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# Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k

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Joined: 31 Oct 2018
Posts: 77
Location: India
Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k  [#permalink]

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Updated on: 16 Apr 2019, 20:25
2
2
00:00

Difficulty:

95% (hard)

Question Stats:

30% (02:16) correct 70% (02:15) wrong based on 93 sessions

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Is k < 0?

(1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1
(2) |k - 2| = 7k

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Originally posted by btrg on 16 Apr 2019, 09:06.
Last edited by chetan2u on 16 Apr 2019, 20:25, edited 1 time in total.
Corrected the OA
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 8182
Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k  [#permalink]

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16 Apr 2019, 20:23
1
3
Is k < 0?

(1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1
Two cases..
2k+5=3k+1......k=4
-2k-5=3k+1......5k=-6 or k=-1.2
But substitute these values back in equation to check whether 3k+1$$\geq{0}$$..
3*4+1$$\geq{0}$$...Yes
3*(-1.2)+1$$\geq{0}$$..No
So k is 4, and sufficient

(2) |k - 2| = 7k
7k$$\geq{0}$$, so k is not less than 0.
Sufficient

D..
The OA B is wrong, and the question has different possible values of k in each condition, which is never the case in official questions.
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Re: Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k  [#permalink]

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01 May 2019, 06:47
Why are we substituting the values and checking if 3k+1>=0?
Why have we considered >=0 to cross-check?
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Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 59095
Re: Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k  [#permalink]

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21 Oct 2019, 10:48
2
1
btrg wrote:
Is k < 0?

(1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1
(2) |k - 2| = 7k

This is not a good question. From (1) we have that k = 4 and from (2) that k = 1/4. The statements contradict each other.
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Joined: 09 Aug 2017
Posts: 578
Re: Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k  [#permalink]

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21 Oct 2019, 16:14
I think we need to heed the question stem.
Question is asking whether k is negative.

And from both cases, we conclude that k is non-negative.

Here, the value of K doesn't matter because question is not asking for value of k.
Therefore, question is not contentious.

Bunuel wrote:
btrg wrote:
Is k < 0?

(1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1
(2) |k - 2| = 7k

This is not a good question. From (1) we have that k = 4 and from (2) that k = 1/4. The statements contradict each other.
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 59095
Re: Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k  [#permalink]

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21 Oct 2019, 20:38
gvij2017 wrote:
I think we need to heed the question stem.
Question is asking whether k is negative.

And from both cases, we conclude that k is non-negative.

Here, the value of K doesn't matter because question is not asking for value of k.
Therefore, question is not contentious.

Bunuel wrote:
btrg wrote:
Is k < 0?

(1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1
(2) |k - 2| = 7k

This is not a good question. From (1) we have that k = 4 and from (2) that k = 1/4. The statements contradict each other.

You are wrong. It does not matter what the question is asking. On the GMAT two statements do not contradict each other.
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Re: Is k < 0? (1) |2k + 5| = 3k + 1 (2) |k - 2| = 7k   [#permalink] 21 Oct 2019, 20:38
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