S consist of the numbers

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sanju09: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 3650; Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am; Location: India; Thanked: 267 times; Followed by:80 members; GMAT Score:760

S consist of the numbers

by sanju09 » Thu Apr 09, 2009 1:54 am

If set S consist of the numbers 1, 5, -2, 8, and n. Is 0 < n < 7?

(1) The median of the numbers in S is less than 5.

(2) The median of the numbers in S is greater than 1.

OA C

The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha

Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com

Quote

Source: Beat The GMAT — Data Sufficiency | Thu Apr 09, 2009 1:54 am

sacx: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 139; Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:36 am; Thanked: 17 times

by sacx » Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:02 am

Lets arrange the number in ascending order

-2,1,5,8....and n

Stmt I

if n is negative, median = 1

Insuff

Stmt II

if n = 3 median = 3 but if n = 10, median = 5

Insuff

Stmt I&II

1 < median < 5

so n will be between 1 and 5, since only then can we get a median between 1 and 5

[spoiler]Suff

C[/spoiler]

Last edited by sacx on Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:36 am, edited 2 times in total.

SACX

Quote

sanju09: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 3650; Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:27 am; Location: India; Thanked: 267 times; Followed by:80 members; GMAT Score:760

by sanju09 » Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:24 am

sacx! Please read the lines mingled with your solution:

Lets arrange the number in ascending order

-2,1,5,8,n

You assumed n to be the greatest here. Why?

Stmt I

n could be negative or it could between 0 and 5. in both cases we will get median 5

How can you support this phrase? How can 5 be the median if n < 0?

Insuff

Stmt II

if n = 3 median = 3 but if n = 10, median = 5

Insuff

Stmt I&II

1 < median < 5

so n will be between 1 and 5

You must have mentioned the message of the merger that n is in fact the median, before concluding “so n will be between 1 and 5”.

do you agree?

The mind is everything. What you think you become. -Lord Buddha

Sanjeev K Saxena
Quantitative Instructor
The Princeton Review - Manya Abroad
Lucknow-226001

www.manyagroup.com