BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
Vote for Target Test Prep, Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026
NEWSWEEK READERS’ CHOICE 2026

BIG NEWS! Target Test Prep has been nominated, and they’d love your vote!

TTP has worked incredibly hard to build the best test prep experience possible, and winning Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep would mean a lot to them. If TTP has helped you, they’d be incredibly grateful for your vote. You can vote once each day through September 9.

Vote for TTP
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Math problem

Expert replies
by priyasaibaba » Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:13 pm
Can anyone help to solve this problem?

Is X close to 10^(-2) or 10^(-3)?
(1) x is closer to 10^-4 than to 10^-1.
(2) x is closer to 10^-3 than to 10^-1.

A. Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient but Statement (2) ALONE is not sufficient.
B. Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient but Statement (1) ALONE is not sufficient.
C. BOTH Statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER Statement alone is sufficient.
D. Each Statement ALONE is sufficient.
E. Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.


Thanks,
Priya
Join the discussion
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by thephoenix » Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:52 pm
IMO A

s1) on number line x will have a value more than the avg of 10^-4 and 10^-1 which is actually closer to 10^-3
suff
s2) insuff
Join the discussion

by Rahul@gurome » Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:36 pm
Let X = 10^y.
So the question becomes Is y close to -2 or to -3?
(1) y is closer to -4 than to -1.
(2) Y is closer to -3 than to -1.

Consider statement (1) alone.
If y is closer to - 4 than to -1, then there can be two cases.
Either y < -4 or - 4<y<-1.
If y < -4 obviously it will be closer to -3 than to -2.
If -4<y<-1 and y is closer to - 4, it means distance between y and -4 on the number line is less than the distance between y and -1.
Now distance between -4 and -1 is -1-(-4) = 3.
Half of this is 1.5.
So y-(-4) < 1.5
Or y+4<1.5
Or y < -2.5.
Take an example. Let y = -2.6 which is less than -2.5.
Distance between -2.6 and -2 is -2- (-2.6) = 0.6
Distance between -2.6 and -3 is -2.6 - (-3) = 0.4
So we see that -2.6 is closer to -3 than to -2.
So we can conclude that any number closer to -4 than to -1 is also closer to -3 than to -2.
So (1) is sufficient.
Consider (2)
Again there can be two cases.
First that y < -3 and second -3<y<-1.
In the first case it will be closer to -3 than to -2.
In the second case we will have that distance between y and -3 is less than the distance between y and -1.
Distance between -3 and -1 = 2
Half of this is 1.
So y-(-3) < 1
Or y<-2
Take y = -2.2 for example.
Dist between -2.2 and -2 is 0.2. and between -2.2 and -3 is 0.8.
Here y is closer to -2 than to -3.
Since nothing definite can be said we say that (2) is not sufficient.

The correct answer is A.
Rahul Lakhani
Quant Expert
Gurome, Inc.
https://www.GuroMe.com
On MBA sabbatical (at ISB) for 2011-12 - will stay active as time permits
1-800-566-4043 (USA)
+91-99201 32411 (India)
Join the discussion

by neodemion » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:05 am
I might be totally mistaken, but I believe that both of the previous responses are wrong.

if you draw the situation:

--|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
0.1 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.02 0.01 0

having that:
10^-1 = 0.1
10^-2 = 0.01
10^-3 = 0.001
10^-4 = 0.0001

You can see that the last three points are located within the 0.01 - 0 range.. therefore even 0.03 is closer to any of them than to 10^-1... I believe that we have not enought data to solve the problem. Both of them are not sufficient.
Join the discussion

by neodemion » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:15 am
Probably you can also see it better with integers..

the problem is the same as:

is X closer to 100 or to 10?

(a) x is closer to 1 than to 1000

(b) x is closer to 10 than to 1000
Join the discussion

by Nilakshi1001 » Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:02 am
My answer:

To find x is closer to which value, let's take the average of 0.01 and 0.001 which is 0.0055, meaning 5.5X10^-3.

Taking first condition, x is closer to 10^-4 than to 10^-1. The average of 0.0001 and 0.1 is 0.1001/2, i.e. 0.05005 which is 5.005X10^-2. Condition 1 gives us x<5.005X10^-2. Thus, the condition is insufficient.

Second condition gives us x is closer to 10^-3 than to 10^-1. Using this we get x < 0.101/2 = 0.0505 = 5.05X10^-2. the condition is insufficient.

.......... 10^-4....................10^-3..........................10^-2.......................10^-1.......
---------------------------------5.005X10^-2-------------------------------
============5.05X10^-2============

----------5.5X10^-3---------

using both the statement also, we cannot find out the answer.

Thus, my answer is E.
Join the discussion

by ajith » Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:26 am
Moved to DS forum!
Always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn't expect to be paid back.
Join the discussion

by Fiver » Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:13 am
Agree with A.

Is x close to 1/100 or to 1/1000?

St1] x is closer to 10^-4 than to 10^-1.
The value midway of 10^-1 and 10^-4 is 10^-2.5 and to comply to st1] x has to be > 10^-2.5
This makes x closer to 10^-3 than to 10^-2.
Suff.

St2] x is closer to 10^-3 than to 10^-1.
Applying the same logic as above x>10^-2.
Hence x could be for e.g. 10^-2.1, which makes it closer to 10^-2 or any value greater than 10^-2.5, which makes it closer to 10^-3.
Insuff.
Join the discussion

by neodemion » Fri Apr 23, 2010 6:45 am
Fiver, the midway of 10^-1, which is equal to 0.1, and 10^-4, which is equal to 0.0001 is not 10^-2.5, which is equal to 0.0032. The midway is (0.1 + 0.0001) / 2 = 0.05005

Besides, the simplification proposed by Rahul is wrong.
Join the discussion

by Fiver » Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:31 am
neodemion wrote:Fiver, the midway of 10^-1, which is equal to 0.1, and 10^-4, which is equal to 0.0001 is not 10^-2.5, which is equal to 0.0032. The midway is (0.1 + 0.0001) / 2 = 0.05005

Besides, the simplification proposed by Rahul is wrong.
You are right. My approach is fundamentally flawed.
Join the discussion

by tohellandback » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:42 am
IMO E

1) INSUFF: the point x can lie in region m,9m,90m and also 900m upto <500m

2) INSUFF:same reasoning..the point x can lie in region m,9m,90m and also 900m upto <495m

combined:same reasoning
Attachments
Presentation1.ppt
(108.5 KiB) Downloaded 710 times
The powers of two are bloody impolite!!
Join the discussion

by ansumania » Sun Apr 25, 2010 7:14 pm
hi,

is there a convenient way of analyzing the data?

pl. provide...

regards,

Ansuman
Join the discussion