Last visit was: 09 Jul 2025, 03:09 It is currently 09 Jul 2025, 03:09
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
Balvinder
Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Last visit: 30 Aug 2010
Posts: 117
Own Kudos:
455
 [42]
Posts: 117
Kudos: 455
 [42]
5
Kudos
Add Kudos
37
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Most Helpful Reply
User avatar
BrentGMATPrepNow
User avatar
Major Poster
Joined: 12 Sep 2015
Last visit: 13 May 2024
Posts: 6,756
Own Kudos:
34,035
 [15]
Given Kudos: 799
Location: Canada
Expert
Expert reply
Posts: 6,756
Kudos: 34,035
 [15]
10
Kudos
Add Kudos
5
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
User avatar
jbs
Joined: 25 Jul 2007
Last visit: 09 Jan 2010
Posts: 58
Own Kudos:
34
 [11]
Posts: 58
Kudos: 34
 [11]
3
Kudos
Add Kudos
8
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
General Discussion
User avatar
GK_Gmat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Last visit: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 348
Own Kudos:
Posts: 348
Kudos: 1,044
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Balvinder
The y intercept of a line L is 4. If the slope of L is negative, which of the fillowing could be the x intercept of L.
I -1
II 0
III 6

A) I only
B) II only
C) III only
D) I and II
E) I and III


The stem tells us that the line is downward sloping (from left to right) and intercepts the y-axis at 4. Therefore, the all possible points of intersection on the x-axis will be positive. III is the only positive option. Answer C.
avatar
pmenon
Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Last visit: 01 Jul 2009
Posts: 692
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 2
Posts: 692
Kudos: 612
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
said C, 3 only....got it down to x=4/m ... looked at the answers and only 6 fit.
User avatar
sjayasa
Joined: 02 May 2010
Last visit: 23 Jun 2010
Posts: 31
Own Kudos:
178
 [1]
Given Kudos: 3
Schools:IU, UT Dallas, Univ of Georgia, Univ of Arkansas, Miami University
WE 1: 5.5 Yrs IT
Posts: 31
Kudos: 178
 [1]
Kudos
Add Kudos
1
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
C

equation of a line y = mx+c.
If y intercept of line l is 4, then one of the points is (0,4) - by making x zero.

We know that the slope 'm' is negative. To find the x intercept of the line, make y zero in the above line equation. We get x = -c/m.
Since the value of c is 4 and the slope is negative. x has to be positive, and not negative or 0.
User avatar
gurpreetsingh
Joined: 12 Oct 2009
Last visit: 15 Jun 2019
Posts: 2,273
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 235
Status:<strong>Nothing comes easy: neither do I want.</strong>
Location: Malaysia
Concentration: Technology, Entrepreneurship
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 1: 670 Q49 V31
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Products:
Schools: ISB '15 (M)
GMAT 2: 710 Q50 V35
Posts: 2,273
Kudos: 3,855
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Slope of the line x/a + y/b = 1 is -b/a here b = 4

hence slope = -4/a since -4/a is -ve, 'a' must be non zero and positive.
Only solution is 6

Thus C
avatar
sharmila79
Joined: 15 May 2012
Last visit: 16 Jun 2014
Posts: 19
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 94
Posts: 19
Kudos: 6
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi Bunuel,
I am not convinced with the answer for the above question. Let me tell you how I approached it. The equation is y=mx+4, where 4 is the y-intercept (given) and since it has got a negative slope, the equation becomes, y=(-m)x+4. Now, to determine x-intercept, we consider y=0, then, -mx+4=0, hence mx=4 and since m has to be negative (it is given that slope is negative for the line), I chose x=-1, so that m=-4. According to the above calculations, I get the answer as A. But the answer is C. Please help me get the concept right.
User avatar
CMcAboy
Joined: 01 Mar 2009
Last visit: 10 Apr 2017
Posts: 177
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 23
Location: United States
Concentration: Strategy, Technology
GMAT 1: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 2: 680 Q46 V38
GPA: 3.2
WE:Consulting (Computer Software)
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Try visualizing the problem.

There are 2 givens:
1) The y intercept is 4
2) The slope is negative

Now draw out a coordinate plane and try to draw a few sample solutions that meet the above givens.

The only way the line can cross -1 is if the slope was positive. The line will also never cross 0 because that would form an undefined slope.

