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Confusing Question

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Confusing Question

by LeDan09 » Sat Mar 27, 2010 1:29 pm
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What is ab ?

(1) a/b = 2/3

(2) a^3= 64 and b^3 = 216

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Part of me wants to put D because (1) tells us that a = 2 and b = 3, thus ab = 6. SUFFICIENT.
Although (2) tells us that a = 4 and b = 6. So ab= 24. SUFFICIENT.

Both statements give us different answers, but they do yield an answer to the question: What is ab?

THE CORRECT ANSWER IS B.
What am I missing here?
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |
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by LeDan09 » Sat Mar 27, 2010 2:08 pm
I get it now. Statement 1 gives us a ratio of a and b, and not ACTUAL values. One cannot immediately assume that a = 2 and b = 3.

So a could be 8 and b=12 and the ratio would still hold, but Statement 2 gives us accurate and exact values of a and b.

So B is correct as only Statement 2 is sufficient.
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