Accuplacer - Arithmetic Prep (Accessible) Next Gen PDF
Accuplacer - Arithmetic Prep (Accessible) Next Gen PDF
Accuplacer - Arithmetic Prep (Accessible) Next Gen PDF
Please note that the guide is for reference only and that it does not represent an exact
match with the assessment content. The Assessment Centre at George Brown College is
not responsible for students’ assessment results.
Table of Contents
1. Operations with Whole Numbers .........................................................................................6
Addition of Whole Numbers (by hand): ............................................................................................ 6
Example:..................................................................................................................................................6
Practice Questions: .................................................................................................................................6
Subtraction of Whole Numbers (by hand): ....................................................................................... 7
Example:..................................................................................................................................................7
Practice Questions: .................................................................................................................................7
Multiplication of Whole Numbers (by hand): ................................................................................... 8
Example:..................................................................................................................................................8
Practice Questions: .................................................................................................................................9
Division of Whole Numbers (by hand): ............................................................................................. 9
Example:................................................................................................................................................10
Practice Questions: ...............................................................................................................................11
Order of Operations ...................................................................................................................... 11
Examples: ..............................................................................................................................................11
Practice Question: .................................................................................................................................12
Page | 1
Practice questions: ................................................................................................................................18
Subtraction of Fractions ................................................................................................................ 19
Example:................................................................................................................................................19
Practice question: .................................................................................................................................19
Multiplication of Fractions ............................................................................................................. 20
Examples: ..............................................................................................................................................20
Practice questions: ................................................................................................................................21
Division of fractions....................................................................................................................... 22
Examples: ..............................................................................................................................................22
Practice questions: ................................................................................................................................23
Ordering Fractions......................................................................................................................... 23
Example:................................................................................................................................................24
Practice Question: .................................................................................................................................25
Page | 2
Example:................................................................................................................................................35
Practice question: .................................................................................................................................35
4. Percent .............................................................................................................................. 35
Practice questions: ................................................................................................................................36
Sales Tax ....................................................................................................................................... 37
Example:................................................................................................................................................37
Practice question: .................................................................................................................................38
Price Discounts.............................................................................................................................. 38
Example:................................................................................................................................................38
Practice question: .................................................................................................................................39
Percent Increase............................................................................................................................ 39
Example:................................................................................................................................................39
Practice Question: .................................................................................................................................40
Percent Decrease .......................................................................................................................... 40
Practice Question: .................................................................................................................................40
Finding the Percent in Percent Increase or Percent Decrease. ......................................................... 41
Examples: ..............................................................................................................................................41
Practice Questions: ...............................................................................................................................42
6. Rates ................................................................................................................................. 42
Example 1: .............................................................................................................................................43
Example 2: .............................................................................................................................................43
Example:................................................................................................................................................43
Practice questions: ................................................................................................................................44
Appendix A: Glossary............................................................................................................. 50
Appendix B: Multiplication Table ........................................................................................... 53
Appendix C: Rounding Numbers ............................................................................................ 54
Page | 3
Example:................................................................................................................................................54
Example 2: .............................................................................................................................................54
Example:................................................................................................................................................55
Page | 4
Introduction
The Accuplacer Arithmetic Assessment Preparation Guide is a reference tool for George Brown
College students preparing to take the Accuplacer Arithmetic assessment. The study guide
focuses on foundation-level math skills. The study guide does not cover all topics on the
assessment.
The Accuplacer Arithmetic Assessment Preparation Guide is organized around a select number
of topics in arithmetics. It is recommended that users follow the guide in a step-by-step order as
one topic builds on the previous one. Each section contains theory, examples with full solutions
and practice question(s). Answers to practice questions can be found in Appendix D.
Page | 5
1. Operations with Whole Numbers
Addition of Whole Numbers (by hand):
To add two whole numbers by hand, first line up the numbers according to place values (See
Glossary in Appendix A for definition of place values). Perform the addition one column at a time
starting at the right. When the sum of the digits in any column is greater than 9, the digit in the
tens place value must be carried over to the next column.
Example:
Evaluate. 5789 + 232.
Practice Questions:
1. Calculate 987 + 1435.
Note: The same procedure may be used with more than two numbers.
Page | 6
Subtraction of Whole Numbers (by hand):
To subtract two whole numbers by hand, first line up the numbers according to place values.
Perform the subtraction one column at a time, starting at the right. If the number on the top is
smaller than the number on the bottom, you can regroup 1 from the number in the next column to
the left and add 10 to your smaller number.
Example:
Evaluate. 6012 – 189.
