GMAT Math : Data-Sufficiency Questions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #611 : Data Sufficiency Questions

What time is it?

Statement 1: The minute hand and the hour hand are currently forming a  angle.

Statement 2: The minute hand is on the 6.

Possible Answers:

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

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.

Correct answer:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

Since there are twelve numbers on the clock, the angular measure from one number to the next is ; this means   represents two and a half number positions.

Suppose we know both statements. Since the minute hand is on the 6, the hour hand is either midway between the 3 and the 4, or midway between the 8 and the 9. Both scenarios are possible, as they correspond to 3:30 and 8:30, respectively, so the question is not answered even if we know both statements.

Example Question #612 : Data Sufficiency Questions

Chords

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

Refer to the above figure. What is the degree measure of  ?

Statement 1: .

Statement 2:  measures .

Possible Answers:

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.

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

Correct answer:

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

From Statement 1, the measure of the arc can be determined by doubling the measure of the intercepting angle, which is . From Statement 2, the measure of the arc can be calculated by subtracting from  the degree measure of the corresponding major arc, which is 

Example Question #5 : Dsq: Calculating The Angle Of A Sector

Election

Above are the results of the election for student body president that Greg is about to publish in the school newspaper. At the last minute, his friend Melissa stops him and reminds him that there was a sixth candidate, Wilson, who got 202 votes. 

Greg's article includes a circle graph that he will now have to change to reflect this corrected information. By how many degrees will the angle measure of the sector representing Douglas decrease (nearest whole degree)?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

According to Greg's erroneous information, the number of people who voted was

.

213 voted for Douglas, meaning that his sector will have degree measure

Based on the new information, 

 people voted.

213 voted for Douglas, meaning that his sector will have degree measure

The reduction in degree measure will be .

Example Question #63 : Circles

Election

After a student body election, Henry is constructing a circle graph to represent the above voter count.

What will be the measure of the central angle of the sector representing Thomas (nearest whole number)?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The number of people who voted:

176 people voted for Starr, so the sector representing Starr will have measure

Example Question #7 : Dsq: Calculating The Angle Of A Sector

Circle A has radius six times that of Circle B; a sector of Circle A with angle measure  has the same area as Circle B. Evaluate .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let  be the radius of Circle B. Then Circle A has radius  and, subsequently, area . Since the area of Circle B is , the area of Circle A is 36 times that of Circle B.

The given sector of Circle A has the same area as Circle B, so the sector is one thirty-sixth of the circle. That makes the angle measure of the sector

Example Question #614 : Data Sufficiency Questions

The radius of Circle A is equal to the sidelength of Square B. A sector of Circle A has the same area as Square B. Which of the following is the degree measure of this sector?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The radius of Circle A and the length of a side of the square are the same - we will call each . The area of the circle is ; that of the square is . Therefore, a sector of the circle with area  will be  of the circle, which is a sector of measure

Example Question #9 : Dsq: Calculating The Angle Of A Sector

Election

After a student body election, Henry is constructing a circle graph to represent the above voter count.

What will be the measure of the central angle of the sector representing Starr (nearest whole number)?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The number of people who voted:

245 people voted for Starr, so the sector representing Starr will have measure

Example Question #10 : Dsq: Calculating The Angle Of A Sector

Election

Above are the results of the election for student body president that Mike is about to publish in the school newspaper. At the last minute, his friend Veronica stops him and tells him that there was an error in one digit - Lealand got 181 votes, not 101 votes.

Mike's article includes a circle graph that he will now have to change to reflect this corrected information. By how many degrees will the angle measure of the sector representing Lealand increase (nearest whole degree)?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

According to Mike's erroneous information, the number of people who voted was

,

101 of whom voted for Lealand. Therefore, Mike's initial circle graph would have a sector of degree measure

representing Lealand's share of the vote.

However, the corrected figures are 

 votes total, 

181 of which went to Lealand, so his sector will have measure

,

an increase of .

The correct response is .

Example Question #613 : Data Sufficiency Questions

What is the circumference of a circle?

(1)The diameter of this circle is 10

(2)The area of this circle is 25\pi

Possible Answers:

Statement (1) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (2) alone is not sufficient.

EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.

Statement (2) ALONE is sufficient, but statement (1) alone is not sufficient.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are sufficient, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient.

Statements (1) and (2) TOGETHER are NOT sufficient.

Correct answer:

EACH statement ALONE is sufficient.

Explanation:

The calculation of the circumference is C=2\pi r. From statement (1) we know that d=10. Therefore r=5, and we can calculate C using the formula. From statement (2) we know that \pi r^{2}=25\pi. Therefore r=5, and we can calculate C using the formula.

 

Example Question #72 : Circles

If  and  are points on a plane and  lies inside the circle  with center  and radius 5, does  lie inside circle ?

(1) The length of line segment  is 7.

 

(2) The length of line segment  is 7.

Possible Answers:

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

BOTH statements TOGETHER are not sufficient to answer the question.

EACH statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

Statement 1 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but the other statement alone is not sufficient.

 

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but the other statement alone is not sufficient.

Correct answer:

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but the other statement alone is not sufficient.

Explanation:

(1) The max distance between two points in the circle is twice the length of the

raidus (diameter =  = ). However,  can still be anywhere on the plane

(outside of the circle) as the statement does not indicate otherwise. Therefore, this statement is insuffieicent.

 

(2) The length of the line segment from  to  is greater than the radius of the circle. Thus,  must be outside of the circle. This statement is sufficient. 

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