divisible by 7?

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 265
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 11:04 pm
Followed by:6 members

divisible by 7?

by grandh01 » Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:28 pm
How many of the three different positive integers
a,b, and c are divisible by 7?

1) The product of abc is divisible by 3, but only
c is divisible by 21.
2) Each of the three positive integers is divisible
by 3, but only c is divisible by 21.

OA IS B

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 3835
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:00 pm
Location: Milpitas, CA
Thanked: 1854 times
Followed by:523 members
GMAT Score:770

by Anurag@Gurome » Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:18 pm
consider 1st option:
The product of abc is divisible by 3, but only c is divisible by 21.
The product of abc is divisible by 3 => atleast one of the a,b,c is a multiple of 3.
but only C is divisible by 21 => c is a multiple of 3 and 7.
for a and b not to be divisible by 21 (7*3) they should not be a multiple of 7 or 3 or both.
there is no information whether a and b is a multiple of 7 or not.
a = 7, b = 3
a = 7, b = 7
a = 10, b = 8
all these satisfy the above conditions.
so we can`t answer with A alone.

consider 2nd option:
Each of the three positive integers is divisible by 3, but only c is divisible by 21.
a = 3k
b = 3m
c = 21n
for a and b not to be divisible by 21 (7*3) they should not be a multiple of 7.
so only C is a multiple of 7.
hence, it can be answered by B alone
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., MBA
GMAT Expert, Admissions and Career Guidance
Gurome, Inc.
1-800-566-4043 (USA)

Join Our Facebook Groups
GMAT with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/272466352793633/
Admissions with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/461459690536574/
Career Advising with Gurome
https://www.facebook.com/groups/360435787349781/