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What is the value of x?

Author Message
Intern
Joined: 16 May 2009
Posts: 28
Followers: 0

Kudos [?]: 38 [0], given: 3

What is the value of x? [#permalink]  29 Nov 2009, 15:13
00:00

Difficulty:

35% (medium)

Question Stats:

59% (01:41) correct 41% (00:53) wrong based on 37 sessions
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What is the value of x?

(1) 6x = √(3x)
(2) x > 0
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 31299
Followers: 5356

Kudos [?]: 62347 [0], given: 9454

Expert's post
Pedros wrote:
what is the value of x?

1) 6x=√(3x)
2) x>0

OA :
[Reveal] Spoiler:
c

[Reveal] Spoiler:
why isnt A sufficient

thanks

(1) Square both sides --> $$36x^2=3x$$ --> $$12x^2=x$$, NOTE that here we can not reduce by $$x$$, as we don't know the value of $$x$$. Meaning that $$x$$ can be zero and if so we can not reduce (divide) by zero --> $$x(12x-1)=0$$ --> $$x=0$$ OR $$x=\frac{1}{12}$$. Two possible values for $$x$$, not sufficient.

(2) $$x>0$$, clearly not sufficient.

(1)+(2) $$x=0$$ OR $$x=\frac{1}{12}$$ BUT $$x>0$$, $$x$$ can not be zero, so $$x=\frac{1}{12}$$. Sufficient.

GROUND RULE:

Never reduce equation by variable (or expression with variable), if you are not certain that variable (or expression with variable) doesn't equal to zero. We can not divide by zero.

Never multiply (or reduce) inequality by variable (or expression with variable) if you don't know the sign of it or are not certain that variable (or expression with variable) doesn't equal to zero.

_________________
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