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# Is 5^k less than 1,000?

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Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  26 Dec 2012, 03:41
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Is 5^k less than 1,000?

(1) 5^(k+1) > 3,000

(2) 5^(k-1) = 5^k - 500
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  26 Dec 2012, 03:42
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Is 5^k less than 1,000?

Is $$5^k<1,000$$?

(1) 5^(k+1) > 3,000 --> $$5^k>600$$ --> if $$k=4$$ then the answer is YES: since $$600<(5^4=625)<1,000$$ but if $$k=10$$, for example, then the answer is NO. Not sufficient.

(2) 5^(k-1) = 5^k - 500 --> we can solve for k and get the single numerical value of it, hence this statement is sufficient. Just to illustrate: $$5^k-5^{k-1}=500$$ --> factor out $$5^{k-1}$$: $$5^{k-1}(5-1)=500$$ --> $$5^{k-1}=125$$ --> $$k-1=3$$ --> $$k=4$$. Sufficient.

Hope it's clear.
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  06 Apr 2013, 22:12
Is 5^k less than 1,000?

(1) 5^(k+1) > 3,000

(2) 5^(k-1) = 5^k - 500

I would to ask why is this wrong
(1) 5^(k+1) > 3000

5^(k+1) > 5^5
Hence, k+1= 5 , k =4

If so, 5^4 is less than 1000. The answer should b sufficient for (1).
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  07 Apr 2013, 08:40
From 1: (5^k)*5 > 3000
(5^k) > 600
Hence, insufficient.

From 2: Solving the equation k = 4

Hence, B
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  07 Apr 2013, 22:03
Expert's post
LMKong wrote:
Is 5^k less than 1,000?

(1) 5^(k+1) > 3,000

(2) 5^(k-1) = 5^k - 500

I would to ask why is this wrong
(1) 5^(k+1) > 3000

5^(k+1) > 5^5
Hence, k+1= 5 , k =4

If so, 5^4 is less than 1000. The answer should b sufficient for (1).

First of all 5^5=3,125>3,000, thus 5^(k+1) > 3000 does NOT necessarily mean that 5^(k+1) > 5^5.

Next, even if we had 5^(k+1) > 5^5 it still does not mean that k+1=5. It means that k+1>5 --> k>4.

Hope it's clear.
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  21 Nov 2013, 08:15
Bunuel,
How did you factor out this
5^k-5^{k-1}=500 --> factor out 5^{k-1}: 5^{k-1}(5-1)=500

is that possible?
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  21 Nov 2013, 10:05
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Statement(1) : 5^(k+1) > 3000
The above inequality can be reduced to 5^k > 600. From this, we clearly know few possible values for k i.e., 4,5,6,..
Substituting these values in the inequality given in the question gives away both yes and no answers.
k = 4, 5^(4-1) < 1000
k = 5, 5^(5-1) < 1000
k = 6, 5^(6-1) > 1000
Hence statement(1) is not sufficient.

Statement(2): 5^(k-1) = 5^k - 500
Reducing the above inequality, 4/5 * 5^k = 500
So 5^k = 625 = 5^4. Clearly k = 4 and the original inequality is satisfied: 5^4 < 1000.
Hence statement(2) is sufficient.

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Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  23 May 2014, 13:08
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The biggest take-away here should be that we don't need to solve the St-2. The moment you start solving St2, you have fallen for GMAT's classic time waster trap. See below.

Statement1: As 5^(k+1) > 3,000 --> k>4 and hence insufficient
Statement2: We dont need to solve the equation. Since this is an EQUATION (and not an inequality) with one variable, we will get the exact value of k and we will be able to answer the question one way or the other. SUFFICIENT.
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Quant Q in exponents [#permalink]  11 Dec 2014, 05:24
Can some one explain how opt B is the ans.

And choice is B

Pls see attachment
Attachments

Exponents.PNG [ 6.02 KiB | Viewed 2161 times ]

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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  11 Dec 2014, 05:33
Expert's post
gameboy11887 wrote:
Can some one explain how opt B is the ans.

And choice is B

Pls see attachment

Merging topics.

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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  16 Jan 2015, 06:48
Bunuel wrote:
Is 5^k less than 1,000?

Is $$5^k<1,000$$?

(1) 5^(k+1) > 3,000 --> $$5^k>600$$ --> if $$k=4$$ then the answer is YES: since $$600<(5^4=625)<1,000$$ but if $$k=10$$, for example, then the answer is NO. Not sufficient.

(2) 5^(k-1) = 5^k - 500 --> we can solve for k and get the single numerical value of it, hence this statement is sufficient. Just to illustrate: $$5^k-5^{k-1}=500$$ --> factor out $$5^{k-1}$$: $$5^{k-1}(5-1)=500$$ --> $$5^{k-1}=125$$ --> $$k-1=3$$ --> $$k=4$$. Sufficient.

Hope it's clear.

Hi can we generalize that " Every time when there is an equation with exponential expressions and there is only one single variable exponent(and no other variable in equation), we can always find the value of that exponent." Is there any exception possible?
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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000? [#permalink]  16 Jan 2015, 12:08
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Hi All,

1) At NO POINT does it state that K has to be an integer.
2) It's clearly based on exponents, so some exponent rules/patterns MUST be involved.

We're asked if 5^K is < 1,000. This is a YES/NO question.

Fact 1: 5^(K+1) > 3,000

In this Fact, notice how the exponent (K+1) differs from the exponent in the question (K). There's an exponent rule that accounts for this difference.

As an example, consider...
5^2 = 25
5^3 = 125
Notice how 5^3 is "5 times" greater than 5^2? This difference occurs because the base is 5 and we're increasing the exponent by 1. It can also be used in reverse....

5^3/5^2 = 5^(3-2) = 5^1 = 5

This is a standard rule about "dividing" exponents with the same base --> we SUBTRACT the exponents.

With Fact 1, we're dealing with 5^(K+1) and the question is dealing with 5^K. This means that DIVIDING 5^(K+1) by 5 will give us 5^K:

5^(K+1)/5^1 = 5^(K+1-1) = 5^K.

This is all meant to say that we can DIVIDE both sides of this inequality by 5, which gives us...

5^(K+1) > 3,000
5^K > 600

IF....
5^K = 601 then the answer to the question is YES
5^K = 1,001 then the answer to the question is NO
Fact 1 is INSUFFICIENT

Fact 2: 5^(K-1) = 5^K - 500

This is a 1 variable, 1 equation "system", so we CAN solve it (and there will only be 1 answer). Even if you did not know that, it's still easy enough to get to the solution.... Since most Test Takers are better at basic multiplication than they are at manipulating higher-level exponents, here's how you can "brute force" the solution:

5^1 = 5
5^2 = 25
5^3 = 125
5^4 = 625
5^5 = 3125

Find two consecutive powers of 5 that differ by 500 and you have the solution to the above equation.
5^4 - 5^3 = 625 - 125 = 500
Fact 2 is SUFFICIENT.

[Reveal] Spoiler:
B

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Re: Is 5^k less than 1,000?   [#permalink] 16 Jan 2015, 12:08
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