SSAT Upper Level Math : Fractions

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

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Fractions

The angles in a triangle have a ratio of \displaystyle 3:4:5. What is the measurement of the smallest angle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 45^{\circ}

\displaystyle 35^{\circ}

\displaystyle 105^{\circ}

\displaystyle 55^{\circ}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 45^{\circ}

Explanation:

Let \displaystyle 3x, 4x,\text{ and}, 5x be the values of the angles.

Since there are \displaystyle 180 degrees in a triangle,

\displaystyle 3x+4x+5x=180

\displaystyle 12x=180

\displaystyle x=15

Since we want the value of the smallest angle, find the value of \displaystyle 3x.

\displaystyle 3x=15\times3=45

Example Question #12 : Fractions

In a factory, there are \displaystyle 3300 glass bottles. If the ratio of red bottles to blue bottles is \displaystyle 1:5, how many more blue bottles than red bottles are there?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 2500

\displaystyle 3000

\displaystyle 2200

\displaystyle 2750

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 2200

Explanation:

First, find the number of red bottles and blue bottles.

Let \displaystyle x be the number of red bottles and \displaystyle 5x be the number of blue bottles. Since there is a total of \displaystyle 3300 bottles at the factory,

\displaystyle x+5x=3300

\displaystyle 6x=3300

\displaystyle x=550

There are \displaystyle 550 red bottles. Find the value of \displaystyle 5x to find the number of blue bottles.

\displaystyle 5x=550\times5=2750

Now, because the question wants to find how many more blue bottles than red bottles there are, subtract the number of red bottles from the number of blue bottles.

\displaystyle 2750-550=2200

Example Question #13 : Fractions

The ratio of offensive players to defensive players on a football team is \displaystyle 2\text{ to }5. If there are \displaystyle 42 players on the team, how many offensive players are there?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 16

\displaystyle 18

\displaystyle 12

\displaystyle 14

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 12

Explanation:

Let \displaystyle 2x be the number of offensive players and \displaystyle 5x be the number of defensive players.

Since there is a total of \displaystyle 42 players on the team,

\displaystyle 2x+5x=42

\displaystyle 7x=42

\displaystyle x=6

We need to find the number of offensive players, so we will need to find the value of \displaystyle 2x.

\displaystyle 2x=6\times2=12

Example Question #1141 : Ssat Upper Level Quantitative (Math)

Scrabble

A popular word game uses one hundred tiles, each of which is marked with a letter or a blank. The distribution of the tiles is shown above, with each letter paired with the number of tiles marked with that letter. Notice that there are two blank tiles. 

If the tiles marked with an "E" are removed, and the rest are placed in a box, then what is the ratio of consonant tiles to vowel tiles in the box?

Note: for purposes of this problem, "Y" is considered a consonant.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 29:14

\displaystyle 29:15

\displaystyle 2: 1

\displaystyle 28:15

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 28:15

Explanation:

Out of the 100 tiles, there are nine "A" tiles, twelve "E" tiles, nine "I" tiles, eight "O" tiles, and four "U" tiles.

If the "E" tiles are removed, there will be 

\displaystyle 9 + 9 + 8 +4 = 30 vowel tiles.

The number of consonant tiles can most easily be found by adding the number of vowel tiles and blanks:  

\displaystyle 9 + 12 + 9 + 8 + 4 + 2= 44.

The rest of the tiles are consonant tiles; subtract from 100 to get

\displaystyle 100 - 44 = 56 of them.

Therefore, the ratio of consonant tiles to vowel tiles in the box after removing the "E's" is

\displaystyle \frac{56}{30} = \frac{56 \div 2 }{30 \div 2 } = \frac{28}{15 } - that is, a 28 to 15 ratio.

Example Question #14 : Fractions

John and Michela are business partners who agreed to split profits at a ratio of 2:3, with Michela taking the larger share. If their business made  in the first year, how much money did Michela make?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let \displaystyle 2x be the amount John takes home and \displaystyle 3x be the amount Michela takes home.

Since their business made \displaystyle \$36,000,

\displaystyle 2x+3x=36000

\displaystyle 5x=36000

\displaystyle x=7200

We want to know how much Michela made so we need to find the value of \displaystyle 3x.

\displaystyle 3x=7200\times3=21600

Example Question #1 : Compute Unit Rates Associated With Ratios Of Fractions: Ccss.Math.Content.7.Rp.A.1

A factory can make \displaystyle 300 tents in \displaystyle 15 minutes. At this rate, how long, in minutes, would it take the factory to make \displaystyle 9000 tents?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 500

\displaystyle 550

\displaystyle 300

\displaystyle 450

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 450

Explanation:

First, find out how long it takes the factory to produce \displaystyle 1 tent.

\displaystyle \frac{15}{300}=0.05

Since it takes the factory \displaystyle 0.05 minutes to make \displaystyle 1 tent, multiply this number by \displaystyle 9000 to find how long it takes to make \displaystyle 9000 tents.

\displaystyle 0.05\times9000=450

It will take the factory \displaystyle 450 minutes to make \displaystyle 9000 tents.

Example Question #2 : Compute Unit Rates Associated With Ratios Of Fractions: Ccss.Math.Content.7.Rp.A.1

If Billy can drink \displaystyle 12 cans of soda in \displaystyle 4 days, how many cans of soda can he drink in \displaystyle 2 days?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 6

\displaystyle 4

\displaystyle 3

\displaystyle 2

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 6

Explanation:

First, find how many cans of soda Billy can drink in 1 day.

\displaystyle \frac{12}{4}=3

Since, he can drink \displaystyle 3 cans in \displaystyle 1 day, then the following equation will tell us how many cans he drinks in \displaystyle 2 days.

\displaystyle 3\times2=6

Example Question #3 : Compute Unit Rates Associated With Ratios Of Fractions: Ccss.Math.Content.7.Rp.A.1

It costs \displaystyle \$45 to buy \displaystyle 15 markers. How much would it cost to buy \displaystyle 25 markers?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \$50

\displaystyle \$60

\displaystyle \$65

\displaystyle \$75

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \$75

Explanation:

First, find the cost per marker.

\displaystyle 45\div15=3

Now, multiply this cost per marker by \displaystyle 25, the number of markers we want.

\displaystyle 25\times3=75

Example Question #1 : Compute Unit Rates Associated With Ratios Of Fractions: Ccss.Math.Content.7.Rp.A.1

\displaystyle 200 gallon tank of water is leaking \displaystyle 2 gallons every \displaystyle 30 minutes. After how many hours will the tank be empty?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 30

\displaystyle 3000

\displaystyle 50

\displaystyle 45

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 50

Explanation:

Set up the following proportion:

\displaystyle \frac{2}{0.5}=\frac{200}{x},

where \displaystyle x is the number of hours it'll take to empty \displaystyle 200 gallons.

Now solve for \displaystyle x.

\displaystyle 2x=100

\displaystyle x=50

Example Question #4 : Compute Unit Rates Associated With Ratios Of Fractions: Ccss.Math.Content.7.Rp.A.1

Julie can read \displaystyle 5 pages in \displaystyle 2 minutes. How long, in minutes, would it take Julie to read a book that had \displaystyle 120 pages?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 40

\displaystyle 60

\displaystyle 72

\displaystyle 48

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 48

Explanation:

First, figure out how long it takes Julie to read 1 page.

\displaystyle 2\div5=0.4

It takes Julie \displaystyle 0.4 minutes to read one page. Now, multiply this by the number of pages she needs to read to find out how long it will take her.

\displaystyle 0.4\times120=48

It will take Julie \displaystyle 48 minutes to read \displaystyle 120 pages.

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