QuantMadeEasy
Is xy < 42?
1) x < 6
2) y < 7
Target question: Is xy < 42?When I scan the two statements, they both feel insufficient, AND I’m pretty sure I can identify some cases with conflicting answers to the
target question. So, I’m going to head straight to……
Statements 1 and 2 combined Statement 1 tells us that x < 6
Statement 2 tells us that y < 7
There are several values of x and y that satisfy BOTH statements. Here are two:
Case a: x = 0 and y = 0. In this case, xy = (0)(0) = 0. So, the answer to the target question is
YES, xy is less than 42Case b: x = -10 and y = -10. In this case, xy = (-10)(-10) = 100. So, the answer to the target question is
NO, xy is not less than 42Since we can’t answer the
target question with certainty, the combined statements are NOT SUFFICIENT
Answer: E
Cheers,
Brent