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# What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is

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Joined: 04 Jun 2010
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What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is [#permalink]

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17 Sep 2010, 03:07
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55% (hard)

Question Stats:

48% (01:02) correct 52% (00:31) wrong based on 54 sessions

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What is the greatest common divisor of a and b?

(1) a is divisible by 15.

(2) b=2a

Couldn't understand this one. How do you approach this sort of questions?
[Reveal] Spoiler: OA

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17 Sep 2010, 03:11
rafi wrote:
What is the greatest common divisor of a and b?

(1) a is divisible by 15.

(2) b=2a

Couldn't understand this one. How do you approach this sort of questions?

The easiest way would be just to try different numbers. Clearly (1) and (2) alone are not sufficient. Now if we take them together:

If $$a=15$$ then $$b=2a=30$$ and GCD of $$a$$ and $$b$$ is 15 but if $$a=30$$ then $$b=2a=60$$ and GCD of $$a$$ and $$b$$ is 30. Two different answers not sufficient.

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17 Sep 2010, 03:13
rafi wrote:
What is the greatest common divisor of a and b?

(1) a is divisible by 15.

(2) b=2a

Couldn't understand this one. How do you approach this sort of questions?

(1) a is divisible by 15, gives no information about b ... so impossible to conclude the gcd

(2) b=2a only says that the gcd is a. But we dont know what a is.

(1)+(2) ... We know gcd is a ... but again no clue as to what value a has except that it is a multiple of 15. So not enough

Hence. (E) is the answer
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17 Sep 2010, 03:16
O.. now I understand. I kept thinking that I know it's a... forgot that it should be only one number
Thanks
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Re: What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is [#permalink]

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20 Nov 2016, 08:16
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Re: What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is [#permalink]

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28 Mar 2017, 05:04
rafi wrote:
What is the greatest common divisor of a and b?

(1) a is divisible by 15.

(2) b=2a

Couldn't understand this one. How do you approach this sort of questions?

I think the question is wrong as far as the wording goes..

The question should say..

What is the VALUE of the common divisor of a and b

otherwise..from statement (2) it can be clearly be said that "a" is the common divisor

Bunuel please give your inputs on this.
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Re: What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is [#permalink]

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28 Mar 2017, 06:33
ShashankDave wrote:
rafi wrote:
What is the greatest common divisor of a and b?

(1) a is divisible by 15.

(2) b=2a

Couldn't understand this one. How do you approach this sort of questions?

I think the question is wrong as far as the wording goes..

The question should say..

What is the VALUE of the common divisor of a and b

otherwise..from statement (2) it can be clearly be said that "a" is the common divisor

Bunuel please give your inputs on this.

Not so.

In data sufficiency problems that ask for the value of a quantity, the data given in the statements are sufficient only when it is possible to determine exactly one numerical value for the quantity.
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Re: What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is   [#permalink] 28 Mar 2017, 06:33
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# What is the greatest common divisor of a and b? (1) a is

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