GMAT OFFICIAL GUIDE PS

Solution:

This is an interesting problem because, although we usually prefer an algebraic approach to solving GMAT questions, the quickest way to solve this problem is to analyze each answer choice in relation to the graph. We need to determine which answer choice gives us a point on the graph that is twice as far from P as from Q. This means that it is closer to Q than to P.

We are given that point Q is at (3,2) and point P is at (0,-1). Let’s start with answer choice A.

A) (3,1)

Looking at the graph we see that (3,1) is not even on line segment PQ. Answer choice A is not correct.

B) (2,1)

Looking at the graph we see that (2,1) is on line segment PQ and it is closer to Q than it is to P. We could use the distance formula to determine the actual distances, but let’s wait to see if this is necessary. Let’s test the other answer choices to be certain that answer choice B is correct.

C) (2,-1)

Looking at the graph we see that (2,-1) is not even on line segment PQ. Answer choice C is not correct.

D) (1.5,0.5)

Looking at the graph we see that (1.5,0.5) is on line segment PQ; however, it appears to be about halfway between P and Q. Answer choice D is not correct.

E) (1,0)

Looking at the graph we see that (1,0) is on line segment PQ; however, it is closer to P than to Q. Answer choice E is not correct.

Answer: B

About The Author

Scott Woodbury-Stewart is the founder & CEO of Target Test Prep. A passionate teacher who is deeply invested in the success of his students, Scott began his career teaching physics, chemistry, math, and biology. Since then, he has spent more than a decade helping students gain entry into the world’s top business schools, logging 10,000+ hours of GMAT, EA, GRE and SAT instruction. Scott also served as lead content developer and curriculum architect for the revolutionary courses Target Test Prep GMAT, Target Test Prep EA, Target Test Prep GRE and Target Test Prep SAT Quant.