GRE Prep 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
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
a < b < c
[#permalink]
21 Oct 2018, 08:17
21 Oct 2018, 08:17
Expert Reply
6
Bookmarks
00:00
Question Stats:
54% (01:09) correct
45% (00:55) wrong based on 243 sessions
Hide Show timer Statistics
\(a < b < c\)
\(b+c<0\)
Quantity A is greater.
Quantity B is greater.
The two quantities are equal.
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
\(b+c<0\)
Quantity A |
Quantity B |
ac |
0 |
Quantity A is greater.
Quantity B is greater.
The two quantities are equal.
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Retired Moderator
Joined: 10 Apr 2015
Posts: 6218
Given Kudos: 136
Re: a < b < c
[#permalink]
23 Oct 2018, 05:34
23 Oct 2018, 05:34
2
1
Bookmarks
Carcass wrote:
\(a < b < c\)
\(b+c<0\)
\(b+c<0\)
Quantity A |
Quantity B |
ac |
0 |
Notice that we don't have much information about the 3 variables a, b and c
Since b + c < 0, we know that at least one variable is negative (which means a must be negative), but that's pretty much it.
The missing part here is that we don't really know whether c is positive or negative.
Given the absences of solid information about c, we might solve this question by testing values
Case i: a = -3, b = -2, and c = 1 (these values satisfy the given information). We get:
Quantity A: ac = (-3)(1) = -3
Quantity B: 0
In this case, Quantity B is greater
Case ii: a = -3, b = -2, and c = -1 (these values satisfy the given information). We get:
Quantity A: ac = (-3)(-1) = 3
Quantity B: 0
In this case, Quantity A is greater
Answer: D
RELATED VIDEO FROM OUR COURSE
Re: a < b < c
[#permalink]
23 Oct 2018, 20:28
23 Oct 2018, 20:28
if b+c<0, and a<b<c, then we know that A and B MUST be negative numbers and C can be a number ranging all the way from a negative up to a huge positive (just as long as the negative value of B is a larger negative than C is a positive such that their sum would still be less than 0). Quantity A being AC therefore could either be a negative*negative=positive (in which case quantity A>B) or a negative*positive =negative (in which case quantity A<B). Since we don't have a definitive answer, the correct choice is D.
