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X > Y question

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X > Y question

by anthoj » Mon Mar 15, 2010 4:06 pm
Is x > y?

(1) x + y < 0
(2) x - y > 0

The right answer is supposed to be B, but I think it should be D. Here's how I came to that conculsion.

(1):
x + y < 0
so x < -y
so x > y <- is this wrong??
SUFFICIENT

(2):
x - y > 0
so x > y
SUFFICIENT

So, where did I go wrong?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.
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Source: — Data Sufficiency |
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by student22 » Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:01 pm
For statement 1:

X = -7
Y = -5

-7 + -5 = -12

-12 < 0 , but Y > X.

Basically, the problem with that statement is that X and Y are interchangeable.
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by jpjp » Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:37 pm
anthoj wrote:Is x > y?

(1) x + y < 0
(2) x - y > 0

The right answer is supposed to be B, but I think it should be D. Here's how I came to that conculsion.

(1):
x + y < 0
so x < -y
so x > y <- is this wrong??
SUFFICIENT

(2):
x - y > 0
so x > y
SUFFICIENT

So, where did I go wrong?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.
for (1), you made the negative sign disappear from your 2nd to last step to your last step. It shouldn't just disappear like that. If you switch the direction of the > sign, then the other side becomes negative .. so either x<-y or -x>y .. but negative sign doesn't go away
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