Is the answer E - 9? The way I solved this was to make a substitution...if we make new variables, say r and s such that
r = sqrt(x)
s = sqrt(y)
then we can substitute these and it's a little easier to see how the problem is solved. We can use r and s to write the equation as
(r + s)/(r^2 - s^2) = (2r + 2s)/(r^2 + 2rs + s^2)
then, we can factor both denominators and get
(r + s)/((r + s)(r - s)) = (2(r + s))/((r + s)^2)
Then, cancelling the (r+s) factors gives
1/(r-s) = 2/(r+s)
We can rearrange this to get
r + s = 2r - 2s
3s = r
3 = r/s
Then, remembering the substitution we made, we can plug back in sqrt(x) and sqrt(y)
3 = sqrt(x)/sqrt(y)
9 = x/y
BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course
Redeem
Featured Course
Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand
Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.
- 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
- 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
- 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
- 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
- 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
- TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
- 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
- OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
- Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
- MBA Admissions Consulting now available
- 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
- 200,000+ students served
- 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★
5.0
(559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start
then $127/mo
