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guddo
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Jan 2024, 09:52
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the degrees, the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°. Which of the following equations does P satisfy?

A. 2|P - 32|= |P - 10|

B. P + 32 = |P - 10|

C. 2|P + 32= |P + 10|

D. |P - 32| = 2|P + 10|

E. |P - 32| = 2|P - 10|

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chetan2u
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Jan 2024, 10:37
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guddo
On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the degrees, the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°. Which of the following equations does P satisfy?

A. 2|P - 32|= |P - 10|

B. P + 32 = |P - 10|

C. 2|P + 32= |P + 10|

D. |P - 32| = 2|P + 10|

E. |P - 32| = 2|P - 10|

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Distance is always positive so we take absolute values.

The distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32°, that is |P-32|, is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°, that is |P-(-10)| or |P+10|

Thus, |P-32|=2|P+10|

D
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 25 Feb 2024, 23:45
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Hope it helps.­­­
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Jan 2024, 10:44
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guddo
On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the degrees, the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°. Which of the following equations does P satisfy?

A. 2|P - 32|= |P - 10|

B. P + 32 = |P - 10|

C. 2|P + 32= |P + 10|

D. |P - 32| = 2|P + 10|

E. |P - 32| = 2|P - 10|

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|a - b| represents the distance between a and b.

the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° ⇒ | P - 32 |

the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10° ⇒ | P - (-10) | = |P + 10|

Given

The distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°

| P - 32 | = 2 * |P + 10|

Option D
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 07 Mar 2025, 10:02
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Hey experts, Bunuel KarishmaB, I hope you are doing fine. I am tagging you to ask you if you could please help me with the following question:

I was wondering why isn't the correct answer?:
A. 2 lP - 32l= lP - 10l

My logic is that since the stimulus tells me

"...the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°..."

then the left side (distance between P and 32) must therefore be twice the distance between (P and -10).

Also, another question is that if distance is always represented by the difference between 2 points in absolute terms, using the equations la - bl, then how did we know to plug into "a" the value "p" in both cases, and plug into "b" the value "32" and "-10".

Many thanks in advance for your help and time.
guddo
On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the degrees, the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°. Which of the following equations does P satisfy?

A. 2|P - 32|= |P - 10|

B. P + 32 = |P - 10|

C. 2|P + 32= |P + 10|

D. |P - 32| = 2|P + 10|

E. |P - 32| = 2|P - 10|

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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 07 Mar 2025, 21:43
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A is twice of B is written as A = 2*B

"is" is equivalent to "="
"twice of" is equivalent to "2*"

So A is twice of B => A = 2*B

NOT 2A = B

Also, distance between P and 10 will be |P - 10|.
Similarly, distance between P and -10 will be |P - (-10)| = |P+10|

That is why the answer is (D)


EnriqueDandolo
Hey experts, Bunuel KarishmaB, I hope you are doing fine. I am tagging you to ask you if you could please help me with the following question:

I was wondering why isn't the correct answer?:
A. 2 lP - 32l= lP - 10l

My logic is that since the stimulus tells me

"...the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°..."

then the left side (distance between P and 32) must therefore be twice the distance between (P and -10).

Also, another question is that if distance is always represented by the difference between 2 points in absolute terms, using the equations la - bl, then how did we know to plug into "a" the value "p" in both cases, and plug into "b" the value "32" and "-10".

Many thanks in advance for your help and time.
guddo
On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the degrees, the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°. Which of the following equations does P satisfy?

A. 2|P - 32|= |P - 10|

B. P + 32 = |P - 10|

C. 2|P + 32= |P + 10|

D. |P - 32| = 2|P + 10|

E. |P - 32| = 2|P - 10|

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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 09 Mar 2025, 13:35
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Hey Karishma thanks so much for your help, it's clear now.

KarishmaB
A is twice of B is written as A = 2*B

"is" is equivalent to "="
"twice of" is equivalent to "2*"

So A is twice of B => A = 2*B

NOT 2A = B

Also, distance between P and 10 will be |P - 10|.
Similarly, distance between P and -10 will be |P - (-10)| = |P+10|

That is why the answer is (D)


EnriqueDandolo
Hey experts, Bunuel KarishmaB, I hope you are doing fine. I am tagging you to ask you if you could please help me with the following question:

I was wondering why isn't the correct answer?:
A. 2 lP - 32l= lP - 10l

My logic is that since the stimulus tells me

"...the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°..."

then the left side (distance between P and 32) must therefore be twice the distance between (P and -10).

Also, another question is that if distance is always represented by the difference between 2 points in absolute terms, using the equations la - bl, then how did we know to plug into "a" the value "p" in both cases, and plug into "b" the value "32" and "-10".

Many thanks in advance for your help and time.
guddo
On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the degrees, the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and 32° is twice the distance between the tick marks for the temperatures P° and -10°. Which of the following equations does P satisfy?

A. 2|P - 32|= |P - 10|

B. P + 32 = |P - 10|

C. 2|P + 32= |P + 10|

D. |P - 32| = 2|P + 10|

E. |P - 32| = 2|P - 10|

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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Oct 2025, 03:30
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Hi, but we are calculating distance bw point p and -10 so it will be 10 spaces WHich is p-10 not p+10. Please help Bunuel KarishmaB
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Oct 2025, 05:22
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Hi, but we are calculating distance bw point p and -10 so it will be 10 spaces WHich is p-10 not p+10. Please help Bunuel KarishmaB
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The distance between two points A and B on a number line is |A - B|. So, the distance between P and -10 is |P - (-10)|, which becomes |P + 10|.
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Oct 2025, 12:41
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Thanks for the prompt response! I get the idea but do not understand it fully :(
Bunuel

The distance between two points A and B on a number line is |A - B|. So, the distance between P and -10 is |P - (-10)|, which becomes |P + 10|.
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 24 Oct 2025, 12:49
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Thanks for the prompt response! I get the idea but do not understand it fully :(

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Absolute Value

Theory

Questions

For more check Ultimate GMAT Quantitative Megathread

Hope it helps.
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On a laboratory thermometer with equally spaced tick marks for the d 25 Oct 2025, 21:21
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Saun2511
Hi, but we are calculating distance bw point p and -10 so it will be 10 spaces WHich is p-10 not p+10. Please help Bunuel KarishmaB
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Another way to understand is to take an example on the number line. Say p = 50

Distance between p and 10? 40 which is 50 - 10
Distance between p and -10? 60 which is 50 - (-10)
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