Test your basic knowledge |

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. Example: If the ratio of males to females is 1 to 2 - then what is the ratio of males to people? - work: 1/(1+2) answer: 1/3






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






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






4. 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)






5. (average of the x coordinates - average of the y coordinates)






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. Factor out the perfect squares






8. When two lines intersect - adjacent angles (angles next to each other) are supplementary (=180) and vertical angles are equal






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






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






11. To solve an inequality do whatever is necessary to both sides to isolate the variable. When you multiply or divide both sides by a negative number you must reverse the sign






12. Sum=(Average) x (Number of Terms)






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






14. Divisible by 3 if: sum of it's digits is divisible by 3 - divisible by 9 if: sum of digits is divisible by 9






15. Combine equations in such a way that one of the variables cancel out






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






17. 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)






18. 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






19. 2pr






20. To reduce a fraction to lowest terms - factor out and cancel all factors the numerator and denominator have in common






21. 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






22. 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






23. The length of one side of a triangle must be greater than the difference and less than the sum of the lengths of the other two sides






24. To find the reciprocal of a fraction switch the numerator and the denominator






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






26. 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






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. Multiplying: multiply the #s inside the root - but KEEP the ROOT sign - dividing: divide the #s inside the root - but KEEP the ROOT sign






29. 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






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






31. 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






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






33. Average the smallest and largest numbers Example: What is the average of integers 13 through 77? Work: (13+77)/2 Answer: 45






34. pr^2






35. Parentheses - Exponents -Multiplication and Division(reversible) - Addition and Subtraction (reversible)






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






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






38. 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






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






40. 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.






41. Use special triangles - pythagorean theorem - or distance formula: v(x2-x1)²+(y2-y1)²






42. # associated with of on top - # associated with to on bottom Example: ratio of 20 oranges to 12 apples? Work: 20/12 Answer: 5/3






43. 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






44. Area of Triangle = 1/2 (base)(height) - the height is the perpendicular distance between the side that's chosen as the base and the opposite vertex






45. you can add/subtract when the part under the radical is the same






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






47. To convert a mixed number to an improper fraction - multiply the whole number by the denominator - then add the numerator over the same denominator - to convert an improper fraction to a mixed number - divide the denominator into the numerator to get






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






49. The whole # left over after division






50. An isosceles triangle has 2 equal sides and the angles opposite the equal sides (base angles) are also equal - an equaliteral is a triangle where all 3 sides are equal - thus the angles are equal - regardless of side length the angle is always 60 deg







Sorry!:) No result found.

Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?


Let me suggest you:

Browse all subjects

Browse all tests

Most popular tests



Major Subjects

Tests & Exams


AP
CLEP
DSST
GRE
SAT
GMAT

Browse all subjects

Browse all tests

Most popular tests