If x and y are positive integers, is x/y < (x+5)/(y+5) ?
Statement #1: y = 5
Statement #2: x > y
OA Statement 2 is sufficient
x and y
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- akhilsuhag
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Hi akhilsuhag,akhilsuhag wrote:If x and y are positive integers, is x/y < (x+5)/(y+5) ?
Statement #1: y = 5
Statement #2: x > y
OA Statement 2 is sufficient
It is a YES/NO type question.
Statement 1: y=5
Substitute the value of y in x/y and x+5/y+5
You will get, x/5 and x+5/10
We cannot answer which one is greater without having any information regarding x. So statement 1 is INSUFFICIENT.
Statement 2: x>y
This is can be seen by taking examples in which x is greater than y. Let x=4 and y=2 so x/y=4/2=2
x+5/y+5=9/7=1.28 so x/y is not less than x+5/y+5. Thus we get a definite answer, NO.
So the correct answer is B
Regards
Sukriti
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Target question: Is x/y < (x+5)/(y+5)?akhilsuhag wrote:If x and y are positive integers, is x/y < (x+5)/(y+5) ?
Statement #1: y = 5
Statement #2: x > y
This is a great candidate for REPHRASING the target question.
Aside: We have a free video with tips on rephrasing the target question: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... cy?id=1100
If y is a positive integer, then we can be certain that y and (y+5) are both POSITIVE. This allows us to safely multiply both sides of our inequality by y and (y+5).
Take x/y < (x+5)/(y+5) and multiply both sides by y to get: Is x < (y)(x+5)/(y+5)?
Then take x < (y)(x+5)/(y+5)? and multiply both sides by (y+5) to get: Is x(y+5) < (y)(x+5)?
Expand to get: Is xy + 5x < xy + 5y?
Subtract xy from both sides to get: Is 5x < 5y?
Divide both sides by 5 to get: Is x < y?
We now have a very simple, REPHRASED target question.....
REPHRASED target question: Is x < y?
Now onto the statements!
Statement 1: y = 5
Since we have no information about x, there's no way to tell whether or not x < y.
Since we cannot answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 1 is NOT SUFFICIENT
Statement 2: x > y
Perfect!
If x > y then we can answer our REPHRASED target question with certainty.
NO, x is definitely not less than y.
So, statement 2 is SUFFICIENT
Answer = B
Cheers,
Brent
- akhilsuhag
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Hi Brent,
I actually solved the question by plugging in values, but it took some time doing that.
I posted it in hope to find a better way to do it- and you have blown me away. I am like- how could I not see that!!
Thank you so much!
I actually solved the question by plugging in values, but it took some time doing that.
I posted it in hope to find a better way to do it- and you have blown me away. I am like- how could I not see that!!
Thank you so much!
Please press "thanks" if you think my post has helped you.. Cheers!!
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Hi akhilsuhag,
This DS question is great for TESTING Values, but there's also a hidden Number Property that makes dealing with Fact 2 easier than you might think.
We're told that X and Y are POSITIVE INTEGERS. We're asked if X/Y < (X+5)/(Y+5)? This is a YES/NO question.
*Brent's tactic to rewrite the question is quite useful, but not necessary to solve this problem*
Fact 1: Y = 5
With this information, we can rewrite the question as:
"Is X/5 < (X+5)/10?
Let's TEST Values...
If X = 1, is 1/5 < 6/10? The answer is YES.
If X = 5, is 5/5 < 10/10? The answer is NO.
Fact 1 is INSUFFICIENT
Fact 2: X > Y
Since both variables are POSITIVE INTEGERS and X > Y, we know that X+5 > Y+5 and we know that the numerator of both fractions is greater than the denominator.
Here's the Number Property I mentioned earlier: Since the numerator and denominator are both positive, ADDING the SAME value to both the numerator and the denominator will "push" the value of the fraction closer to 1.
eg 2/1 = 2
(2+1)/(1+1) = 3/2 = 1.5
(2+2)/(1+2) = 4/3 = 1.3333
(2+3)/(1+3) = 5/4 = 1.25
(2+4)/(1+4) = 6/5 = 1.2
Etc.
This ultimately means that, under these restrictions, X/Y will ALWAYS be greater than (X+5)/(Y+5), so the answer to the question will ALWAYS be NO.
Fact 2 is SUFFICIENT.
Final Answer: B
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
This DS question is great for TESTING Values, but there's also a hidden Number Property that makes dealing with Fact 2 easier than you might think.
We're told that X and Y are POSITIVE INTEGERS. We're asked if X/Y < (X+5)/(Y+5)? This is a YES/NO question.
*Brent's tactic to rewrite the question is quite useful, but not necessary to solve this problem*
Fact 1: Y = 5
With this information, we can rewrite the question as:
"Is X/5 < (X+5)/10?
Let's TEST Values...
If X = 1, is 1/5 < 6/10? The answer is YES.
If X = 5, is 5/5 < 10/10? The answer is NO.
Fact 1 is INSUFFICIENT
Fact 2: X > Y
Since both variables are POSITIVE INTEGERS and X > Y, we know that X+5 > Y+5 and we know that the numerator of both fractions is greater than the denominator.
Here's the Number Property I mentioned earlier: Since the numerator and denominator are both positive, ADDING the SAME value to both the numerator and the denominator will "push" the value of the fraction closer to 1.
eg 2/1 = 2
(2+1)/(1+1) = 3/2 = 1.5
(2+2)/(1+2) = 4/3 = 1.3333
(2+3)/(1+3) = 5/4 = 1.25
(2+4)/(1+4) = 6/5 = 1.2
Etc.
This ultimately means that, under these restrictions, X/Y will ALWAYS be greater than (X+5)/(Y+5), so the answer to the question will ALWAYS be NO.
Fact 2 is SUFFICIENT.
Final Answer: B
GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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- Brent@GMATPrepNow
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Target question: Is x/y < (x+5)/(y+5)?akhilsuhag wrote:If x and y are positive integers, is x/y < (x+5)/(y+5) ?
Statement #1: y = 5
Statement #2: x > y
This is a great candidate for REPHRASING the target question.
Aside: We have a free video with tips on rephrasing the target question: https://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat- ... cy?id=1100
If y is a positive integer, then we can be certain that y and (y+5) are both POSITIVE. This allows us to safely multiply both sides of our inequality by y and (y+5).
Take x/y < (x+5)/(y+5) and multiply both sides by y to get: Is x < (y)(x+5)/(y+5)?
Then take x < (y)(x+5)/(y+5) and multiply both sides by (y+5) to get: Is x(y+5) < (y)(x+5)?
Expand to get: Is xy + 5x < xy + 5y?
Subtract xy from both sides to get: Is 5x < 5y?
Divide both sides by 5 to get: Is x < y?
We now have a very simple, REPHRASED target question.....
REPHRASED target question: Is x < y?
Now onto the statements!
Statement 1: y = 5
Since we have no information about x, there's no way to tell whether or not x < y.
Since we cannot answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 1 is NOT SUFFICIENT
Statement 2: x > y
Perfect!
If x > y then we can answer our REPHRASED target question with certainty: NO, x is definitely not less than y.
So, statement 2 is SUFFICIENT
Answer = B
Cheers,
Brent