-
[email protected]
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 429
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:38 pm
- Thanked: 6 times
- Followed by:4 members
This is a number line, magnitude problem.
Remember: On a yes/no DS question, you don't need a yes answer. You only need a definitive yes or no.
It looks like the diagram doesn't provide any information. But it provides a lot of information:
q>r>s>t and all the numbers are real numbers. If they weren't real numbers, a number line couldn't represent them.
Anticipate the info needed to answer the question:
The location of 0 and the magnitudes (absolute values) of r, s and q.
Some relationship between numbers that could relate their values.
Evaluate 1. q=-s.
That means |q| = |s| - they are both the same distance from 0.
s is positive and q is negative because q<s and they have the same magnitude.
r might be positive, in which case it's closer to 0 than s ...|r| < |s| and therefore |r|<|q|. r is closer to 0 than q or s, and it's closer to 0 than t - t is even further from 0 than s. Yes.
r might be 0, in which case its distance from 0 is 0, so r has to be closest to 0. Yes.
r might be negative, in which case it's closer to 0 than q....|r|<|q| and |r| < |s|. r is closer to 0 than q or s. Yes.
1 is sufficient. Eliminate B, C, E. A and D remain.
Evaluate 2.
-t < q
Case 1. q = -1, r=2, s=3, t=4 .
-t = -4<-1. This fits statement 2.
r is not closest to 0. No.
Case 2. q=-1, r=0, s=1, t=2
-2 < -1. This fits statement 2.
r is closest to 0. Yes.
Statement 2 leads to multiple answers - it's either yes or no. It's wishy washy. Statement 2 isn't sufficient. Eliminate D.
The answer is A.
