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tapanmittal
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:04 am
Target question: Is r closest to zero?
Of the four numbers represented on the number line, is r closest to zero?
(1) q = -s
(2) -t < q
Statement 1: q = -s
This tells us that q and s are on opposite sides of zero (i.e., one is positive and one is negative) AND it tells us that q and s are the same distance from zero.
So, we get something like this: q.....0.....s
Since r is between points q and s, r must be the closest point to zero
Since we can answer the target question with certainty, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT
Statement 2: -t < q
There are several sets of values that satisfy this condition. Here are two:
Case a: q = -1, r = 0, s = 1 and t = 2, in which case r IS the closest to zero
Case b: q = 0, r = 1, s = 2 and t = 3, in which case r is NOT the closest to zero
Since we cannot answer the target question with certainty, statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT
Answer = A
Cheers,
Brent