Practice Questions:
3. Calculate 13567 – 2099.
Page | 7
4. Calculate 52001 – 1891.
Example:
Evaluate. 5327 x 129
Page | 8
Final answer is 687183.
Practice Questions:
5. Evaluate. 2369 x 152.
Page | 9
Example:
Evaluate. 456 ÷ 3.
Page | 10
Note: Division problems with two-digit divisors follow the same method as shown above.
Note: For division problems where the dividend does not divide evenly by the divisor, the
quotient will have a remainder.
Practice Questions:
7. Calculate 12192 ÷ 8.
Order of Operations
As a general rule of thumb, the acronym BEDMAS can be followed for the correct order of
operations.
Important notes:
- If there are multiple exponents, evaluate the powers from left to right as they appear in
the question.
- If there are multiple brackets, it does not matter which ones you do first, second, etc.
- If there are multiple operations within brackets, do the operations according to
BEDMAS.
- Division and multiplication is done from left to right. This means that multiplication
should be done before division, if it appears to the left of division.
- Addition and subtraction is done from left to right. Subtraction should be done first, if it
is to the left of addition.
- For rational expressions, the numerator and denominator are evaluated separately
according to BEDMAS. Then, determine the quotient.
Examples:
Evaluate.
Page | 11
=9+4÷2x3 Step 3: Do the division since it appears first going from left to right.
23 +12÷4
b) Step 1: Evaluate the exponent on the top. Do the multiplication on the
9(3)−12
bottom.
8+12÷4
= Step 2: Do the division on the top.
27−12
8+3
= Step 3: Do the addition on the top. Do the subtraction on the bottom.
27−12
11
= 15 This is the final answer. The fraction cannot be reduced.
Practice Question:
9. Evaluate. 3 + 8 x (9 – 2)2
a) 115
b) 248
c) 56
d) 395
Example:
5 9
An improper fraction is a fraction whose numerator is bigger than the denominator (e.g. , ).
3 2
This means that an improper fraction is greater than one whole.
7
A mixed number consists of a whole number and a fraction. (e.g. 2 ).
8
Page | 12
A mixed number can be written as an improper fraction and vice versa.
- Multiply the whole number by the denominator and add to the numerator*.
- Keep the denominator the same**.
*This tells us how many parts we have in total (the parts that make up the whole number(s) and
those in the numerator).
**We keep the denominator the same because we have NOT changed the number of parts one
whole is divided into.
Example:
7
Convert 2 8 to an improper fraction.
Practice Question:
𝟕
10. Which of the following fractions is equivalent to 5 ?
𝟗
35
a)
45
12
b) 9
52
c) 45
52
d) 9
Page | 13
Converting an Improper Fraction to a Mixed Number
- Divide the numerator by the denominator. The answer should be a whole number and a
remainder.
- The whole number is the whole number part of the mixed number.
- The remainder is the numerator of the fractional part of the mixed number.
- Keep the denominator the same.
Example:
9
Convert into a mixed number.
2
Practice question:
𝟑𝟔
11. What is 𝟕
written as a mixed number?
1
a) 7
1
b) 5
7
1
c) 67
1
d) 55
Equivalent Fractions
Two fractions are considered equivalent if they are equal in value.
Page | 14
To determine if two given fractions are equivalent, find the lowest terms of each fraction. If
the lowest terms are the same, then the fractions are equivalent. To find the lowest terms of
a fraction, divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor.
Example:
1 2
is equivalent to .
2 4
1 2
In the diagram below, you can see that and are equal in value. The large rectangle represents
2 4
one whole. The first rectangle is divided into two equal parts (denominator = 2) and one part is
coloured (numerator = 1). The second rectangle is divided into four equal parts (denominator =
4) and two parts are coloured (numerator = 2). The coloured parts occupy the same area in both
diagrams because the fractions are equal in value.
1 2
However, is NOT equivalent to .
2 3
2 1 2
As you can see in the diagram above, occupies more space than . This is because is bigger
3 2 3
1
than 2 and the two fractions are NOT equivalent (i.e. not equal in value).
2 1 2
Also, notice that 4 can be reduced to 2 by dividing both the numerator and denominator of 4 by 2.
2 1
On the contrary, 3 can NOT be reduced to 2.
𝟐 ÷𝟐 𝟏
=
𝟒÷𝟐 𝟐
2 1
Therefore, 4 = 2
1 2
But 2
≠3
Note:
Given a fraction, an equivalent fraction can be obtained by multiplying both the numerator and
denominator by the same number.
Page | 15
Example:
𝟐
Write two fractions that are equivalent to 𝟓.
