Is w less than y?

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Is w less than y?

by VJesus12 » Sat Aug 25, 2018 2:23 am

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Is w less than y?

(1) 1.3 < w < 1.3101
(2) 1.3033 < y

The OA is the option E.

Are not sufficient both statements together? Why not? Please, someone, clarify this for me.

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by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Sat Aug 25, 2018 5:36 am

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VJesus12 wrote:Is w less than y?

(1) 1.3 < w < 1.3101
(2) 1.3033 < y
Target question: Is w less than y?

Statement 1: 1.3 < w < 1.3101
Since we have no information about y, there's no way to determine whether w is less than y
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, statement 1 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Statement 2: 1.3033 < y
Since we have no information about w, there's no way to determine whether w is less than y
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Statements 1 and 2 combined
There are several values of w and y that satisfy BOTH statements. Here are two:
Case a: w = 1.302 and y = 1.304. In this case, the answer to the target question is YES, w IS less than y
Case b: w = 1.31 and y = 1.304. In this case, the answer to the target question is NO, w is NOT less than y
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT

Answer: E

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Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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