All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #51 : Operations
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
(a) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
It cannot be determined which of (a) and (b) is greater
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) is the greater quantity
Suppose is nonnegative.
Then .
Consequently,
,
which must be positive,
and
,
which is the opposite of and consequently must be negative. Therefore, (a) is greater.
Suppose is negative.
Then .
Consequently,
,
and
.
, so
,
and (a) is greater.
(a) is the greater quantity either way.
Example Question #52 : Variables
Define . The graph of
is a line with slope
.
.
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(a) is the greater quantity
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is the greater quantity
, so
.
, so, by definition,
, or
.
The graph of is a line through the point with coordinates
and with slope
. The equation of the line can be determined by setting
in the slope-intercept form:
.
The equation of the line is , which makes this the definition of
. By setting
,
.
Therefore,
Example Question #51 : Operations
;
and
are both positive.
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is the greater quantity
If ,
then
.
The absolute value of a negative number is its (positive) opposite, so
Also, if and
are both positive, then
is positive; the absolute value of a positive number is the number itself, so
. Since
, it follows that
. Therefore,
Since is given to be positive,
.
and
Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents
Simplify:
The expression cannot be simplified further
Group and combine like terms :
Example Question #2 : Variables And Exponents
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
(a) is greater.
(b) is greater.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(b) is greater.
Since and
have different signs,
, and, subsequently,
Therefore,
This makes (b) the greater quantity.
Example Question #1 : How To Add Exponential Variables
Assume that and
are not both zero. Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
(a) and (b) are equal.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) is greater.
(b) is greater.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
Simplify the expression in (a):
Therefore, whether (a) or (b) is greater depends on the values of and
, neither of which are known.
Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(b) is greater
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
We give at least one positive value of for which (a) is greater and at least one positive value of
for which (b) is greater.
Case 1:
(a)
(b)
Case 2:
(a)
(b)
Therefore, either (a) or (b) can be greater.
Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents
Assume all variables to be nonzero.
Simplify:
None of the answer choices are correct.
None of the answer choices are correct.
Any nonzero expression raised to the power of 0 is equal to 1. Therefore,
.
None of the given expressions are correct.
Example Question #2 : Variables And Exponents
Simplify:
Example Question #2 : How To Find The Exponent Of Variables
Which is greater?
(a)
(b)
(a) is greater
(b) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is greater
If , then
and
, so by transitivity,
, and (b) is greater
All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources
