PSAT Math : Decimal Operations

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : How To Divide Decimals

Which number has 2.8 as its reciprocal?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The number that has 2.8 as its reciprocal is, in return, the reciprocal of 2.8.

The reciprocal of this can be found by switching the numerator and the denominator. This is .

Example Question #2 : How To Divide Decimals

23 grams of sodium are equal to  atoms. How many atoms comprise one milligram of sodium?

(Select the closest answer)

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

23 grams are equal to 23,000 milligrams, so to find the number of atoms in one milligram, divide:

Example Question #21 : Decimals

Round the answer to the nearest tenth.

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

0.57 - 2.657 = -2.087

Don't forget the negative sign!

This number then rounds to -2.1.

Example Question #11 : Decimal Operations

Simplify:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Start by simplifying within the parentheses:

Then add/subtract each number

When you finish simplifying, the answer is 0.

Example Question #1 : How To Subtract Decimals

Find the difference.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Example Question #1 : How To Convert Decimals To Scientific Notation

Convert 0.0004640 into scientific notation.

Possible Answers:

The value is already in scientific notation

Correct answer:

Explanation:

When written in scientific notation, a number will follow the format in which is between one and ten and is an integer value.

To find , take the first non-zero digit in your given number as the ones place. In 0.0004640 this would be the first 4. All subsequent digits fall into the tenths, hundredths, etc. places.

To find , we must count the number of places that is removed. In 0.0004640, the first digit of  is in the ten-thousandths place. This indicates that will be .

Together, the final scientific notation will be .

Example Question #1 : How To Convert Decimals To Scientific Notation

Express 770,000,000,000 in scientific notation.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Write the number with a decimal point and without commas:

Counting the number of places, move the decimal point to the left until it is after the first nonzero digit:

The resulting number is 7.7; the number of places the decimal point moved to the left was 11. In scientific notation, this number is .

Example Question #1 : How To Convert Decimals To Scientific Notation

Convert  into scientific notation.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To convert a number into scientific notation, the decimal must be moved until our base number is greater than 1 and less than 10. Next, we must count the number of places we moved it and multiply it by 10 to that number. Thus, our answer is:

Example Question #4 : How To Convert Decimals To Scientific Notation

12 grams of oxygen are equal to  atoms. Which of the following comes closest to the mass, in grams, of one million atoms of oxygen?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In scientific notation, one million atoms is equal to  atoms. To find the mass  of this many atoms, we can solve the proportion statement

Example Question #1 : How To Convert Decimals To Scientific Notation

Define an operation  as follows:

For all real numbers 

Which of the following is equal to  ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Substitute and execute the operations:

Move the decimal point right five places to get it after the first nonzero digit; the scientific notation equivalent is 

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