All PSAT Math Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : How To Order Fractions From Least To Greatest Or From Greatest To Least
If Ben is taller than Jaime, Mary is taller than Ben, and Chris is taller than Mary. Who is the second tallest?
Chris
Jaime
Mary
Ben
Not possible to tell
Mary
Using math symbols to dictate height we find that Ben>Jaime, Mary>Ben, Chris>Mary. Putting these in order we have Chris>Mary, Mary>Ben, Ben>Jaime. This shows that Mary is the second tallest.
Example Question #1 : Fractions
Order the following fractions in descending order.
1/2, 2/3, 2/5, 3/4, 4/7
1/2, 2/3, 2/5, 3/4, 4/7
2/5, 1/2, 3/4, 4/7, 2/3
3/4, 2/3, 4/7, 1/2, 2/5
2/3, 4/7, 3/4, 1/2, 2/5
2/5, 1/2, 4/7, 2/3, 3/4
3/4, 2/3, 4/7, 1/2, 2/5
Method 1:
Find the common denominator (420) and convert each fraction to this denominator:
1/2 = 210/420
2/3 = 280/420
2/5 = 168/420
3/4 = 315/420
4/7 = 240/420
Now sort by numerator, largest to smallest.
Method 2:
Divide each fraction to obtain a decimal. Sort the decimals, largest to smallest.
Example Question #1 : Fractions
I and III only
I and II only
II and III only
II only
I only
I and III only
Example Question #161 : Fractions
Which of the following fractions is between 0.2 and 0.3?
The other three choices are larger than 0.3.
Example Question #2 : How To Order Fractions From Least To Greatest Or From Greatest To Least
Which of the following fractions is the greatest?
The trick to this problem is to see that three of the choices have the numerator and denominator 3 units apart. The other two choices can be made three units apart as well- multiply both and by to get them to be and , respectively.
The trick is that once all fractions are the same units apart in denominator and numerator, the biggest number is the largest fraction.
Example Question #3 : How To Order Fractions From Least To Greatest Or From Greatest To Least
Order the following from least to greatest: three-fifths, seven-eighths, 0.5, sixteen-eighteenths, 97%, 17-fifths.
, three-fifths, seven-eighths, sixteen-eighteenths, -fifths,
, three-fifths, seven-eighths, sixteen-eighteenths, , -fifths
, , three-fifths, seven-eighths, sixteen-eighteenths, -fifths
three-fifths, , , seven-eighths, sixteen-eighteenths, -fifths
, three-fifths, sixteen-eighteenths, seven-eighths, , -fifths
, three-fifths, seven-eighths, sixteen-eighteenths, , -fifths
We need to order: three fifths, seven eights, 0.5, sixteen eighteenths, 97%, seventeen fifths.
Let us re-write each as a fraction: , , , , , and . We can now easily order these:
Example Question #1 : Decimals
Which of the following numbers is between 1/5 and 1/6?
0.13
0.22
0.25
0.19
0.16
0.19
Long division shows that 1/5 = 0.20 and 1/6 = 0.16666... 0.13 < 0.16 < 1/6 < 0.19 < 1/5 < 0.22 < 0.25.
Example Question #4 : Decimals
Trevor, James, and Will were each given a candy bar. Trevor ate 7/12 of his and Will ate 20% of his. If James ate more than Will and less than Trevor, what amount could James have eaten?
1/10
9/15
2/7
8/9
3/5
2/7
Turn Trevor and Will’s amounts into decimals to compare: 20% = 0.20 and 7/12 = 0.5083 rounded. When the answer choices are converted into decimals, 2/7 = 0.2871 is the only value between 0.20 and 0.5083.
Example Question #1 : Fractions And Percentage
If there are 3 boys in a class and 7 girls. What percent of the class is made up of boys?
30%
3%
25%
70%
30%
To solve this problem we set up a ratio of part of total. The part is the number of boys in the class and the total is the number of boys and girls in the class.
now to find the percent we can multiply this fraction by 10/10
From here we can see that it is 30%
Example Question #1 : How To Find Percentage From A Fraction
Marker Colors |
Students |
Blue |
13 |
Pink |
10 |
Orange |
5 |
Brown |
5 |
Green |
7 |
The above chart shows the number of students in a class who chose each of the five marker colors available.
What percentage of the class chose a green marker?
To figure out what percentage of the class chose green markers, you must first figure out what fraction of the class chose green markers. Then, you must convert that fraction into a percentage.
Figure out the fraction:
7 students chose green markers
40 students total
Fraction of students who chose green:
To convert this fraction to a percentage, you must multiply the fraction times 100, then divide the numerator by the denominator. You multiply the fraction times 100 because in order to figure out the percent, you must figure out what the fraction means "for (per) every hundred (cent)".
Multiply times 100
Therefore, the answer is .
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