SSAT Middle Level Math : Operations

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Middle Level Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : How To Add Variables

Simplify:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First we should simplify the first expression. We can first apply the power of a product rule and then apply the power of a power rule. So we can write:

 

Return to the original expression:

Since the variables have the same exponents we can write:

 

Example Question #11 : Algebra

Gina's mom baked 12 cookies. 8 were cinnamon and 4 were chocolate chip. If Gina eats one of the cinnamon cookies, how many more cinnamon cookies are there than chocolate chip?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Gina's mom baked 12 cookies; 8 were cinnamon and 4 were chocolate chip. If Gina then eats a cinnamon cookie, there will be 7 cinnamon cookies left.

After she eats the cookie, we need to find the difference between the number of cinnamon cookies and chocolate chip cookies.

There are 3 more cinnamon cookies than chocolate chip cookies.

Example Question #13 : How To Add Variables

Add  in modulo 13 arithmetic.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In modulo 13 arithmetic, a number is congruent to the remainder of the divison of that number by 13. Since 

and 

,

making the correct response 0.

 

Example Question #41 : Operations

Suppose you know the values of all variables in the expression 

and you want to evaluate the expression.

In which order will you carry out the operations?

Possible Answers:

Multiplying, adding, subtracting

Adding, subtracting, multiplying

Subtracting, adding, multiplying

Multiplying, subtracting, adding

Adding, multiplying, subtracting

Correct answer:

Adding, multiplying, subtracting

Explanation:

By the order of operations, the operation within parentheses, which is addition, is carried out first; of the remaining two, multiplication precedes subtraction.

Example Question #42 : Variables

Suppose you know the values of all variables in the expression 

and you want to evaluate the expression.

In which order will you carry out the operations?

Possible Answers:

Multiplying, squaring, adding

Multiplying, adding, squaring

Squaring, adding, multiplying

Adding, multiplying, squaring

Squaring, multiplying, adding

Correct answer:

Squaring, multiplying, adding

Explanation:

By the order of operations, in the absence of grouping symbols, exponentiation (squaring here) takes precedence, followed by, in order, multiplication and addition.

Example Question #111 : Ssat Middle Level Quantitative (Math)

The sum of four consecutive numbers is 62. What is the smallest number?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The algebraic way to solve this problem is to set up an equation, however, students can also solve using guess-and-check from the answer options.

When setting up an equation, sequential numbers are equal to , and . We know the sum of these sequential numbers to be 62, allowing us to set up the following equation:

Combine like-terms by reordering.

Subtract 6 from each side of the equation, then divide each side by 4 in order to isolate the variable.

Example Question #112 : Ssat Middle Level Quantitative (Math)

Rewrite the base-ten number 387 in base five.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In base five, each place value is a power of five, starting with 1 at the right, then, going to the left, 

To convert a base ten number to base five, divide the number by the next lowest power of five, then divide each remainder by progressively lower powers.

Since , we start by dividing 387 by 125, and continue accordingly:

The base five equivalent of 387 is 

Example Question #111 : Algebra

Maria teaches an art class. She makes $35 for each class she teaches, and art supplies are her only expense. How much must the supplies cost if each class is priced at $15 per student, and she always has 3 students in each class?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

If there are 3 students in each of Marie's art classes, and each student pays $15, this means that students are paying Marie $45 in total per class.

We can find the expense of the supplies by subtracting the amount Maria makes from the amount that the students pay her. The students pay her $45, but she only makes $35 per class.

The supplies must cost her $10.

Example Question #114 : Ssat Middle Level Quantitative (Math)

Joey's teacher takes off 5 points from student essays each day the essay is late. The essays are scored out of 100 points. If Joey's essay got a score of 68, but he turned it in 3 days late, what would his score have been if he had turned the essay in on time?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Given that Joey's essay was 3 days late, he lost 15 points. This is because he loses 5 points for each day that it is late, and having turned it in 3 days late, lost 15 points. 

Joey's final score (68) will be equal to his original grade, minus the penalty.

If we add 15 to the score that ultimately received, the sum is 83.

If Joey had turned his essay in on time, he would have earned a score of 83. 

Example Question #115 : Ssat Middle Level Quantitative (Math)

Write in base ten:

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In base five, each place value is a power of five, starting with 1 at the right, then, going to the left, 

 can be calculated in base ten as

.

 

 

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