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# If |x|>3, which of the following must be true?

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Re: If |x| > 3 , which of the following must be true? [#permalink]

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13 May 2013, 09:44
Expert's post
danzig wrote:
If $$|x| > 3$$ , which of the following must be true?

I. $$x > 3$$

II. $$x^2 > 9$$

III. $$|x - 1| > 2$$

A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II only
D. II and III only
E. I, II, and III

I don't understand well III. $$|x - 1| > 2$$ is equivalent to $$x > 3$$ or $$x < -1$$. The last inequality ($$x < -1$$ ) includes integers -2 and -3, integers that are not included in one of the original inequalities ( $$x < -3$$ ). How could III be true?

If some numbers confuse you, don't fixate on them. Go ahead and take some other easier examples.
Let's keep the wording of the question same but make it simple.

If n < 6, which of the following must be true?

I.

II.

III. n < 8

Can we say that III must be true? Yes!
If n is less than 6 then obviously it is less than 8 too.
If n is less than 6, it will take values such as -20, 2, 5 etc. All of these values will be less than 8 too.

Values 6 and 7 are immaterial because n cannot take these values. You are given that n is less than 6 so you only need to worry about values that n CAN take. Those should satisfy n < 8.

Similarly, your question says that x > 3 or x < -3

Then we can say that x > 3 or x < -1. All values that will be less than -3 will be less than -1 too.

Check out my post on a similar tricky question : http://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2012/07 ... -and-sets/
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Get started with Veritas Prep GMAT On Demand for $199 Veritas Prep Reviews Intern Joined: 15 Mar 2013 Posts: 5 Followers: 0 Kudos [?]: 0 [0], given: 2 Re: If |x| > 3 , which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 13 Aug 2013, 13:40 What if x = -2 that is < -1 but > than -3 so IIImust be out?no Zarrolou wrote: Archit143 wrote: I too have the same doubt...can anyone address the query Archit The question asks is $$x>3$$ or $$x<-3$$? III tells us that $$x>3$$ or $$x<-1$$. So is $$x>3$$ or $$x<-3$$? YES $$x>3$$ from question => $$x>3$$from III: Correct $$x<-3$$ from question => $$x<-1$$ from III: Correct as well. We are asked if x<-3 and III tells us that x<-1 so for sure it will be <-3 also. Hope it's clear now! Posted from GMAT ToolKit Senior Manager Joined: 10 Jul 2013 Posts: 335 Followers: 3 Kudos [?]: 263 [0], given: 102 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 13 Aug 2013, 14:27 corvinis wrote: If |x| > 3, which of the following must be true? I. x > 3 II. X^2 > 9 III. |x-1|>2 A. I only B. II only C. I and II only D. II and III only E. I, II, and III I can't understand how the official answer can be right. For me is B. Please respond and I'll provide official explanation! Thanks |x| > 3 means x>3 or x<-3 so I is false because x<-3 is true. II. x^2 > 9 satisfies both equations (use x=-4 or x=5 ) III. is also true for x=-4 and x=5. so D _________________ Asif vai..... Math Expert Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 34092 Followers: 6093 Kudos [?]: 76655 [0], given: 9978 Re: If |x| > 3 , which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 14 Aug 2013, 00:56 Expert's post 1 This post was BOOKMARKED rusth1 wrote: If |x| > 3, which of the following must be true? I. x > 3 II. X^2 > 9 III. |x-1|>2 A. I only B. II only C. I and II only D. II and III only E. I, II, and III What if x = -2 that is < -1 but > than -3 so IIImust be out?no Zarrolou wrote: Archit143 wrote: I too have the same doubt...can anyone address the query Archit The question asks is $$x>3$$ or $$x<-3$$? III tells us that $$x>3$$ or $$x<-1$$. So is $$x>3$$ or $$x<-3$$? YES $$x>3$$ from question => $$x>3$$from III: Correct $$x<-3$$ from question => $$x<-1$$ from III: Correct as well. We are asked if x<-3 and III tells us that x<-1 so for sure it will be <-3 also. Hope it's clear now! Posted from GMAT ToolKit x cannot be -2 because we are told that |x|>3, and |-2|=2<3. Hope it helps. _________________ GMAT Club Legend Joined: 09 Sep 2013 Posts: 10617 Followers: 495 Kudos [?]: 129 [0], given: 0 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 28 Oct 2014, 10:53 Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot! Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos). Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email. _________________ Intern Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 49 Followers: 0 Kudos [?]: 8 [0], given: 126 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 23 Nov 2014, 23:46 Hi All, After going through the explanations I could understand why option B was not correct. But I am sure under timed conditions, I might make a similar mistake. Does anyone have a way to solve such problems, so that a mistake can be avoided and an important case like the 3rd option be considered while evaluating answer choices? Thanks, AK Moderator Joined: 25 Apr 2012 Posts: 728 Location: India GPA: 3.21 WE: Business Development (Other) Followers: 42 Kudos [?]: 605 [0], given: 723 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 24 Nov 2014, 00:29 aj0809 wrote: Hi All, After going through the explanations I could understand why option B was not correct. But I am sure under timed conditions, I might make a similar mistake. Does anyone have a way to solve such problems, so that a mistake can be avoided and an important case like the 3rd option be considered while evaluating answer choices? Thanks, AK Hi AK, Why will you leave an option out...that's a big no...in this question St 2 is true so you can remove answer options which don't have st 2 as one of the option and see if it reduces your work load... You may want to refresh some basics on how to go about solving such questions.. This is why we need to practice and see where we are going wrong...For instance this is an important pointer for you to never to overlook an option.. Check out below link: math-absolute-value-modulus-86462.html _________________ “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Intern Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 49 Followers: 0 Kudos [?]: 8 [0], given: 126 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 24 Nov 2014, 00:43 Thanks WondedTiger, Maybe I didn't present my question correctly. I didn't leave the 3rd option but came to the conclusion that it was wrong and chose my answer as B. I just want to prevent that in timed conditions for difficult questions like these, which have subtle differences that makes an answer choice right. Moderator Joined: 25 Apr 2012 Posts: 728 Location: India GPA: 3.21 WE: Business Development (Other) Followers: 42 Kudos [?]: 605 [0], given: 723 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 24 Nov 2014, 00:53 aj0809 wrote: Thanks WondedTiger, Maybe I didn't present my question correctly. I didn't leave the 3rd option but came to the conclusion that it was wrong and chose my answer as B. I just want to prevent that in timed conditions for difficult questions like these, which have subtle differences that makes an answer choice right. hmm.. Did you solve the 3rd option correctly or you made it a mistake. Identify the step where you made the mistake.. Consider making an error log..That will certainly help... _________________ “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Veritas Prep GMAT Instructor Joined: 16 Oct 2010 Posts: 6755 Location: Pune, India Followers: 1876 Kudos [?]: 11548 [1] , given: 219 Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink] ### Show Tags 24 Nov 2014, 20:36 1 This post received KUDOS Expert's post 1 This post was BOOKMARKED aj0809 wrote: Thanks WondedTiger, Maybe I didn't present my question correctly. I didn't leave the 3rd option but came to the conclusion that it was wrong and chose my answer as B. I just want to prevent that in timed conditions for difficult questions like these, which have subtle differences that makes an answer choice right. Try using the number line for inequalities and absolute values. |x| > 3 means distance of x from 0 is more than 3. So x is either greater than 3 or less than -3. So on the number line, it looks like this: ___________-3________0________3____________ The red part is the range where x will lie. Is |x-1| > 2? |x-1| > 2 represents that distance of x from 1 is more than 2. So x is either greater than 3 or less than -1. Is x either greater than 3 or less than -1? ___________-3________0________3____________ All points on the red lines satisfy this. They are either greater than 3 or less than -1. Hence option III must be true. _________________ Karishma Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor My Blog Get started with Veritas Prep GMAT On Demand for$199

