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SAT Math: Concepts And Tricks

Subjects : sat, math
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Parentheses - Exponents -Multiplication and Division(reversible) - Addition and Subtraction (reversible)






2. Use this example: Example: after a 5% increase - the population was 59 -346. What was the population before the increase? Work: 1.05x=59 -346 Answer: 56 -520






3. Integers are whole numbers; they include negtavie whole numbers and zero - Rational numbers can be expressed as a ratio of two integers - irration numbers are real numbers that cant be expressed precisely as a fraction or decimal.






4. Divisible by 2 if: last digit is even - divisible by 4 if: last two digits form a multiple of 4






5. Factor out the perfect squares






6. If a right triangle's leg-to-leg ratio is 5:12 - or if the leg-to-hypotenuse ratio is 5:13 or 12:13 - it's a 5-12-13 triangle






7. 1. Re-express them with common denominators 2. Convert them to decimals






8. If a right triangle's leg-to-leg ratio is 3:4 - or if the leg-to-hypotenuse ratio is 3:5 or 4:5 - it's a 3-4-5 triangle and you don't need to use the Pythagorean theorem to find the third side






9. To multiply or divide integers - firstly ignore the sign and compute the problem - given 2 negatives make a positive - 2 positives make a positive - and one negative - and one positive make a negative attach the correct sign






10. The whole # left over after division






11. The largest factor that two or more numbers have in common.






12. Notation: f(x) read: 'f of x' evaluation: if you want to evaluate the function for f(4) - replace x with 4 everywhere in the equation






13. To multiply fractions - multiply the numerators and multiply the denominators






14. Probability= Favorable Outcomes/Total Possible Outcomes






15. A rectangle is a four-sided figure with four right angles opposite sides are equal - diagonals are equal; Area of Rectangle = length x width






16. Add up numbers and divide by the number of numbers - Average=(sum of terms)/(# of terms)






17. To find the slope of a line from an equation - put the equation into slope-intercept form (m is the slope): y=mx+b






18. Average A per B: (total A)/(total B) - Example: average speed formula - total distance/ total time - Basically: Don't just average the 2 speeds






19. The sum of the measures of the interior angles of a polygon = (n - 2) × 180 - where n is the number of sides






20. Expressed A?B (' A union B ') - is the set of all members contained in either A or B or both.






21. All acute angles are = all obtuse angles are = any obtuse angle+any acute angle= 180






22. 2pr






23. Growth pattern in which the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate; j-curve graph-- logarithmic - FORMULA: y=a(1+r)^ EXPLANATION: a = initial amount before measuring growth/decay r = growth/decay rate (often a percent) x = number of






24. To add a positive and negative integer first ignore the signs and find the positive difference between the two integers - attatch the sign of the original with higher absolute value - to subtract negative integers simply change it into an addition pr






25. To increase: add decimal version of percent to one and times that # to the # you want to increase. Example: increase 40 by 25% Work: 1.25*40=? Answer: 50






26. A sector is a piece of the area of a circle. If n is the degree measure of the sector's central angle then the formula is: Area of a Sector = (n/360) (pr^2)






27. This is the key to solving most fraction and percent word problems. Part is usually associated with the word is/are and whole is associated with the word of. Example: 'half of the boys are blonds' whole: all of the boys part: blonds






28. To find the y-intercept: put the equation into slope-intercept form (b is the y-intercept): y=mx+b or plug x=0 and solve for y - To find the x-intercept: plug y=0 and solve for x






29. A decimal with a sequence of digits that repeats itself indefinitely; to find a particular digit in the repetition - use the example: if there are 3 digits that repeat - every 3rd digit is the same. If you want the 31st digit - then the 30th digit is






30. To combine like terms - keep the variable part unchanged while adding or subtracting the coefficients - Example: 2a+3a=? work: (2+3)a answer: 5a






31. If there are m ways one event can happen and n ways a second event can happen - then there are m × n ways for the 2 events to happen






32. Direct variation: equation: y=kx - where k is a nonzero constant trick: y changes directly as x does inverse variation: equation: xy=k trick: y doubles as x halves and vice-versa






33. Domain: all possible values of x for a function range: all possible outputs of a function






34. Part = Percent x Whole






35. The intersection of the sets of A and B - written AnB - is the set of elements that are in both A and B.






36. The median is the value that falls in the middle of the set - the mode is the value that appears most often






37. To divide fractions - invert the second one and multiply






38. Factor can be divisible (factor of 12 and 8 is 4). Multiple is a multiple (multiple of 12 and 8 is 24).






39. Start with 100 as a starting value - Example: A price rises by 10% one year and by 20% the next. What's the combined percent increase? - Say the original price is $100. Year one: $100 + (10% of 100) = 100 + 10 = 110 Year two: 110 + (20% of 110) = 110






40. The absolute value of a number is the distance of the number from zero - since absolute value is distance it is always positive






41. When a line is tangent to a circle the radius of the circles perpendicular to the line at the point of contact






42. Volume of a Rectangular Solid = lwh; Volume of a Cube= (L)^3






43. Use the sum - Example: if the average of 4 #s is 7 - and the #s are 3 - 5 - 8 - and ____ - what is the fourth #? Work: sum= 4*7 =28 3+5+8=16 28-16=? Answer: 12






44. 1. turn it into ax^2 + bx + c = 0 form 2. factor 3. set both factors equal to zero 4. you get 2 solutions






45. To add or subtract fraction - first find a common denominator - then add or subtract the numerators






46. Combine like terms






47. An arc is a piece of the circumference. If n is the degree measure of the arc's central angle - then the formula is: Length of an Arc = 1 (n/360) (2pr)






48. For all right triangles: a^2+b^2=c^2






49. Use units to keep things straight (make sure you use 1 unit for each thing) Example: use just inches in your cross multiplication - not inches and feet






50. Surface Area = 2lw + 2wh + 2lh