GMAT Math : DSQ: Understanding rays

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Lines

Lines

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

Evaluate \displaystyle AE.

Statement 1: \displaystyle AD = 24

Statement 2: \displaystyle BE = 24

Possible Answers:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

Even with both statements, \displaystyle AE cannot be determined because the length of \displaystyle BD is missing.

For example, we can have \displaystyle AB = DE = 8 and \displaystyle BD=16, making \displaystyle AE = 32; or, we can have  \displaystyle AB = DE = 10 and \displaystyle BD=14, making \displaystyle AE = 34. Neither scenario violates the conditions given.

 

Example Question #122 : Data Sufficiency Questions

\displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are distinct points.

True or false: \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays.

Statement 1: \displaystyle B is on \displaystyle \overleftrightarrow{AC}

Statement 2: \displaystyle C is on \displaystyle \overleftrightarrow{AB}

Possible Answers:

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

Explanation:

Both statements are equivalent, as both are equivalent to stating that \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are collinear. Therefore, it suffices to determine whether the fact that the points are collinear is sufficient to answer the question. 

Rays

In both of the above figures,  \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are collinear, so the conditions of both statements are met. But in the top figure, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray, since \displaystyle C is on \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB}; in the bottom figure, since \displaystyle B and \displaystyle C are on opposite sides of \displaystyle A\displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays.

Example Question #3 : Lines

\displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are distinct points.

True or false: \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays.

Statement 1: \displaystyle AC = 2 \cdot AB.

Statement 2: \displaystyle B is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{AC}.

Possible Answers:

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

We show Statement 1 alone is insufficient to determine whether the two rays are the same by looking at the figures below. In the first figure, \displaystyle B is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{AC}.

Rays

In both figures, \displaystyle AC = 2 \cdot AB. But only in the second figure, \displaystyle B and \displaystyle C are on the opposite side of the line from \displaystyle A, so only in the second figure, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays.

Assume Statement 2 alone. If \displaystyle B is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{AC}, then, as seen in the top figure, \displaystyle B is on \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC}. Therefore, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray, not opposite rays.

Example Question #2 : Lines

\displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are distinct points.

True or false: \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays.

Statement 1: \displaystyle AB+BC > AC

Statement 2: \displaystyle AB+ AC > BC

Possible Answers:

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

Statement 1 alone does not answer the question.

Case 1: Examine the figure below.

Rays

\displaystyle AB+BC= AB + AB + AC > AC,

thereby meeting the condition of Statement 1.

Also, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays, since \displaystyle B and \displaystyle C are on opposite sides of the same line from \displaystyle A.

Case 2: Suppose \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are noncollinear. 

The three points are vertices of a triangle, and by the Triangle Inequality Theorem, 

\displaystyle AB+BC > AC.

Furthermore, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are not part of the same line and are not opposite rays.

Now assume Statement 2 alone. As can be seen in the diagram above, if \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are opposite rays, then by segment addition, \displaystyle AB+BC = AC, making Statement 2 false. Contrapositively, if Statement 2 holds, and \displaystyle AB+ AC \ne BC, then \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are not opposite rays.

Example Question #1 : Dsq: Understanding Rays

\displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are distinct points.

True or false: \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray.

Statement 1: \displaystyle AB = 2 \cdot AC.

Statement 2: \displaystyle C is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{AB}.

Possible Answers:

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

We show Statement 1 alone is insufficient to determine whether the two rays are the same by looking at the figures below:

Rays

In both figures, \displaystyle AB = 2 \cdot AC, but only in the first figure, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray.

Assume Statement 2 alone. If \displaystyle C is the midpoint of \displaystyle \overline{AB}, \displaystyle C must be on \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB}, as in the top figure, so \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are one and the same.

Example Question #121 : Data Sufficiency Questions

\displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are distinct points.

True or false: \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray.

Statement 1: \displaystyle AB+BC > AC

Statement 2: \displaystyle AB+ AC > BC.

Possible Answers:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

Explanation:

We show that both statements together provide insufficient information by giving two scenarios in which both statements are true.

Case 1: \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are noncollinear. The three points are vertices of a triangle, and by the Triangle Inequality Theorem, 

\displaystyle AB+BC > AC and

\displaystyle AB + AC > BC.

Also, since the three points are not on a single line, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are parts of different lines and cannot be the same ray.

Case 2:  \displaystyle \overline{AB} with length 2 and midpoint \displaystyle C.

Rays

\displaystyle AB+BC =2+1 = 3 and \displaystyle AC = 1, so \displaystyle AB+BC > AC; similarly, \displaystyle AB + AC > BC. Also, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray, since they have the same endpoint and \displaystyle C is on \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB}.

Example Question #3 : Dsq: Understanding Rays

\displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are distinct points.

True or false: \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray.

Statement 1: \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are collinear.

Statement 2: \displaystyle AB + BC = AC.

Possible Answers:

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 2 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question. 

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT sufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

Statement 1 alone does not prove the rays to be the same or different, as seen in these diagrams:

Rays

In both figures, \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are collinear, satisfying the condition of Statement 1. But In the top figure, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray, since \displaystyle C is on \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB}; in the bottom figure, since \displaystyle C is not on \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB}\displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are distinct rays.

Assume Statement 2 alone. Suppose \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are not the same ray. Then one of two things happens:

Case 1: \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are noncollinear. The three points are vertices of a triangle, and by the triangle inequality, 

\displaystyle AB + BC > AC,

contradicting Statement 2.

Case 2: \displaystyle A\displaystyle B, and \displaystyle C are collinear. \displaystyle A must be between \displaystyle B and \displaystyle C, as in the bottom figure, since if it were not, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} would be the same ray. By segment addition, 

\displaystyle AB + AC = BC

\displaystyle AB + AC+AB = BC+AB

\displaystyle AB + BC = AC + 2 \cdot AB > AC,

contradicting Statement 2.

By contradiction, \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and \displaystyle \overrightarrow{AC} are the same ray.

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