Solution 1) 6 is the only valid option. Therefore, the correct answer is C.
avatar
pavanpuneet
Joined: 26 Dec 2011
Last visit: 13 Feb 2014
Posts: 75
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 17
Posts: 75
Kudos: 139
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
The answer is C. If the slope is negative of the line then either it passes through the 1 st quadrant <starting from II towards IV> or passes through the third quadrant <starting from II towards IV>.. Thus, the intercepts are either both positive or both negative. Given in the question, its a positive intercept, the other one will be a positive as well. Thus, 6.
User avatar
duriangris
Joined: 22 Jun 2012
Last visit: 30 Jun 2015
Posts: 42
Own Kudos:
32
 [1]
Given Kudos: 6
GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40
GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40
Posts: 42
Kudos: 32
 [1]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
sharmila79
Hi Bunuel,
I am not convinced with the answer for the above question. Let me tell you how I approached it. The equation is y=mx+4, where 4 is the y-intercept (given) and since it has got a negative slope, the equation becomes, y=(-m)x+4. Now, to determine x-intercept, we consider y=0, then, -mx+4=0, hence mx=4 and since m has to be negative (it is given that slope is negative for the line), I chose x=-1, so that m=-4. According to the above calculations, I get the answer as A. But the answer is C. Please help me get the concept right.
No. You are mixing it up.
the slope is negative
Hence you can write
y=(-m)x+4
since -m is negative, in this case m must be positive
again your slope is -m, not m!!

So later if you say mx=4
x is necessarily positive since m is positive.

Try to be rigorous when you create variables.
User avatar
duriangris
Joined: 22 Jun 2012
Last visit: 30 Jun 2015
Posts: 42
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 6
GMAT 1: 730 Q49 V40
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Also, even though the answer is C, this problem is not very well written IMO since an infinite negative slope could cause the x intercept to be 0 :D (though "The intercept" can imply that there is only one y intercept)
User avatar
dheeraj24
Joined: 01 Sep 2013
Last visit: 26 Jul 2015
Posts: 85
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 74
Status:suffer now and live forever as a champion!!!
Location: India
Dheeraj: Madaraboina
GPA: 3.5
WE:Information Technology (Computer Software)
Posts: 85
Kudos: 336
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
slope(Intercept form) = - y(intercept)/ x (intercept)
we are also given that slope should be negative.
we are told that "y intercept of a line L is 4".

s = -4/x;

x has to be positive to maintain a negative slope .

only option C satisfies.
User avatar
justbequiet
Joined: 04 Sep 2012
Last visit: 15 Apr 2016
Posts: 89
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 504
Location: Philippines
Concentration: Marketing, Entrepreneurship
Schools: Ross (Michigan) - Class of 2017
GMAT 1: 620 Q48 V27
GMAT 2: 660 Q47 V34
GMAT 3: 700 Q47 V38
GPA: 3.25
WE:Sales (Manufacturing)
Schools: Ross (Michigan) - Class of 2017
GMAT 3: 700 Q47 V38
Posts: 89
Kudos: 88
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Balvinder
The y intercept of a line L is 4. If the slope of L is negative, which of the fillowing could be the x intercept of L.
I -1
II 0
III 6

A) I only
B) II only
C) III only
D) I and II
E) I and III

With a Y-intercept of (0,4) and a negative slope, there is NO WAY for the x intercept to be less than or equal to 0

Answer is C
User avatar
KarishmaB
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Last visit: 09 Jul 2025
Posts: 16,101
Own Kudos:
74,213
 [5]
Given Kudos: 475
Location: Pune, India
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 16,101
Kudos: 74,213
 [5]
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
4
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Balvinder
The y intercept of a line L is 4. If the slope of L is negative, which of the following could be the x intercept of L.

I. -1
II. 0
III. 6

A. I only
B. II only
C. III only
D. I and II
E. I and III

Slope of a line = – (y intercept)/(x intercept)
Since slope is given to be negative, and y intercept is positive, we can say that x intercept must be positive too. So x intercept can be only III.

Answer (C)
User avatar
MathRevolution
User avatar
Math Revolution GMAT Instructor
Joined: 16 Aug 2015
Last visit: 27 Sep 2022
Posts: 10,078
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 4
GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V42
GPA: 3.82
Expert
Expert reply
GMAT 1: 760 Q51 V42
Posts: 10,078
Kudos: 18,724
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Equation of line: y = mx + c

c = 4 and m = slope is negative [consider it to be perfect negative correlation and hence m = -1]

=> y = -x + 4

=> x = 4 - y

'x' intercept when y = 0 is 4.

So, possible answer choices of (-1) and (0) are not possible.

Answer C
User avatar
bumpbot
User avatar
Non-Human User
Joined: 09 Sep 2013
Last visit: 04 Jan 2021
Posts: 37,361
Own Kudos:
Posts: 37,361
Kudos: 1,010
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hello from the GMAT Club BumpBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.
Moderators:
Math Expert
102604 posts
PS Forum Moderator
679 posts