Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) Practice Test

When adding two odd numbers, what will the result be?

1. Even

2. Odd

3. Neither

4. Both Even and Odd

The correct answer is: Even

When you add two odd numbers, the result is always an even number. To understand why this is the case, consider the definition of odd numbers. An odd number can be expressed in the form of 2n + 1, where n is an integer. For example, if you take two odd numbers, let's say 3 and 5, you can represent them as follows: - The first odd number (3) can be expressed as 2(1) + 1. - The second odd number (5) can be expressed as 2(2) + 1. Now, when you add these two numbers together: (2n + 1) + (2m + 1) = 2n + 2m + 2 = 2(n + m + 1) The result of this addition can be simplified as 2 times an integer (n + m + 1), which represents an even number. Therefore, the general rule holds: the sum of any two odd numbers yields an even result. This principle is consistent regardless of the specific odd numbers chosen, so the conclusion remains that the result is indeed even.