Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) Practice Test

What is the result of adding an even number and an odd number?

1. Even

2. Odd

3. Neither

4. Both Even and Odd

The correct answer is: Odd

When you add an even number to an odd number, the result is always an odd number. To understand why this is the case, consider the definitions of even and odd numbers. An even number can be expressed in the form of 2n, where n is an integer. This means it is divisible by 2 without a remainder. On the other hand, an odd number can be expressed as 2m + 1, where m is also an integer. This shows that an odd number is one more than an even number. When you perform the addition of an even number (2n) and an odd number (2m + 1), you can restructure this as follows: 2n + (2m + 1) = 2n + 2m + 1 = 2(n + m) + 1 The expression 2(n + m) is an even number, since it is 2 times an integer (the sum of n and m). However, adding 1 to that even number transforms it into an odd number. Hence, the result of adding an even number and an odd number is consistently an odd number.