All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #12 : Sets
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The fourth term of the sequence
(b) 200
(b) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is greater
(a) is greater
The common difference of the sequence is , so the next two terms of the sequence are:
215 is the fourth term. This makes (a) greater.
Example Question #13 : Sets
A geometric sequence begins as follows:
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The fourth element of the sequence
(b) 30
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(a) is greater
(a) is greater
The common ratio of the sequence is
The next two terms of the sequence can be found as follows:
This is the fourth term, which is greater than 30.
Example Question #15 : How To Find The Missing Part Of A List
A geometric sequence begins as follows:
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The fourth term of the sequence
(b) The sixth term of the sequence
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(a) is greater
(b) is greater
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is greater
The common ratio of the geometric sequence is
The next four terms of the sequence are:
- the fourth term
- the sixth term
, so the fourth term, which is (a), is greater
Example Question #14 : Sets
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
Which of the following is the greater quantity?
(a) The tenth element of the sequence
(b) 70
(a) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(b) is greater
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is greater
The common difference of the sequence is ; then tenth element is
,
which is greater than 70.
Example Question #15 : Sets
A standard deck of cards is altered by removing the red queens and the three of the jacks. A card is drawn at random from this altered deck.
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The probability of drawing a red card
(b) The probability of drawing a black card
(b) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(a) is greater.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(b) is greater.
The three removed jacks must either comprise two red cards and one black card, or one red card and two black cards. Since the two red queens are also removed, the net result is either the removal of four red cards and one black card, or three red cards and two black cards. Either way, more black cards than red cards are left in the altered deck, and (b) must be greater.
Example Question #16 : Sets
An arithmetic sequence begins as follows:
'
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The fifth number in the sequence
(b)
(a) is greater.
(b) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(b) is greater.
The common difference of the sequence is
.
The fifth number in the sequence is
.
This makes (b) greater.
Example Question #17 : Sets
A geometric sequence begins as follows:
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The fifth term of the sequence
(b)
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) is greater.
(b) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(a) is greater.
The common ratio of the sequence is
.
The next three terms of the sequence are:
, the fifth term.
, making (a) greater.
Example Question #18 : Sets
A geometric sequence begins as follows:
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The nine hundred ninety-ninth term of the sequence
(b) The one-thousandth term of the sequence
(a) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(b) is greater.
(b) is greater.
The common ratio is , which means that the terms will alternate in sign. The first term is negative; therefore, all of the odd-numbered terms will be negative and all of the even-numbered terms will be positive. This makes the one thousandth term greater than the nine hundred ninety-ninth.
Example Question #21 : Sets
The Fibonacci sequence begins
with each subsequent term being the sum of the previous two.
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The product of the seventh and eighth terms of the Fibonacci sequence
(b) The product of the sixth and ninth terms of the Fibonacci sequence
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) is greater.
(b) is greater.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(a) is greater.
By starting with and adding each pair of consecutive terms to get each subsequent term, we can generate the first nine terms of the Fibonacci sequence:
(a) The seventh and eighth terms are 13 and 21; their product is .
(b) The sixth and ninth terms are 8 and 34; their product is .
(a) is greater.
Example Question #22 : How To Find The Missing Part Of A List
The first six terms of a sequence are as follows:
Which is the greater quantity?
(a) The eighth term of the sequence
(b)
(a) is greater.
(b) is greater.
It is impossible to tell from the information given.
(a) and (b) are equal.
(a) is greater.
Each successive term is derived by adding a quantity to the previous term that increments by 1 with each term:
, the eighth term, is greater than .
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