Bunuel
Is xy < 8?
(1) x < 2 and y < 4
(2) 0 < x < 1/2 and y^2 < 225
Kudos for a correct solution. VERITAS PREP OFFICIAL SOLUTION:Question Type: Yes/ No. The question asks: “Is xy < 8?”
Statement 1: x < 2 and y < 4. At first glance this might appear sufficient. When you multiply a positive number smaller than 2 by a positive number smaller than 4, the result is smaller than 8; however, you must consider negative numbers. x could equal -3, for example, and y could be -5. Together their product would equal 15. So this statement is not sufficient and you can eliminate choices A and D. Note: This statement is all about avoiding assumptions. Do not assume that x and y are positive as that is not given in the question stem!
Statement 2: 0 < x < 1/2 and y^2 < 225. This means that x is a positive number between 0 and 1/2 and 15 > y > -15. When you multiply a positive number that is smaller than 1/2 by a number that is between 15 and -15, the result must be smaller than 8. Even if you took the values of 1/2 and 15 the product is 7.5. Unlike in Statement 1, it is okay when y is negative because x must be positive, so the product would be negative and less than 8. With this information, you know that xy must be smaller than 8 and this statement is sufficient.
The answer is B.