Co-ordinate Geometry

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 81
Joined: Thu May 03, 2012 1:48 pm
Thanked: 4 times

Co-ordinate Geometry

by Blue_Skies » Mon May 13, 2013 7:37 pm
Lines k and l intersect in the coordinate plane at point (3, -2 ). Is the largest angle formed at the intersection between these two lines greater than 90°?

(1) Lines k and l have positive y-axis intercepts.
(2) The distance between the y-axis intercepts of lines k and l is 5.
Source: — Problem Solving |

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Tue May 14, 2013 1:40 am
Blue_Skies wrote:Lines k and l intersect in the coordinate plane at point (3, -2 ). Is the largest angle formed at the intersection between these two lines greater than 90°?

(1) Lines k and l have positive y-axis intercepts.
(2) The distance between the y-axis intercepts of lines k and l is 5.
If lines k and l are perpendicular, they will form four 90 degree angles.
If lines k and l are not perpendicular, they will form two angles less than 90 degrees and two angles greater than 90 degrees.

Question rephrased: Are lines k and l perpendicular?

Many slope questions are best solved by DRAWING.

Statement 1:
Since each line has a positive y-intercept and passes through (3,-2), the two lines cannot be perpendicular:
Image
SUFFICIENT.

Statement 2:
Case 1: Lines k and l are perpendicular, and the two y-intercepts are EQUIDISTANT from (3,-2).
Image
Here, the distance between the y-intercepts = 6.

Case 2: Lines k and l are perpendicular, and the two y-intercepts are NOT EQUIDISTANT from (3,-2).
Image
Here, the distance between the y-intercepts > 6.

Thus, if lines k and l are perpendicular, the MINIMUM distance between the y-intercepts is 6.
Since statement 2 indicates that the distance between the y-intecepts is 5, lines k and l are not perpendicular.
SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is D.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3