Is |a| |b|? (1) b

Question

Is |a| > |b|?

(1) b < -a

(2) a < 0

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

Incorrect. Can you show how to solve this algebraically?

kidderek · Answer

I like E

b = 0 and a = -1 yields true

b= -4 and a = -3 yields false

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

OA is E. Manhattan solved by picking numbers...but I'd like to solve this by algebra is possible.

itsme291 · Answer

I am sorry. I read the choices wrong in hurry. Ans will be C when a>0
Lemme give my solution for E without using numbers.

I use number line.

|b|<|a| when b lies between -a and a

<-----------b------------>
-------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
-a 0 a

Combining the 2 statements gives me

to infinity<--------------------------------b------------>
-------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
a 0 -a

Hope I am clear enough.

Now, if a had been greater than 0, the situation would have been

to infinity<---------b--------->
-------------------------------|------------|------------|---------------
-a 0 a
Which would have made |b|>|a|

itsme291 · Answer

Formatting got screwed up. I created a jpg file for the same. Have a look

jimmyjamesdonkey · Answer

thanks itsme291...but is there anyway to translate those number lines to algebra?

itsme291 · Answer

The algebraic equations are already in front of you. Number line is used to make sense out of them. I just created the equations given in the question to number line. Converting from number-line to algebraic form will give the same equations

Is |a| > |b|? (1) b < -a (2) a < 0

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