SAT II Math I : SAT Subject Test in Math I

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II Math I

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Example Questions

Example Question #5 : Finding Angles

If two angles of a triangle are  and , find the measurement of the third angle.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Step 1: Recall the sum of the angles of a triangle...

The sum of the internal angles of a triangle is .

Step 2: To find the missing angle, subtract the given angles from ...

Example Question #501 : Sat Subject Test In Math I

The sides of a triangle have lengths 6 yards, 18 feet, and 216 inches. Which of the following is true about this triangle?

Possible Answers:

This triangle is acute and scalene.

This triangle is acute and isosceles, but not equilateral.

This triangle is right and isosceles, but not equilateral.

The triangle is acute and equilateral.

This triangle is right and scalene.

Correct answer:

The triangle is acute and equilateral.

Explanation:

One yard is equal to 3 feet; it is also equal to 36 inches. Therefore:

18 feet is equal to  yards, 

and

216 feet is equal to  yards.

The three sides are congruent, making the triangle equilateral - and all equilateral triangles are acute.

Example Question #2 : Analyzing Figures

Similar triangles

Figures not drawn to scale

The triangles above are similar. Given the measurements above, what is the length of side c?

Possible Answers:

 inches

 inches

 inches

 inches 

 inches

Correct answer:

 inches

Explanation:

You can find the length of c by first finding the length of the hypotenuse of the larger similar triangle and then setting up a ratio to find the hypotenuse of the smaller similar triangle. 

You also could have found 10 by recognizing this triangle is a form of a 3-4-5 triangle. 

The hypotenuse of the bigger triangle is 10 inches.

Now that we know the length of the hypotenuse for the larger triangle, we can set up a ratio equation to find the hypotenuse of the smaller triangle. 

cross multiply

Example Question #502 : Sat Subject Test In Math I

Q2

If line 2 and line 3 eventually intersect when extended to the left which of the following could be true?

Possible Answers:

I, II, and III

I only

Cannot be determined 

I and III

I and II

Correct answer:

I only

Explanation:

Read the question carefully and notice that the image is deceptive: these lines are not parallel. So we cannot apply any of our rules about parallel lines. So we cannot infer II or III, those are only true if the lines are parallel. If we sketch line 2 and line 3 meeting we will form a triangle and it is possible to make a = e. One such solution is to make a and e 60 degrees. 

Example Question #503 : Sat Subject Test In Math I

What is the maximum number of distinct regions that can be created with 4 intersecting circles on a plane?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Try sketching it out.

Q3b

Start with one circle and then keep adding circles like a venn diagram and start counting. A region is any portion of the figure that can be defined and has a boundary with another portion. Don't forget that the exterior (labeled 14) is a region that does not have exterior boundaries.

 

 

Example Question #72 : Geometry

Q5

Note: Figure may not be drawn to scale

In rectangle  has length and width  and  respectively. Point  lies on line segment  and point  lies on line segment .  Triangle  has area , in terms of  and  what is the possible range of values for ?

Possible Answers:

cannot be determined

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Notice that the figure may not be to scale, and points  and  could lie anywhere on line segments  and  respectively.

Next, recall the formula for the area of a triangle:

To find the minimum area we need the smallest possible values for  and .

To make  smaller we can shift points  and  all the way to point . This will make triangle  have a height of :

 is the minimum possible value for the area.

To find the maximum value we need the largest possible values for  and . If we shift point  all the way to point  then the base of the triangle is  and the height is , which we can plug into the formula for the area of a triangle:

which is the maximum possible area of triangle 

Example Question #1 : Other 2 Dimensional Geometry

Which of the following describes a triangle with sides of length 10 inches, 1 foot, and 2 feet?

Possible Answers:

More information is needed to answer this question.

This triangle cannot exist.

This is an acute triangle.

This is a right triangle.

This is an obtuse triangle.

Correct answer:

This triangle cannot exist.

Explanation:

One foot is equal to 12 inches, so the triangle would have sides 10, 12, and 24 inches. Since 

,

the triangle violates the Triangle Inequality, which states that the sum of the lengths of the two smaller sides must exceed the length of the third. The triangle cannot exist.

Example Question #2 : Other 2 Dimensional Geometry

Which of the following describes a triangle with sides of length nine yards, thirty feet, and 360 inches?

Possible Answers:

The triangle is acute and isosceles.

The triangle is obtuse and isosceles.

The triangle is acute and scalene.

The triangle is obtuse and scalene.

The triangle cannot exist.

Correct answer:

The triangle is acute and isosceles.

Explanation:

Nine yards is equal to  inches.

30 feet is equal to  inches.

In terms of inches, the triangle has sides of length 324, 360, 360; this exists since

and this is an isosceles triangle, since two sides have the same length.

Also,

,

making the triangle acute.

Example Question #3 : Other 2 Dimensional Geometry

Thingy_5

Refer to the above diagram. Which of the following choices gives a set of collinear points?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Collinear points are points that are contained in the same line. Of the four choices, only  fit the description, since all are on Line .

Example Question #4 : Other 2 Dimensional Geometry

You are given triangles   and , with . Which of these statements, along with what you are given, is enough to prove that ?

Possible Answers:

 and  have the same perimeter.

None of the other responses is correct.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 gives us the congruence of two corresponding angles and one corresponding side;  this is not enough to establish similarity.

The perimeters of the triangles are irrelevant to their similarity, so  and  having the same perimeter does not help to establish similarity, with or without what is given.

 establishes the proportionality of two nonincluded sides of the angles known to be congruent. However, there is no statement that establishes similarity as a result of this.

, along with , sets up the conditions of the Angle-Angle Similarity Postulate, which states that if two triangles have two pairs of congruent angles between them, the triangles are similar.  is the correct choice.

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