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# What is the value of x?

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What is the value of x?  [#permalink]

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04 Nov 2010, 18:22
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What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$
(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$

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04 Nov 2010, 18:34
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shrive555 wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) sqt/ x^4 = 9

(2) sqt/x^2 = - X

What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$ --> $$x^2=9$$ --> $$x=3$$ or $$x=-3$$. Not sufficient.

(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$ --> $$|x|=-x$$ --> just says that $$x$$ is not positive ($$x$$ could be 0 or any negative number). Not sufficient.

(1)+(2) As from (2) $$x$$ is not positive then from (1) $$x=-3$$. Sufficient.

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04 Nov 2010, 19:19
Number 2 Here i got stuck.
Thanks B
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Re: What is the value of x?  [#permalink]

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20 Oct 2012, 12:42
3
kapsycumm wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) \sqrt{x^4} = 9

(2) \sqrt{x^2} = -x

1) $$x^2 = 9$$. So x = +3 or -3. Insufficient

2) $$\sqrt{x^2} = -x$$ x can be 0 or any negative number. Insufficient

1 & 2 together. x is negative and is either +3 or -3. So x is -3.

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Re: What is the value of x?  [#permalink]

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05 Jun 2013, 03:55
Bumping for review and further discussion*. Get a kudos point for an alternative solution!

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Re: What is the value of x?  [#permalink]

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16 Jun 2013, 21:32
1
2
shrive555 wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$
(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$

Responding to a pm:

Quote:
how to solve second statement? i did 2nd statement squaring on both sides then got same x^2 = x^2. then what to do after this?? and also how to solve combining both 1 and 2 statement??

Squaring is not the solution for every problem. When you square both sides you sometimes lose valuable information. e.g.
x = -5
Square -> x^2 = 25

If you are given x^2 = 25, all you can say is that x is 5 or -5. You cannot say which one. So you lost information here.

As for this question, there is a concept that you need to use here $$\sqrt{x^2}= |x|$$
$$\sqrt{9} = 3$$. It is not 3 or -3. Only the positive value is considered for square roots. Hence, the mod is used when dealing with a variable.

So from the second statement, you get |x| = -x
Now, we know that |x| = -x when x is negative. So the only thing that the second statement tells us is that x is negative.
Statement 1 tells you that x is 3 or -3. Statement 2 tells you that x is negative. SO using both statements, you can say that x = -3. Sufficient.
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14 Jul 2013, 09:05
Bunuel wrote:
shrive555 wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) sqt/ x^4 = 9

(2) sqt/x^2 = - X

What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$ --> $$x^2=9$$ --> $$x=3$$ or $$x=-3$$. Not sufficient.

(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$ --> $$|x|=-x$$ --> just says that $$x$$ is not positive ($$x$$ could be 0 or any negative number). Not sufficient.

(1)+(2) As from (2) $$x$$ is not positive then from (1) $$x=-3$$. Sufficient.

HI Bunnel,

I am slightly confuse here. Isnt it true that when the GMAT provides the square root sign for an even root, then the only accepted answer is the positive root?

How is A and B different here? If x can be negative according to A then it could be negative according to B as well. Could you please help clarify this rule?

Thanks.
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 58381

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14 Jul 2013, 09:09
keenys wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
shrive555 wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) sqt/ x^4 = 9

(2) sqt/x^2 = - X

What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$ --> $$x^2=9$$ --> $$x=3$$ or $$x=-3$$. Not sufficient.

(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$ --> $$|x|=-x$$ --> just says that $$x$$ is not positive ($$x$$ could be 0 or any negative number). Not sufficient.

(1)+(2) As from (2) $$x$$ is not positive then from (1) $$x=-3$$. Sufficient.

HI Bunnel,

I am slightly confuse here. Isnt it true that when the GMAT provides the square root sign for an even root, then the only accepted answer is the positive root?

How is A and B different here? If x can be negative according to A then it could be negative according to B as well. Could you please help clarify this rule?

Thanks.

Please check again: where did we get negative result?
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14 Jul 2013, 09:21
2
keenys wrote:
HI Bunnel,

I am slightly confuse here. Isnt it true that when the GMAT provides the square root sign for an even root, then the only accepted answer is the positive root?

