Algebra Strategy Guide, Chapter 6, Question 5

[InayatC54]

Since combining statements 1 and 2 does provide a value for x, albeit 2 values (-8 and 4), shouldn't the answer to this DS problem be C (together) rather than E (neither)?

[tim]

Please note that the forum rules indicate you need to include the full text of the problem before we can discuss it, so that other students can benefit from the discussion as well.

[RonPurewal]

'sufficient' means that the question is narrowed down to a SINGLE, UNIQUE answer.

if there's more than one possible answer—regardless of whether that's 2 answers, 200 answers, or infinitely many answers—then that's 'not sufficient'.

think about it like a criminal trial: you either know who committed the crime, or you don't.
if you can narrow it down to ONE person, then ... you know who committed the crime ('sufficient').
if you have two thousand possible culprits, then ... you don't know who committed the crime ('not sufficient').
if you narrow the possibilities down to just two suspects, then ... well, you STILL don't know who committed the crime (still 'not sufficient').

[RonPurewal]

...and this thread is now locked, because (a) the issue has been resolved and (b) the thread was not properly created, as tim points out above.

PLEASE read the forum rules before posting! they exist for good reasons.