SAT Math : SAT Mathematics

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #82 : Proportion / Ratio / Rate

For every 5 glasses of lemonade, Bud earns $2. How many glasses must he sell to earn $24? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

We can set up a simple proportion to solve this. For every 5 glasses, Bud gets $2. For every x glasses, he earns $24. 

 

Example Question #89 : Proportion / Ratio / Rate

Mindi can take down seven museum displays every half hour. How many displays can she take down completely in an hour and fifteen minutes?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let's set up a proportion to solve this problem, like so:

We can cross-multiply and solve for the unknown. We can ignore our units for now as the answer's units will result in displays as the unit. 

This means that Mindi can take down  displays in the given time. However, the question asks for the number of displays she can take down completely in the given time. This means that our answer is rounded down to 

Example Question #90 : Proportion / Ratio / Rate

A rabbit runs at a speed of  miles per hour. How long does it take for it to run  miles? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let's set up a proportion to help solve this problem. We can say:

Now, we can cross-multiply and solve for the unknown. Don't worry about units for now. They will cancel out and leave us with hours as the units for our answer. 

Therefore, our answer is  hours. 

Example Question #1 : Whole And Part

If a TV show is 45 minutes long, what fraction of the show is completed 5 minutes after it begins?

Possible Answers:

1/3

1/4

1/9

1/2

1/10

Correct answer:

1/9

Explanation:

5 minutes out of 45 have been completed. We can represent this as a fraction: 5/45. When simplified, this yields 1/9. 

Example Question #2 : Whole And Part

A birthday cake is cut into 8 pieces.  On the first night three pieces are eaten.  On the second night, 20% of the remaining cake was eaten.  On the third night, half of the remaining cake was eaten.  How many slices were left to eat on the fourth night?

Possible Answers:

2

3

1/2

4.5

1

Correct answer:

2

Explanation:

First night: 8 – 3 = 5 remaining.

Second night: 20% of 5 remaining = .2 * 5 = 1 slice Therefore 4 remaining.

Third night: ½ of the 4 remaining = ½*4 = 2 slices remaining

Example Question #3 : Whole And Part

There was a malfunction at a candy factory and the machines only put red, purple, and green candy into the bags.  If 1/4 of the candies were red and 3/8 were green, how many purple candies were in the bag, if each bag can hold 16 pieces?

Possible Answers:

8

3

10

4

6

Correct answer:

6

Explanation:

Since 1/4 of the 16 are red: 16 * 1/4 = 4 red candies.  With 3/8 being green:

16 X 3/8 = 6 green candies.   16 – 4 – 6 = 6 candies remain, which must be purple.

Example Question #3 : Whole And Part

In the 30-day month of January, for every three days it snowed, there were seven days it did not snow. The number of days in January on which it did not snow was how much greater than the number of days in January on which it snowed?

Possible Answers:

10

12

11

13

14

Correct answer:

12

Explanation:

The question tells us that for every ten-day period in January (a three-day period plus a seven-day period), it snowed on 3 of those days and did not snow on 7 of those days. Since January has 30 days, it has 3 ten-day periods, so we multiply the numbers given for the 10-day period by 3 to find the  number of days with and without snow during the 30-day period. Doing this, we see that it snowed 3 * 3 = 9 days and did not snow 7 * 3 = 21 days during the 30-day period. Since the question asks how much greater the number of days on which it did not snow is than the number of days on which it snowed, we subtract as follows: number of days it did not snow - number of days it snowed = 21 – 9 = 12.

Example Question #5 : Whole And Part

Mikey has one full box of cereal.  On Saturday, he eats 1/3 of the the box.  On Sunday he eats 2/3 of what is left.  How much of the box is still left?

Possible Answers:

2/9

4/9

2/3

5/9

none

Correct answer:

2/9

Explanation:

If Mikey eats 1/3 of the box, he is left with 1 – 1/3 = 2/3.

When he eats 2/3 of what remains, he is eating 2/3 of 2/3, or 4/9 of the box.

2/3 – 4/9 = 2/9

Example Question #6 : Whole And Part

What is the remainder when 27 is divided by 6?

Possible Answers:

4.5

0.5

3

4

8

Correct answer:

3

Explanation:

Long division is the fastest way: 6 goes into 27 four times. 6 times four is 24. 27 – 24 = 3.

Example Question #1451 : Sat Mathematics

A pitcher is currently \dpi{80} \frac{4}{5} of the way full of water.  If \dpi{80} 3 ounces are poured out, then the pitcher would be  of the way full.  How many ounces of water are in the pitcher before the \dpi{80} 3 ounces are poured out?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let p represent the total capacity of the pitcher.  The current volume in the pitcher is \dpi{80} \frac{4}{5}p.  If this volume is depleted by \dpi{80} 3 ounces, it becomes \dpi{80} \frac{3}{4}p.  In other words:

\dpi{80} \frac{4}{5}p - 3 = \frac{3}{4}p

Solve this equation for \dpi{80} p and get:

\dpi{80} \frac{4}{5}p-\frac{3}{4}p=3

\dpi{80} \frac{16}{20}p-\frac{15}{20}p=3

\dpi{80} \frac{1}{20}p=3

\dpi{80} p=60

Remember, \dpi{80} p represents the total capacity of the pitcher, or 60 ounces.  The question asks how many ounces are in the pitcher at the beginning of the problem, so evaluate\dpi{80} \frac{4}{5}p=\frac{4}{5}\times 60=48.

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