All SAT Math Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #6 : Evaluating Expressions
If x = 2 and y = 3, then evaluate 2(x – 3) + 5y2
37
62
43
52
49
43
To evaluate an expression we make substitutions into the expression
2(x – 3) + 5y2 becomes 2(2 – 3) + 5 * 32 = –2 + 45 = 43
Example Question #5 : How To Evaluate Algebraic Expressions
IF 5x3 = 40, then what is the value of 12x – (x/2)?
24
10
23
17
33
23
Use the first equation to solve for x, then plug into the 2nd equation to find a value.
5x3 = 40
x3 = 8
x = 2
12(2) – (2/2) = 24 – 1 = 23
Example Question #3 : Evaluating And Simplifying Expressions
A rowing team paddles upstream at a rate of 10 miles every 2 hours and downstream at a rate of 27 miles every 3 hours. Assuming they are paddling at the same rate up and downstream, what is the speed of the water?
2
1
7
5
Cannot be determined
2
Upstream: p – w = (10/2) or p – w = 5 miles/hour
Downstream: p + w = (27/3) or p + w = 9 miles/hour
Then we add the two equations together to cancel out the w's. After adding we see
2p = 14
p = 7 miles/hour where p is the rate of the paddling. We plug p into the equation to find
w = 2 miles/hour where w is the rate of the stream's water.
Example Question #3 : Evaluating And Simplifying Expressions
Tim is two years older than his twin sisters, Rachel and Claire. The sum of their ages is 65. How old is Tim?
23
22
21
24
20
23
The answer is 23.
Since Rachel and Claire are twins they are the same age. We will use the variable r to represent both Rachel and Claire's ages.
From the question we can form two equations. They are:
t = r + 2 and 65 = t + 2r
lets plug the first equation into the second to solve for r.
65 = (r + 2) + 2r
65 = 3r +2
63 = 3r
r = 21 This means Rachel and Claire are 21 years old. Plug this into the equation so
t = 23 Tim is 23 years old.
Example Question #711 : Algebra
Drink A is 20% water by weight, and drink B is 35% water by weight. How many fluid ounces of drink A must be added to 80 oz of drink B to have a drink whose final proportion of water is 30%?
60 fl oz
50 fl oz
40 fl oz
85 fl oz
75 fl oz
40 fl oz
It's easiest if we convert all percentages to actual oz of water for each step here. As such, 35% of the 80 oz of drink B would have 0.35(80) = 28 oz of water in it.
We can set up an equation that similarly converts each "percentage of a fixed weight of liquid" to ensure that our final weight is equivalent to 30% to the sum of drink A and B. On the left side, the fixed values are the percentages of each drink individually, and on the right side is what the question requires as a fixed percentage of the final weight:
0.2(A) + 0.35(80) = 0.3(A + 80)
0.2A + 28 = 0.3A + 24
A = 40
Solving for A, we get 40 oz of A that must be poured into B. You may plug this back into the equation to check it.
Example Question #11 : Evaluating Expressions
Let x&y = xy – x + y. Which of the following is equal to 5&3 ?
2&(8&1)
8&(2&0)
3&(5&2)
4&(3&4)
11&(0&2)
11&(0&2)
First, we need to evaluate 5&3.
Since x&y = xy – x + y, we can find 5&3 as follows:
5&3 = 5(3) – 5 + 3
= 15 – 5 + 3
= 13
Now, we need to go through each of the choices and determine which one equals 13.
Let's start with 2&(8&1). Remember that we must first evaluate inside the parantheses.
2&(8&1) = 2&(8(1) – 8 + 1)
= 2&(8 – 8 + 1)
= 2&(1)
= 2(1) – 2 + 1 = 1, which doesn't equal 13.
Next, let's evaluate 4&(3&4).
4&(3&4) = 4&(3(4) – 3 + 4)
= 4&(13) = 4(13) – 4 + 13 = 61.
Next, we can evaulate 8&(2&0).
8&(2&0) = 8&(2(0) – 2 + 0)
= 8&(–2) = 8(–2) – 8 + 2 = –22.
Next, let's find 3&(5&2).
3&(5&2) = 3&(5(2) – 5 + 2)
= 3&(7) = 3(7) – 3 + 7 = 25.
Finally, lets evaluate 11&(0&2).
11&(0&2) = 11&(0(2) – 0 + 2)
= 11&(2) = 11(2) – 11 + 2 = 13.
The answer is 11&(0&2).
Example Question #12 : Evaluating Expressions
x is 75% of y, which is 8 times the amount of 150% of z. What is x in terms of z?
6z
7.5z
9z
None of the other answers
12z
9z
Just take this step by step. First write out each equation:
x = 0.75y
y = 8(1.5z)
First, simplify the second equation:
y = 12z
Then, substitute y from this equation into the first:
x = 0.75(12z) = 9z
Example Question #12 : Evaluating Expressions
2x + 6y = 44
What is x + 3y + 33?
23
The answer cannot be determined
77
55
81
55
The key to solving this question is noticing that we can factor out a two:
2x + 6y = 44 is the same as 2(x + 3y) = 44
Therefore, x + 3y = 22
In this case, x + 3y + 33 is the same as 22 + 33 or 55
Example Question #14 : Evaluating Expressions
John has four more dollars than four times the amount of dollars that Sandy has.
Peter has three times that of John.
Sandy has $20.
How much money does Peter have?
288
64
84
252
60
252
Let's make 3 equations based on our data:
J = 4S + 4
P = 3J
S = 20
All we have to do is sequentially replace values.
Substitute 20 for S in the J equation:
J = 4 * 20 + 4 = 84
Now, we can calculate P: P = 3 * 84 = 252
Example Question #712 : Algebra
There are 42 marbles in a bag. Half are red. The remaining ones are green and blue. There are five more blue marbles than green ones. How many marbles are there of each type?
21 Red, 8 Blue, 13 Green
4 Red, 15 Blue, 21 Green
21 Red, 16 Blue, 5 Green
21 Red, 13 Blue, 8 Green
None of the other answers
21 Red, 13 Blue, 8 Green
Rewrite our question as a set of equations:
R + G + B = 42
R = 42/2 = 21
Therefore, we already know:
G + B = 21
Also, we know that B = 5 + G
Replace that value into the B + G equation:
G + 5 + G = 21 → 2G + 5 = 21 → 2G = 16; G = 8
Therefore, we know that there are 5 + 8 or 13 blue marbles.
The total is therefore 21 Red, 13 Blue, 8 Green
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