What is the denominator of a fraction? Statement I: The numerator is <span class="math-inline" data-latex-source="3" data-display-mode="false" contenteditable="false"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">3</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">3</span></span></span></span></span> less than the denominator. Statement II: The fraction is equivalent to <span class="math-inline" data-latex-source="\frac{5}{8}" data-display-mode="false" contenteditable="false"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mfrac><mn>5</mn><mn>8</mn></mfrac></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\frac{5}{8}</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.1901em;vertical-align:-0.345em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mopen nulldelimiter"></span><span class="mfrac"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8451em;"><span style="top:-2.655em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:3em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">8</span></span></span></span><span style="top:-3.23em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:3em;"></span><span class="frac-line" style="border-bottom-width:0.04em;"></span></span><span style="top:-3.394em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:3em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.345em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mclose nulldelimiter"></span></span></span></span></span></span>. Choose the standard data-sufficiency option.

Question

What is the denominator of a fraction?

Statement I: The numerator is <span class="math-inline" data-latex-source="3" data-display-mode="false" contenteditable="false"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">3</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:0.6444em;"></span><span class="mord">3</span></span></span></span></span> less than the denominator.

Statement II: The fraction is equivalent to <span class="math-inline" data-latex-source="\frac{5}{8}" data-display-mode="false" contenteditable="false"><span class="katex"><span class="katex-mathml"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><semantics><mrow><mfrac><mn>5</mn><mn>8</mn></mfrac></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\frac{5}{8}</annotation></semantics></math></span><span class="katex-html" aria-hidden="true"><span class="base"><span class="strut" style="height:1.1901em;vertical-align:-0.345em;"></span><span class="mord"><span class="mopen nulldelimiter"></span><span class="mfrac"><span class="vlist-t vlist-t2"><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.8451em;"><span style="top:-2.655em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:3em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">8</span></span></span></span><span style="top:-3.23em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:3em;"></span><span class="frac-line" style="border-bottom-width:0.04em;"></span></span><span style="top:-3.394em;"><span class="pstrut" style="height:3em;"></span><span class="sizing reset-size6 size3 mtight"><span class="mord mtight"><span class="mord mtight">5</span></span></span></span></span><span class="vlist-s">​</span></span><span class="vlist-r"><span class="vlist" style="height:0.345em;"><span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="mclose nulldelimiter"></span></span></span></span></span></span>.

Choose the standard data-sufficiency option.

Option A

A

Option B

B

Option C — Correct answer

C

Correct choice.

Option D

D

Option E

E

Explanation

Statement I alone is insufficient because many fractions fit. Statement II alone is insufficient because infinitely many equivalent fractions exist. Together, let the fraction be $\frac{5k}{8k}$ and use $8k-5k=3$ to get $k=1$, so the denominator is $8$. Hence the answer is C.

Chapter Mock 16: Data Sufficiency