GMAT Question of the Day - Daily to your Mailbox; hard ones only

 It is currently 17 Nov 2019, 11:25

### GMAT Club Daily Prep

#### Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

# If x , p and q are positive integers , then

Author Message
TAGS:

### Hide Tags

Manager
Joined: 03 Oct 2016
Posts: 77
Concentration: Technology, General Management
WE: Information Technology (Computer Software)
If x , p and q are positive integers , then  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

Updated on: 08 Oct 2016, 10:07
1
16
00:00

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

34% (01:49) correct 66% (01:28) wrong based on 332 sessions

### HideShow timer Statistics

If x , p and q are positive integers , then $$x^{p} / x ^ {q}$$ = ?

1. p = q + 5

2. $$x^{q}$$ = 32

Keep the Kudos coming in and let the Questions coming out

_________________
KINDLY KUDOS IF YOU LIKE THE POST

Originally posted by idontknowwhy94 on 08 Oct 2016, 07:34.
Last edited by idontknowwhy94 on 08 Oct 2016, 10:07, edited 1 time in total.
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 12 Sep 2015
Posts: 4064
If x , p and q are positive integers , then  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

Updated on: 08 Oct 2016, 12:38
3
Top Contributor
2
idontknowwhy94 wrote:
If x , p and q are positive integers , then $$x^{p} / x ^ {q}$$ = ?

1. p = q + 5

2. $$x^{q}$$ = 32

NOTE: I have edited my response to reflect the new wording of the question

Target question: What is the value of $$x^{p} / x ^ {q}$$?
This is a good candidate for rephrasing the target question.
Since the base is x in both the numerator and denominator, we can apply the Quotient Law to get: x^(p-q).
So, we can REPHRASE the target question....
REPHRASED target question: What is the value of x^(p-q)?

Aside: Here’s a video with tips on rephrasing the target question: http://www.gmatprepnow.com/module/gmat-data-sufficiency?id=1100

Given: x , p and q are positive integers

Statement 1: p = q + 5
Rearrange to get: p - q = 5
Great! So, the exponent in x^(p-q) must equal 5.
However, we don't know the value of x, so there's no way to determine the value of x^(p-q)
Since we cannot answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 1 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Statement 2: x^q = 32
Since there's no information about q, there's no way to determine the value of x^(p-q)
Since we cannot answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, statement 2 is NOT SUFFICIENT

Statements 1 and 2 combined
Statement 1 tells us that p = q + 5
Statement 2 tells us that x^q = 32. Since we're told that x and p are positive integers, there are only 2 possible cases to consider: x = 2, q = 5 AND x = 32 and q = 1
Case a: If x = 2, q = 5, then (from statement 1), we know that p = 10. In this case, x^(p-q) = 2^(10-5) = 32
Case b: If x = 32, q = 1, then (from statement 1), we know that p = 6. In this case, x^(p-q) = 32^(6-1) = some BIG number
Since we cannot answer the REPHRASED target question with certainty, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT

_________________
Test confidently with gmatprepnow.com

Originally posted by GMATPrepNow on 08 Oct 2016, 09:30.
Last edited by GMATPrepNow on 08 Oct 2016, 12:38, edited 1 time in total.
##### General Discussion
Manager
Joined: 03 Oct 2016
Posts: 77
Concentration: Technology, General Management
WE: Information Technology (Computer Software)
Re: If x , p and q are positive integers , then  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

08 Oct 2016, 10:09
1
Peeps my mistake edited the question - this makes sense now.
Thanks GMATPrepNow
_________________
KINDLY KUDOS IF YOU LIKE THE POST
GMAT Club Legend
Joined: 12 Sep 2015
Posts: 4064
Re: If x , p and q are positive integers , then  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

08 Oct 2016, 12:38
Top Contributor
idontknowwhy94 wrote:
Peeps my mistake edited the question - this makes sense now.
Thanks GMATPrepNow

I've edited my response accordingly.

Cheers,
Brent
_________________
Test confidently with gmatprepnow.com
Senior Manager
Joined: 15 Jan 2017
Posts: 334
Re: If x , p and q are positive integers , then  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

07 Sep 2017, 03:27
Oh didnt think of 32^1 -->
Yes E makes sense over C.

Thank you GMATPrepNow
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Posts: 13603
Re: If x , p and q are positive integers , then  [#permalink]

### Show Tags

06 Oct 2018, 00:31
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.
_________________
Re: If x , p and q are positive integers , then   [#permalink] 06 Oct 2018, 00:31
Display posts from previous: Sort by