ACT Math : Arithmetic

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #4 : How To Find The Common Factor Of Square Roots

Solve for :

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Begin by breaking apart the square roots on the left side of the equation:

This can be rewritten:

You can combine like terms on the left side:

Solve by dividing both sides by :

This simplifies to:

Example Question #5 : How To Find The Common Factor Of Square Roots

Solve for 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To begin solving this problem, find the greatest common perfect square for all quantities under a radical.

 ---> 

Pull  out of each term on the left:

 ---> 

Next, factor out  from the left-hand side:

 ---> 

Lastly, isolate :

 ---> 

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Common Factor Of Square Roots

Solve for 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Solving this one is tricky. At first glance, we have no common perfect square to work with. But since each term can produce the quantity , let's start there:

 ---> 

Simplify the first term:

 ---> 

Divide all terms by  to simplify, 

 ---> 

Next, factor out  from the left-hand side:

 ---> 

Isolate  by dividing by  and simplifying:

 ---> 

Last, simplify the denominator:

 ----> 

Example Question #7 : How To Find The Common Factor Of Square Roots

Solve for :

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Right away, we notice that  is a prime radical, so no simplification is possible. Note, however, that both other radicals are divisible by .

Our first step then becomes simplifying the equation by dividing everything by :

 ---> 

Next, factor out  from the left-hand side:

 ---> 

Lastly, isolate :

 ---> 

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Common Factor Of Square Roots

Solve for 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Once again, there are no common perfect squares under the radical, but with some simplification, the equation can still be solved for :

 ---> 

Simplify:

 ---> 

 

Factor out  from the left-hand side:

 ---> 

Lastly, isolate :

 ---> 

Example Question #31 : Arithmetic

Solve for :

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To begin solving this problem, find the greatest perfect square for all quantities under a radical.  might seem intimidating, but remember that raising even single-digit numbers to the fourth power creates huge numbers. In this case,  is divisible by , a perfect fourth power.

 ---> 

Pull the perfect terms out of each term on the left:

 ---> 

Next, factor out  from the left-hand side:

 ---> 

Lastly, isolate , remembering to simplify the fraction where possible:

 ---> 

Example Question #11 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To start, begin pulling the largest perfect square you can out of each number:

So, . You can just add the two terms together once they have a common radical.

Example Question #33 : Arithmetic

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Again here, it is easiest to recognize that both of our terms are divisible by , a prime number likely to appear in our final answer:

Now, simplify our perfect squares:

Lastly, subtract our terms with a common radical:

Example Question #11 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Solve for 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To begin solving this problem, find the greatest common perfect square for all quantities under a radical.

 ---> 

Factor out the square root of each perfect square:

 ---> 

Next, factor out  from each term on the left-hand side of the equation:

 ---> 

Lastly, isolate :

 ---> 

Example Question #1 : How To Multiply Square Roots

Find the product:

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Simplify the radicals, then multiply:

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