SAT Math : Arithmetic

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #12 : How To Simplify Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

None of the given answers. 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify, we want to find factors of  where at least one is a perfect square. With this in mind, we find that:

Example Question #17 : Simplifying Square Roots

Simplify and add:

. (Only positive integers)

Possible Answers:

None of the Above

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Step 1: We need to simplify all the roots:




 (I am not changing this one, it's already simplified)

Step 2: Rewrite the problem with the simplified parts we found in step 1



Step 3: Combine Like terms:

Numbers: 

Roots: 

Step 4: Write the final answer. It does not matter how you write it.

Example Question #21 : How To Simplify Square Roots

Simplify the following:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To solve, you must first break up 54 into its smallest prime factors. Those are:

Since our root has index 2, that means that for every 2 identical factors inside, you can pull 1 out. Thus, we get

Example Question #53 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Simplify 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify a square root, we need to find perfect squares. In this case, it is .

Example Question #54 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify a square root, we need to find perfect squares. In this case, it is .

Example Question #22 : How To Simplify Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify a square root, we need to find perfect squares. In this case, it is . Since there is a number outside the radical, we ignore that for now and later we multiply the number and square root.

Example Question #25 : How To Simplify Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify a square root, we need to find perfect squares. In this case, it is . Since there is a number outside the radical, we ignore that for now and later we multiply the number and square root.

Example Question #56 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify radicals, we need to find a perfect square to factor out. In this case, its .

Example Question #57 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To simplify radicals, we need to find a perfect square to factor out. In this case, its .

Example Question #58 : Basic Squaring / Square Roots

Simplify: 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To solve this, we know perfect squares are able to simplify easily to the base it is. Let's find all the perfect squares in .

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