What is the value of (10^x)(10^y)?

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BTGModeratorVI wrote:
Sat May 16, 2020 7:29 am
What is the value of (10^x)(10^y)?

(1) 2^(x+y) = 16
(2) 5^(x+y) = 625

Answer: D
Source: Official guide
Target question: What is the value of [m]10^x10^y[/m]?
This is a good candidate for rephrasing the target question.

Useful property: (x^a)(x^b)=x^(a+b)
So, we can take (10^x)(10^y) and rewrite it as 10^(x+y)
In order to evaluate 10^(x+y), we must find the value of x+y
REPHRASED target question: What is the value of x+y?

Aside: Here’s a video with tips on rephrasing the target question: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... cy?id=1100

Statement 1: 2^(x+y)=16
We can rewrite the right side as follows: 2^(x+y)=2^4, which means it must be the case that x+y=4
Since we can answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT

Statement 2: 5^(x+y)=625
We can rewrite the right side as follows: 5^(x+y)=5^4, which means it must be the case that x+y=4
Since we can answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 2 is SUFFICIENT

Answer: D

Cheers,
Brent
Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com
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