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Which is greater x or y
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21 Feb 2018, 03:28
21 Feb 2018, 03:28
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90% (00:54) correct
9% (00:40) wrong based on 146 sessions
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GRE - powerprep compare the lengths of two sides in different triangles.jpg [ 45.18 KiB | Viewed 17908 times ]
Quantity A |
Quantity B |
\(x\) |
\(y\) |
A)The quantity in Column A is greater.
B)The quantity in Column B is greater.
C)The two quantities are equal.
D)The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
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Joined: 15 Jan 2018
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Re: Which is greater x or y
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21 Feb 2018, 22:16
21 Feb 2018, 22:16
7
Expert Reply
Don't use the pythagorean theorem on right triangles. Instead, you should memorize the most common special triangles, two of which are here. The triangle on the left can be recognized as a 30-60-90 triangle because the hypotenuse is double one of the legs. The ratio of the sides is 1-√3-2, which means x on this triangle should be 4√3.
The triangle on the right is a 45-45-90 triangle, recognizable because the two legs are the same length. The ratio of the sides is 1-1-√2, which means y on this triangle should be 4√2.
Since 4√3 is greater than 4√2, the answer is A.
The triangle on the right is a 45-45-90 triangle, recognizable because the two legs are the same length. The ratio of the sides is 1-1-√2, which means y on this triangle should be 4√2.
Since 4√3 is greater than 4√2, the answer is A.
