M02 Q11 DS

idleking · **Posted:** Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:06 pm

Is p^2 > q^2 ?

1. p > 0
2. q > 0

[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

E

Source: GMAT Club Tests - hardest GMAT questions

The given statement simplifies to:
p^2 - q^2 > 0

The real question, then is this: is (p + q) (p-q) > 0 ? The statements taken together allow for p > q and p < q , which makes the sign either positive or negative.

I don't understand the answer. Could someone break it down further please?

x2suresh · **Posted:** Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:40 pm

idleking wrote:

Is p^2 > q^2 ?

1. p > 0
2. q > 0

(C) 2008 GMAT Club - m02#11

The given statement simplifies to:
p^2 - q^2 > 0

The real question, then is this: is (p + q) (p-q) > 0 ? The statements taken together allow for p > q and p < q , which makes the sign either positive or negative.
The correct answer is E.

I don't understand the answer. Could someone break it down further please?

p^2 - q^2 > 0

1) p>0

p^2 - q^2 ---> +ve when p>q (assume q is also positive)
p^2 - q^2 ---> -ve ve when p<q (assume q is also positive)

two solutions insuffcient

2) q>0

p^2 - q^2 ---> +ve when p>q (assume p is also positive)
p^2 - q^2 ---> -ve when p<q (assume p is also positive)

two solutions insuffcient

combine.
p>0 q>0 AND DON'T know the proper relation between p and q
p>q q>p

p^2 - q^2 --> lead +ve or -ve values depends on p>q or q>p
insuffcient

E.

naheed · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:54 am

p^2 > q^2 ? can be rephrased as |p| > |q| ?

1. p > 0
Doesn't give any information on relationship between absolute values of p and q

2. q > 0
Doesn't give any information on relationship between absolute values of p and q

1 & 2 Combined also doesn't give any information on the relationship.

Hence E.

jeckll · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:26 am

Yeah I think you're just overthinking it.

In order to know whether p^2 > q^2 we have to know something about the relationship between p and q -- that one is larger than the other, that one is negative and one is positive, that one is less than 1 and the other isn't, etc.

Neither of the two statements separately nor the two statements combined give you any information about this.

naheed · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:38 am

Making a little change in question, say:

2. q < 0

The answer would still be E

pleonasm · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2009 5:07 pm

Actually I wouldn't take the pains of factorizing and all that .. keeping it simple

Square of any number is positive .. so unless the answer choices help establishing a relationship between p and q it's impossible to say which is greater. Hence the option E.

rossmoss87 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:01 am

jeckll wrote:

Yeah I think you're just overthinking it.

In order to know whether p^2 > q^2 we have to know something about the relationship between p and q -- that one is larger than the other, that one is negative and one is positive, that one is less than 1 and the other isn't, etc.

Neither of the two statements separately nor the two statements combined give you any information about this.

Enough said here. P and Q could be equal in each of the scenarios. No way to tell if they are not, so E

Sarang · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:25 am

no need to expand the equation
just put values of p and q as fractions.
Answer :- E

Posted from my mobile device

sonnco · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:04 am

idleking wrote:

Is p^2 > q^2 ?

1. p > 0
2. q > 0

[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

E

Source: GMAT Club Tests - hardest GMAT questions

The given statement simplifies to:
p^2 - q^2 > 0

The real question, then is this: is (p + q) (p-q) > 0 ? The statements taken together allow for p > q and p < q , which makes the sign either positive or negative.

I don't understand the answer. Could someone break it down further please?

Looking at statement 1) we have information for P but not Q so I eliminated A & D off the bat.
Looking at statement 2) we have information for Q but not for P so I eliminate B as well.

We are only left with C or E. Since P and Q are greater than 0 and there is no mention of integers in the problem I am going to test a low number 1 and a fraction .5

Here is what I have for my table, respectively..

P:1,.5,1,.5
Q:.5,1,1,.5

Putting these numbers in the original question I get the following...
Yes, No, No, No

Cross out C since it is insufficient.

E all the way :-D

TomB · **Posted:** Thu Dec 09, 2010 9:09 pm

since each statement alone is insufficient to answer, considering two statements together still not sufficient to answer as we do not whether P or Q is greater. For example : As both P and Q are positives , if P=2,Q=1, then P*P> Q*Q.

if P=1,Q= 2, then P*P<Q*Q. No definite answer, so it is insufficient to answer. answer is E

vaibhavtripathi · **Posted:** Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:14 am

Dear GOD! Please dont do this to me. I am less than a month away from my test need a load of tough questions to practice with. :cry:

sleekmover · **Posted:** Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:30 pm

E.

from question stem it is apparent that sign of variables does not have any impact on the solution
since both p and q are squared its the absolute value that we are after of each variable

Both Statement 1 and 2 provide only the sign of the number, which is postive for both of them.
None talks about absolute value.
Hence neither alone nor together are they sufficient to answer the question

jacky13 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 13, 2010 1:13 am

Answer choice is E.

shubhranaidu · **Posted:** Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:39 pm

Its E

saurabhgoel · **Posted:** Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:42 pm

Answer E

petrifiedbutstanding · **Posted:** Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:54 am

Quite simple, E.

Jdam · **Posted:** Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:41 am

I think the best way to go about this is absolute value. Anything squared is the same as taking absolute value. A and B do not help. Putting them together doesn't either. E

htskumar · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2011 7:22 am

Easy questions. Just try with test numbers, you should get the correct answer.

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M02 Q11 DS

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