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List A consist of 10 terms, each of which is a reciprocal of a prime number, is the median of the list less than 1/5?
(1) Reciprocal of the median is a prime number. If all the terms equal 1/2, then the median=1/2 and the answer is NO but if all the terms equal 1/7, then the median=1/7 and the answer is YES. Not sufficient.
(2) The product of any two terms of the list is a terminating decimal. This statement implies that the list must consists of 1/2 or/and 1/5. Thus the median could be 1/2, 1/5 or (1/5+1/2)/2=7/20. None of the possible values is less than 1/5. Sufficient.
Set A consist of 10 terms, each of which is a reciprocal of a prime number, is the median of the set less than 1/5?
(1) Reciprocal of the median is a prime number.
(2) The product of any two terms of the set is a terminating decimal.
Hi again Bunuel!
This is how I am interpreting this question. Based on this interpretation when I read your explanation, I'm getting totally lost. Please help.
Prompt: A set consists of reciprocals of 10 different prime numbers (1/2, 1/3 ..... 1/101....). Is the sum of the 5 and 6th term less than 1.5?
Statement 1: Reciprocal of the average of the 5th and 6th term is also a prime number. I understand your explanation and this is clearly not sufficient.
Statement 2: 1/2 and 1/5 are the only numbers which are a part of this set (squares or cubes of these numbers also can't be a part of this set as the question states that the numbers are reciprocals of primes only). The 10 numbers could be 9 1/2's and 1 1/5 as well. So we don't know have sufficiency?
Is this understanding correct? IMHO answer is E _________________
Cheers!!
JA If you like my post, let me know. Give me a kudos!
Set A consist of 10 terms, each of which is a reciprocal of a prime number, is the median of the set less than 1/5?
(1) Reciprocal of the median is a prime number.
(2) The product of any two terms of the set is a terminating decimal.
Hi again Bunuel!
This is how I am interpreting this question. Based on this interpretation when I read your explanation, I'm getting totally lost. Please help.
Prompt: A set consists of reciprocals of 10 different prime numbers (1/2, 1/3 ..... 1/101....). Is the sum of the 5 and 6th term less than 1.5?
Statement 1: Reciprocal of the average of the 5th and 6th term is also a prime number. I understand your explanation and this is clearly not sufficient.
Statement 2: 1/2 and 1/5 are the only numbers which are a part of this set (squares or cubes of these numbers also can't be a part of this set as the question states that the numbers are reciprocals of primes only). The 10 numbers could be 9 1/2's and 1 1/5 as well. So we don't know have sufficiency?
Is this understanding correct? IMHO answer is E
For (2) the set could be any combination of 1/2's and 1//5: {1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2} {1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5} {1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/5, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2, 1/2} ....
Let me ask you: could the median of any of the sets above be less than 1/5?
_________________
Read the wording of the question stem very carefully. It never says DISTINCT. Therefore, the elements of the set could be the same.
1) So, the reciprocal of the median is prime. All the elements of the set are prime, so the median is could be an element of the set, right. If the set is all 1/2, the answer is "No." If the set is all 1/7, the answer is "Yes." INSUFFICIENT 2) This limits the set elements to some combination of the numbers 1/2 and 1/5. Any set with these elements will have a median higher than 1/5. So the answer is "Always No." SUFFICIENT
True for "official" set theory, not true for the GMAT -- if it were, the concept of "MODE" would never come up. The GMAT will refer to groups of numbers, repeated or distinct, as a "set."
(1) Reciprocal of the median is a prime number. If all the terms equal 1/2, then the median=1/2 and the answer is NO but if all the terms equal 1/7, then the median=1/7 and the answer is YES. Not sufficient.
(2) The product of any two terms of the set is a terminating decimal. This statement implies that the set must consists of 1/2 or/and 1/5. Thus the median could be 1/2, 1/5 or (1/5+1/2)/2=7/20. None of the possible values is less than 1/5. Sufficient.
Answer: B
Hi Bunuel, How can we get to be sure while solving the problem that ONLY 1/2 or 1/5 or combination of both results in terminating decimal. Because there can be infinite # of cases of reciprocal of prime numbers in a set.