How is A and B different here? If x can be negative according to A then it could be negative according to B as well. Could you please help clarify this rule?

Thanks.

whatever value comes after square root ...put a modulus over it..and then you will not get confused....
as you said..square root gives positive value..hence modulus does the same thing..
example:
\sqrt{x^4}=modulus x^2==>since x^2 is always positive(or equal to zero) we can remove mod
hence it becomes==>x^2=9....now no more square root ...hence whatever value will satisfy ...it can be positive or negative.
hence x=+3..or -3========>insufficient.

in option 2
\sqrt{x^2}=-x
remove square root and put a mod
hence
mod x= -x===>this conditions is correct only when X IS NEGATIVE...==>NOT SUFFICIENT

NOW COMBINING WE CAN ANSWER X=3==>SINCE X IS NEGATIVE..HENCE C
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14 Jul 2013, 09:28
Bunuel wrote:
keenys wrote:

HI Bunnel,

I am slightly confuse here. Isnt it true that when the GMAT provides the square root sign for an even root, then the only accepted answer is the positive root?

How is A and B different here? If x can be negative according to A then it could be negative according to B as well. Could you please help clarify this rule?

Thanks.

Please check again: where did we get negative result?

I am referring to this statement - (1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$ --> $$x^2=9$$ --> $$x=3$$ or $$x=-3$$. Not sufficient.

As per your explanation in this statement, x could be 3 or -3. However, in the second statement, the explanation says

\sqrt{x^2}= |x|

My question is why in the first statement, \sqrt{x^4} not equal to |x^2|.

Thanks again.
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 58381

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14 Jul 2013, 09:32
keenys wrote:
Bunuel wrote:
keenys wrote:

HI Bunnel,

I am slightly confuse here. Isnt it true that when the GMAT provides the square root sign for an even root, then the only accepted answer is the positive root?

How is A and B different here? If x can be negative according to A then it could be negative according to B as well. Could you please help clarify this rule?

Thanks.

Please check again: where did we get negative result?

I am referring to this statement - (1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$ --> $$x^2=9$$ --> $$x=3$$ or $$x=-3$$. Not sufficient.

As per your explanation in this statement, x could be 3 or -3. However, in the second statement, the explanation says

\sqrt{x^2}= |x|

My question is why in the first statement, \sqrt{x^4} not equal to |x^2|.

Thanks again.

That's because |x^2|=x^2.
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Re: What is the value of x?  [#permalink]

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27 Jul 2017, 00:06
shrive555 wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$
(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$

Given : variable x
DS : value of x

Statement 1 : $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$
x^4 = 81
x = +/-3
putting in the same equation we find both +3,-3 are valid soln.
NOT SUFFICIENT

Statement 2 : $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$
|x| = -x
so x<0
NOT SUFFICIENT

Combined : x = -3

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Re: What is the value of x?  [#permalink]

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01 Nov 2018, 07:59
shrive555 wrote:
What is the value of x?

(1) $$\sqrt{x^4} = 9$$
(2) $$\sqrt{x^2}=-x$$

Responding to a pm:

Quote:
how to solve second statement? i did 2nd statement squaring on both sides then got same x^2 = x^2. then what to do after this?? and also how to solve combining both 1 and 2 statement??

Squaring is not the solution for every problem. When you square both sides you sometimes lose valuable information. e.g.
x = -5
Square -> x^2 = 25

If you are given x^2 = 25, all you can say is that x is 5 or -5. You cannot say which one. So you lost information here.

As for this question, there is a concept that you need to use here $$\sqrt{x^2}= |x|$$
$$\sqrt{9} = 3$$. It is not 3 or -3. Only the positive value is considered for square roots. Hence, the mod is used when dealing with a variable.

So from the second statement, you get |x| = -x
Now, we know that |x| = -x when x is negative. So the only thing that the second statement tells us is that x is negative.
Statement 1 tells you that x is 3 or -3. Statement 2 tells you that x is negative. SO using both statements, you can say that x = -3. Sufficient.

Hi Experts,

I completely understand the above explanation but can you tell me why i cannot apply the below process,

statement ii.

x^(2x1/2)= x = -x
2x=0
x=0
Hence B.
Re: What is the value of x?   [#permalink] 01 Nov 2018, 07:59
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