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 Post subject: if x plus y over z is equal to -2
 Post Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 5:24 pm 
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Posts: 17
if x plus y over z is equal to -2, is x positive?

(1) z is negative
(2) y is positive

correct answer is e. i dont see how.


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 Post subject: Re: if x plus y over z is equal to -2
 Post Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:37 am 
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Posts: 43
urooj.khan wrote:
if x plus y over z is equal to -2, is x positive?

(1) z is negative
(2) y is positive

correct answer is e. i dont see how.


(x+y)/z=-2 means x+y =-2z

(1) z -ve

x+y =+ve X can be -ve/+ve/0 Insuff

(2) x+y =-2z

y +ve. X can be +ve/-ve/0

combined also x can +ve/-ve

Insuff

Just plug in numbers.


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 Post subject: Re: if x plus y over z is equal to -2
 Post Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:07 pm 
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ManhattanGMAT Staff


Posts: 4419
the rephrase given in the above post is accurate, but it's a bit try-hard.

TAKEAWAY:
if a problem asks about a certain quantity or variable(s), then you should ISOLATE that quantity or variable(s).


this problem asks a question about x. therefore, you should isolate x.
if you do this, you get x = -y - 2z.

therefore, you have the rephrase you want:
is (-y - 2z) positive?

(1)
insufficient, because we don't know anything about -y (which could be any number at all, and which could definitely be big enough to overwhelm -2z).

(2)
insufficient, because we don't know anything about -2z (which could be any number at all, and which could definitely be big enough to overwhelm -y).

(together)
-y must be negative, but could be ANY negative number.
-2z must be positive, but could be ANY positive number.
the desired sum is therefore (arbitrary pos #) + (arbitrary neg #), which could work out to any number at all.
insufficient.

ans (e)


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