_________________
(1) Reciprocal of the median is a prime number. If all the terms equal 1/2, then the median=1/2 and the answer is NO but if all the terms equal 1/7, then the median=1/7 and the answer is YES. Not sufficient.
(2) The product of any two terms of the set is a terminating decimal. This statement implies that the set must consists of 1/2 or/and 1/5. Thus the median could be 1/2, 1/5 or (1/5+1/2)/2=7/20. None of the possible values is less than 1/5. Sufficient.
Answer: B
Hi Bunuel, How can we get to be sure while solving the problem that ONLY 1/2 or 1/5 or combination of both results in terminating decimal. Because there can be infinite # of cases of reciprocal of prime numbers in a set.
Theory: Reduced fraction \(\frac{a}{b}\) (meaning that fraction is already reduced to its lowest term) can be expressed as terminating decimal if and only \(b\) (denominator) is of the form \(2^n5^m\), where \(m\) and \(n\) are non-negative integers. For example: \(\frac{7}{250}\) is a terminating decimal \(0.028\), as \(250\) (denominator) equals to \(2*5^3\). Fraction \(\frac{3}{30}\) is also a terminating decimal, as \(\frac{3}{30}=\frac{1}{10}\) and denominator \(10=2*5\).
Note that if denominator already has only 2-s and/or 5-s then it doesn't matter whether the fraction is reduced or not.
For example \(\frac{x}{2^n5^m}\), (where x, n and m are integers) will always be the terminating decimal.
We need reducing in case when we have the prime in denominator other then 2 or 5 to see whether it could be reduced. For example fraction \(\frac{6}{15}\) has 3 as prime in denominator and we need to know if it can be reduced.
I was just about right, but made the usual mistake. The question asks, if mean is less than 1/5. And I deduced that it could be 1/5 too and marked E :'( Great question!
_________________
(1) Reciprocal of the median is a prime number. If all the terms equal 1/2, then the median=1/2 and the answer is NO but if all the terms equal 1/7, then the median=1/7 and the answer is YES. Not sufficient.
(2) The product of any two terms of the set is a terminating decimal. This statement implies that the set must consists of 1/2 or/and 1/5. Thus the median could be 1/2, 1/5 or (1/5+1/2)/2=7/20. None of the possible values is less than 1/5. Sufficient.
I have a doubt in the question stem of this problem.
"Set A consist of 10 terms, each of which is a reciprocal of a prime number"
Question stem says that each term of set A is a reciprocal of a prime number. Doesn't it imply that each term is reciprocal a unique prime number ? such as : (1/p1, 1/p1, 1/p1,1/p1,.....) --------------(1)
instead of (1/p1, 1/p2,1/p3,1/p3,1/p4.....)----------(2)
where p1,p2,p3,p4 are all prime numbers.
for scenario (2) , I believe a more apt verbose would be: "Set A consist of 10 terms, each of which is a reciprocal of prime number"
I didnt understand why we eliminate A. When we choose 1/2 for all the median is 1/2 and reciprocal of median is 2. 2 is also a prime number. So why did we say No for this?
I didnt understand why we eliminate A. When we choose 1/2 for all the median is 1/2 and reciprocal of median is 2. 2 is also a prime number. So why did we say No for this?
(1) says "Reciprocal of the median is a prime number".
If all the terms equal 1/2, then the median=1/2 and the answer is NO but if all the terms equal 1/7, then the median=1/7 and the answer is YES. Not sufficient.
_________________
I think this is a poor-quality question and I don't agree with the explanation. In the second statement, the median can be 1/2 so we can say it is less than1/5 and the median can also be 1/5 then it is not less than 1/5. so we can't be sure.
I think this is a poor-quality question and I don't agree with the explanation. In the second statement, the median can be 1/2 so we can say it is less than1/5 and the median can also be 1/5 then it is not less than 1/5. so we can't be sure.
Please re-read the solution carefully.
The question asks: is the median of the set less than 1/5?
From (2) the median could be 1/2, 1/5 or (1/5+1/2)/2=7/20. None of the possible values is less than 1/5. So, we have a NO answer to the question. Sufficient.
I think this is a poor-quality question and I don't agree with the explanation. For GMAT or OTHERWISE, a SET never has any repetitions. You should have mentioned a LIST instead of a SET in this question.
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51% (01:07) correct 
