gmatjon wrote:
If p and q are positive integers, and the remainder obtained when p is divided by q is the same as the remainder obtained when q is divided by p, which of the following is a possible value of pq?
(A) 62
(B) 55
(C) 42
(D) 36
(E) 24
The remainder obtained when p is divided by q is the same as the remainder obtained when q is divided by pThis information is indirectly telling us that p = q
To explain why, let's see what happens if p does NOT equal q
If that's the case, then one value must be greater than the other value.
Let's see what happens
IF it were the case that
p < q. What is the remainder when p is divided by q?Since p < q, then p divided by q equals 0 with
remainder pIMPORTANT RULE:
When positive integer N is divided by positive integer D, the remainder R is such that 0 ≤ R < DFor example, if we divide some positive integer by 7, the remainder will be 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0
What is the remainder when q is divided by p?Based on the above
rule, we know that the remainder must be a number such that
0 ≤ remainder < pHmmmmm. In our first calculation (p ÷ q), we found that the
remainder = pIn our second calculation (q ÷ p), we found that
0 ≤ remainder < pSince it's IMPOSSIBLE for the remainder to both EQUAL p and BE LESS THAN p, we can conclude that it's
impossible for p to be less than q. Using similar logic, we can see that it's also impossible for q to be less than p.
So, it MUST be the case that p = q
So, pq = p² = the square of some integer
Check the answer choices . . . only D is the square of an integer.
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