GmatPrep

[vladmire]

Can anyone help me understand this problem.

[California4jx]

because we do not know whether denominator is positive or negative. However, we know for sure that numerator is positive (its a square root) - so answer could be +ve 1 or -ve 1 depends on the actual sign of x.

Therefore, the above explanation is explained as the answer. |x|/x

[niraj_a]

sure

here's a rule for you: sqrt (x^2) can always be written as |x^2|. there's nothing else this question is asking.

if you did not know this rule, you could tested numbers and seen which answer choice matched i.e. 1, -1, 0, 2, -2

[vittalgmat]

sure

here's a rule for you: sqrt (x^2) can always be written as |x^2|. <----- typo here. it should be |x| there's nothing else this question is asking.

if you did not know this rule, you could tested numbers and seen which answer choice matched i.e. 1, -1, 0, 2, -2

[hgupta0]

Wouldn't the above be |1| (if that option was given?)

[Ian Stewart]

Wouldn't the above be |1| (if that option was given?)

Well, that option is given - it's answer choice C, since |1| is the same thing as 1.

I imagine what you're getting at is that the expression has an absolute value of 1, which is true, but that means that it's either equal to -1 or to 1, and not to |1|.