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.

Square root and inequalities!!

Expert replies
by apoorva.srivastva » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:37 pm
What is the value of x, if x is an integer?

1.) [(x+4)*(x-5)]^1/2 < 11
2.) [(x+4)*(x-5)]^1/2 > 10

OA is [/spoiler]C[spoiler]

please tell
1.)whether we can square both the sides of an equality as in the question above??
2.) can we take square root on both the sides of inequalities eg. X^2 < 4 ??
Last edited by apoorva.srivastva on Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Join the discussion
Source: — Data Sufficiency |

by tpr-becky » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:57 pm
To answer your second question, The issue you run into is positive negative - you can't take a square root on both sides because you have to accomodate the negative option - in your example if x^2<4 then -2>X <2. This isn't quite the same for x^2>4 - because here EITHER X>2 or x<-2.

The same issue is going to come up with taking the square of each side of the inequalities you have listed - if there is a possiblity for the number to be negative (as with <11) you will have to switch the signs.
Join the discussion

by apoorva.srivastva » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:12 pm
tpr-becky wrote:To answer your second question, The issue you run into is positive negative - you can't take a square root on both sides because you have to accomodate the negative option - in your example if x^2<4 then -2>X <2. This isn't quite the same for x^2>4 - because here EITHER X>2 or x<-2.

The same issue is going to come up with taking the square of each side of the inequalities you have listed - if there is a possiblity for the number to be negative (as with <11) you will have to switch the signs.
so how do i attack this DS
Join the discussion

by kevincanspain » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:52 pm
apoorva.srivastva wrote:What is the value of x, if x is an integer?

1.) [(x+4)*(x-5)]^1/2 < 11
2.) [(x+4)*(x-5)]^1/2 > 10

OA is [/spoiler]C[spoiler]

please tell
1.)whether we can square both the sides of an equality as in the question above??
2.) can we take square root on both the sides of inequalities eg. X^2 < 4 ??

Remember that if sqrt(k) < 11, 0 < k < 121

Thus (1) tells us that 0 < (x+4)(x - 5) < 121

(2) tells us that (x+4)(x - 5) > 100


For this product to be positive, the two terms must have the same sign i.e x < -4 or x > 5

It's helpful to see here that the distance between the two terms is 9
6(15) < 100 7(16) = 112 8(17) = 132

Thus x+4 and x - 5 could be 16 and 7 or - 7 and -16

10 < sqrt((12+4)(12 -5)) < 11, but also 10 < sqrt((-11+4)(-11-5)) < 11


It makes sense that if there the solutions come in pairs, as y=(x+4)(x- 5) is symmetric about x= 1/2


I get E and not C
Kevin Armstrong
GMAT Instructor
Gmatclasses
Madrid
Join the discussion

by eaakbari » Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:48 am
6(15) < 100 7(16) = 112 8(17) = 132

Thus x+4 and x - 5 could be 16 and 7 or - 7 and -16

10 < sqrt((12+4)(12 -5)) < 11, but also 10 < sqrt((-11+4)(-11-5)) < 11


It makes sense that if there the solutions come in pairs, as y=(x+4)(x- 5) is symmetric about x= 1/2


I get E and not C
Hey Kevin, I cannot comprehend this. Could you give a more detailed explanation?
Whether you think you can or can't, you're right.
- Henry Ford
Join the discussion

by akhpad » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:09 am
What is the value of x, if x is an integer?

1.) [(x+4)*(x-5)]^1/2 < 11
2.) [(x+4)*(x-5)]^1/2 > 10

Statement 1 and 2 together

100 < (x+4)(x-5) < 121

x ......... (x+4)(x-5)
11 ....... 15 * 6 = 90
12 ....... 16 * 7 = 112
13 ....... 17 * 8 = 136

-10 ...... -6 * -15 = 90
-11 ...... -7 * -16 = 112
-12 ...... -8 * -17 = 136

x = 12 or -11

Answer: E
Join the discussion

by akhpad » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:17 am
apoorva.srivastva wrote:
please tell
1.)whether we can square both the sides of an equality as in the question above??
2.) can we take square root on both the sides of inequalities eg. X^2 < 4 ??
If you increase power both sides, no of root will increase and vise verse.
So, we should be carefull.



X^2 < 4

Above can be written as

-2 < X < 2
Join the discussion

by vcb » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:26 am
umm..how about this?

we have
1. sqrt[(x+4)(x-5)] < 11 => as kevin pointed out, 0 < (x+4)(x-5) < 121
2. sqrt[(x+4)(x-5)] > 10 => (x+4)(x-5) > 100

Cant figure out the value of x from any individual statement..combining the two,

121 > (x+4)(x-5) > 100

expanding,

121 > x^2 - 5x + 4x -20 > 100
adding 20 to all sides,

141 > x^2 - x > 120

now what i did was pick numbers.. consider 11 -> 121 - 11 = 110 ..nope we need a bigger one..
12 -> 144 - 12 = 132 ..it fits! 13 -> 169 - 13 = 156.. I think the difference between the square of a number and the number itself would go on increasing from now..

So C should be our ans..not sure if I wud've cracked it under timed conditions, though!
Join the discussion

by vcb » Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:30 am
yupp..forgot to consider the negative end of the number line...:((
Join the discussion