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If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink]

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22 May 2015, 07:26
III. |x-1|>2
This implies that the distance of x from 1 must be greater than 2. So x is either greater than 3 or less than -1. Now, recall all the values that x can take. For each value, can be say that x is either greater than 3 or less than -1? Yes.
3.00001 - x is greater than 3
3.5 : x is greater than 3
4.2 : x is greater than 3
5.7 : x is greater than 3
67 : x is greater than 3
1000 : x is greater than 3
-3.45 : x is less than -1
-4 : x is less than -1
-8 : x is less than -1
-100 : x is less than -1

For every value that x can take, x will be either greater than 3 or less than -1. Note that we are not saying that every value less than -1 must be valid for x. We are saying that every value that is valid for x (found by using |x| > 3) will be either greater than 3 or less than -1.Hence |x-1|>2 must be true for every value that x can take.

VeritasPrepKarishma Thank you for this! I was doing 'must be true' questions wrong!
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Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink]

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20 Jun 2015, 02:27
i dont get it...if x=-2, then |x|=2, which does not satisfy the equation, how is it true?
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Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink]

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20 Jun 2015, 02:33
Expert's post
jayanthjanardhan wrote:
i dont get it...if x=-2, then |x|=2, which does not satisfy the equation, how is it true?

x cannot be -2 because we are told that |x|>3, and |-2|=2<3.
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Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true? [#permalink]

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03 Sep 2015, 02:51
SOURH7WK wrote:
fameatop wrote:
Option3-|x-1|>2,
which means (x-1)>2 ---> x>3 (if x-1>0) - True
it also means (x-1)<-2---->x<-1 (if x-1<0)

X<-1 satisfies x<-3. Thus true

Both 2 & 3 is true

Hope it helps

Now if I take x=-2 will it satisfy the condition?

if in case of iii. i square both of the inequality, then what will be my fault?
Re: If |x|>3, which of the following must be true?   [#permalink] 03 Sep 2015, 02:51

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