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Fri Jul 26, 2013 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by [email protected] » Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:06 pm
Hi wholelottalove,

Since you've put the prompt in the title of your post and the Facts in the body, I assume that the entire prompt is this:

Is |x| + |y| = 0?

1) x + 2|y| = 0

2) y + 2|x| = 0

With variables, I'm going to TEST some values:

For Fact 1, I'm going to keep it simple:

x + 2|y| = 0

x= 0
y = 0
equation = 0 and the answer to the question is YES

But we could also have:

x = -2
y = 1
equation = 0 and the answer to the question is NO
Inconsistent means INSUFFICIENT

Fact 2 gives us a similar statement, with the variables reversed. I can test similar values:

x = 0
y = 0
equation = 0 and the answer to the question is YES

x = 1
y = -2
equation = 0 and the answer to the question is NO
inconsistent means INSUFFICIENT

Combining statements, we have an obvious "overlap"
x = 0
y = 0
This gives us a YES

But now we run into a problem. There's no other set of values that will fit BOTH equations.
If we use....
x = -2
y = 1
from Fact 1, that pair of values WON'T FIT Fact 2. We can only use values that fit BOTH equations at this point. In fact, you won't be able to find any other sets of values that will fit BOTH equations. So, there's only one answer: x = 0, y = 0. You could also solve this algebraically as Mitch pointed out. When there's just one answer, then the situation is SUFFICIENT.

Final Answer: C

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