GMAT Math : Coordinate Geometry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

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Example Question #1 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Where is the vertical asymptote of the graph ofin relation to the-axis - is it to the left of it, to the right of it, or on it?

Statement 1:andare both positive.

Statement 2:andare of opposite sign.

Possible Answers:

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 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:

Since only positive numbers have logarithms, the expressionmust be positive, so

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

In order to determine which side of the-axis the vertical asymptote falls, it is necessary to find the sign of; if it is negative, it is on the left side, if it is positive, it is on the right side.

Assume both statements are true. By Statement 1,is positive. Ifis positive, thenis negative, and vice versa. However, Statement 2, which mentions, does not give its actual sign - just the fact that its sign is the opposite of that of, which we are not given either. The two statements therefore give insufficient information.

Example Question #2 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Give the equation of the vertical asymptote of the graph of

Statement 1:

Statement 2:

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.

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

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

Explanation:

Since a logarithm of a nonpositive number cannot be taken,

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

Each of Statement 1 and Statement 2 gives us only one ofand.However, the two together tell us that

making the vertical asymptote

Example Question #3 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Where is the vertical asymptote of the graph ofin relation to the-axis - is it to the left of it, to the right of it, or on it?

Statement 1:

Statement 2:

Possible Answers:

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.

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 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:

Only positive numbers have logarithms, so:

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

In order to determine which side of the-axis the vertical asymptote falls, it is necessary to find out whether the signs ofandare the same or different. Ifandare of the same sign, then their quotientis positive, andis negative, puttingon the left side of the-axis. Ifandare of different sign, then their quotientis negative, andis positive, puttingon the right side of the-axis.

Statement 1 alone does not give us enough information to determine whetherandhave different signs., for example, but, also.

From Statement 2, since the product ofandis negative, they must be of different sign. Therefore,is positive, andfalls to the right of the-axis.

Example Question #4 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Give the equation of the vertical asymptote of the graph of

Statement 1:

Statement 2:

Possible Answers:

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.

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

Explanation:

Only positive numbers have logarithms, so:

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

Statement 1 alone gives thatis the reciprocal of this, or, and, so the vertical asymptote is

Statement 2 alone gives no clue about either,, or their relationship.

Example Question #5 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Give the equation of the vertical asymptote of the graph of

Statement 1:

Statement 2:

Possible Answers:

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.

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:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

Since only positive numbers have logarithms,

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

Assume both statements to be true. We need two numbersandwhose sum is 7 and whose product is 12; by trial and error, we can find these numbers to be 3 and 4. However, without further information, we have no way of determining which ofandis 3 and which is 4, so the asymptote can be eitheror

Example Question #6 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Does the graph ofhave a-intercept?

Statement 1:

Statement 2:

Possible Answers:

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

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.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

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

Explanation:

-intercept of the graph of the function, if there is one, occurs at the point with-coordinate 0. Therefore, we find:

This expression is defined if and only ifis a positive value. Statement 1 givesas positive, so it follows that the graph indeed has a-intercept. Statement 2, which only gives, is irrelevant.

Example Question #7 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Where is the vertical asymptote of the graph ofin relation to the-axis - is it to the left of it, to the right of it, or on it?

Statement 1:andare both positive.

Statement 2:andare of opposite sign.

Possible Answers:

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 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.

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:

Since only positive numbers have logarithms,

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

Statement 1 gives irrelevant information. But Statement 2 alone gives sufficient information; sinceandare of opposite sign, their quotientis negative, andis positive. This locates the vertical asymptote on the right side of the-axis.

Example Question #8 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

What is the equation of the vertical asymptote of the graph of?

Statement 1:andare of opposite sign.

Statement 2:

Possible Answers:

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.

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.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

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

Explanation:

Since only positive numbers have logarithms,

的refore, the vertical asymptote must be the vertical line of the equation

In order to determine which side of the-axis the vertical asymptote falls, it is necessary to find the sign of; if it is negative, it is on the left side, and if it is positive, it is on the right side.

Statement 1 alone only gives us thatis a different sign from; without any information about the sign of, we cannot answer the question.

Statement 2 alone gives us that, and, consequently,.这意味着andare of opposite sign. But again, with no information about the sign of, we cannot answer the question.

Assume both statements to be true. Since, from the two statements, bothandare of the opposite sign from,andare of the same sign. Their quotientis positive, andis negative, so the vertical asymptoteis to the left of the-axis.

Example Question #9 :Coordinate Geometry

Define a functionas follows:

for nonzero real numbers

Does the graph ofhave a-intercept?

Statement 1:

Statement 2:andhave different signs.

Possible Answers:

Statement 2 ALONE is sufficient to answer the question, but Statement 1 ALONE is NOT 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 sufficient to answer the question, but NEITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

EITHER statement ALONE is sufficient to answer the question.

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Correct answer:

BOTH statements TOGETHER are insufficient to answer the question.

Explanation:

-intercept of the graph of the function, if there is one, occurs at the point with-coordinate 0. Therefore, we find:

This expression is defined if and only ifis a positive value. However, the two statements together do not give this information; the values ofandfrom Statement 1 are irrelevant, and Statement 2 does not reveal which ofandis positive and which is negative.

Example Question #10 :Coordinate Geometry

Letandbe real numbers.

What is the product ofand its complex conjugate?

Statement 1:

Statement 2:

Possible Answers:

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.

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.

Correct answer:

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

Explanation:

的complex conjugate of an imaginary numberis, and

的refore, Statement 1 alone, which gives that, provides sufficient information to answer the question, whereas Statement 2 provides unhelpful information.

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