GMAT Math : DSQ: Graphing an ordered pair

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Dsq: Graphing An Ordered Pair

What quadrant contains the point  , where  ?

Statement 1: 

Statement 2: 

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:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

Statement 1 alone tells you that  and  are of the same sign, so the point is in Quadrant I (both positive) or Quadrant III (both negative).

Statement 2 tells you that any of the following hold:

 is positive and  is negative - example: 

 is negative and  is negative - example: 

 is positive and  is positive - example: 

This places the point in any quadrant except Quadrant II (where  is negative and  is positive). 

The two statements together only eliminate two quadrants and leave both Quadrant I and Quadrant III as possibilities.

Example Question #2 : Dsq: Graphing An Ordered Pair

Graph the point .

I)  is in quadrant IV.

II)  .

Possible Answers:

Neither statement is sufficient to answer the question. More information is needed.

Statement II is sufficient to answer the question, but statement I is not sufficient to answer the question.

Statement I is sufficient to answer the question, but statement II is not sufficient to answer the question.

Both statements are needed to answer the question.

Either statement is sufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

Both statements are needed to answer the question.

Explanation:

Graph the point (a,b)

I) (a,b) is in quadrant 4

II)  

To graph (a,b) we need to know a and b

I) Tells us which quadrant the point is in. In quadrant 4, the x value is positive and the y value must be negative.

II) Lets us find the following:

So the only possible location of  is .

Therefore, both statements are needed to answer the question. 

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