Among A, B, C, D and E, who is third from the top when arranged in the descending order of their weights?
I. C is heavier than A and E and is less heavier than B who is not the heaviest
II. E is heavier than only A.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Only Statement I alone is sufficient to give answer
In a data sufficiency question, a statement is sufficient only if it fixes the answer by itself, with one possible person.
Statement I alone:
C is heavier than A and E, and B is heavier than C: so B > C > A, E.
B is not the heaviest, so the only one left, D, is the heaviest.
Order from the top: D, B, C, then A and E. The third from the top is C, whatever the order of A and E.
So statement I alone is sufficient.
Statement II alone: “E is heavier than only A” places A last and E fourth, but says nothing about B, C and D. The third place could go to any of them, so statement II alone is not sufficient.