2 ·3 6
5 ·3
= 15
2 ·4 8
5 ·4
= 20
6 8 2
Therefore, 15 and 20 are equivalent to 5.
6 8 2
Note that both 15 and 20 can be reduced to 5.
Practice question:
𝟕
12. Which of the following fractions are equivalent to 𝟗?
14
a) 21
28
b) 35
21
c)
27
d) none of the above
Addition of Fractions
To add two fractions, they MUST have the same (common) denominator. Usually, it is
best to find the lowest common denominator.
The lowest common denominator is equal to the lowest common multiple of the two
denominators. If one of the denominators is a multiple of another, then the lowest
common multiple is the bigger denominator.
Once you have a common denominator, change each fraction to an equivalent fraction
with the desired denominator.
Lastly, add the numerators of the fractions and keep the denominator the same.
Reduce the fraction to lowest terms and/or change an improper fraction to a mixed
number, if necessary.
Examples:
𝟐 𝟓
1) What is the sum of 𝟑 and 𝟔 ?
2 5
+ = Step 1: Since the denominators of the fractions are different, we first need
3 6
to find the lowest common denominator. In this case, the lowest common
denominator is 6, since 6 is a multiple of 3.
Page | 16
2 2∙2 4 2
= =6 Step 2: needs to be changed into an equivalent fraction with a
3 3 ∙2 3
denominator of 6. To do this, multiply the numerator, 2, and
5
denominator, 3, by 2.The fraction, , can stay as is, since it already
6
has a denominator of 6.
4 5 4+5 9
+6= = Step 3: Add the numerators. Keep the denominator the same.
6 6 6
9 9 ÷3 3 9 3
= = Step 4: 6 can be reduced to 2 by dividing both the numerator and
6 6 ÷3 2
denominator by 3.
3 1 3
=1 Step 5: 2 is an improper fraction and should be changed into a
2 2
mixed number.
𝟑 𝟕
2) 𝟓
+ =?
𝟗
First find the lowest common denominator. We are looking for the lowest common multiple of 5
and 9.
Note: If you are having trouble finding the lowest common multiple of two or more numbers, list
the multiples for each number in a list. Look for the lowest multiple that appears in your lists.
Multiples of 5:
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, ….
Multiples of 9:
7
In order to make 9 into an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 45, multiply both the
7 7 (5) 35
numerator and the denominator by 5. 9 = 9 (5) = 45
27 35 62
+ =
45 45 45
Page | 17
62 17
45
= 145
𝟑 𝟕
3) 𝟏𝟔
+ 𝟏𝟐 = ?
Find the lowest common denominator. We are looking for the lowest common multiple of 16 and
12.
Multiples of 16:
Multiples of 12:
7
In order to make 12 into an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 48, multiply both the
7 7 (4) 28
numerator and the denominator by 4. 12 = 12 (4) = 48
9 28 37
48
+ 48 = 48
37
cannot be reduced.
48
37
Therefore, the sum is .
48
Practice questions:
𝟐 𝟏
13. What is the sum of 𝟓 and 𝟏𝟓 ?
3
a) 20
7
b) 15
3
c) 15
7
d) 20
𝟏 𝟑
14. What is the sum of 𝟕 and 𝟓 ?
1
a) 1 35
b) 1
26
c) 35
4
d) 12
Page | 18
Subtraction of Fractions
To subtract two fractions, they MUST have the same (common) denominator (this is the same
as adding fractions).
Once you have a common denominator, change each fraction to an equivalent fraction with the
desired denominator.
Lastly, subtract the numerators of the fractions and keep the denominator the same. In
subtraction, the order matters! Keep the order the same in how the question is written.
Reduce the fraction to lowest terms and/or change an improper fraction to a mixed number if
necessary.
Example:
13 7
What is the difference between and ?
20 50
First, we need to find a common denominator for the two fractions. The lowest common multiple
of 20 and 50 is 100.
13 (5) 65
20 (5)
= 100
7 (2) 14
50 (2)
= 100
Now, subtract the numerators and keep the denominator the same.
65 14 51
− =
100 100 100
51
100
cannot be reduced.
51
The final answer is 100.
Practice question:
𝟐𝟑 𝟐
15. What is the difference between and ?
𝟔𝟑 𝟗
𝟐𝟏
a)
𝟓𝟒
𝟏
b) 𝟕
𝟐𝟏
c) 𝟔𝟑
𝟖
d) 𝟔𝟑
Page | 19
Multiplication of Fractions
To multiply fractions:
If multiplying a mixed number by a fraction OR two mixed numbers, first change the mixed
number(s) to improper fraction(s) and then follow the same steps as above.
Examples:
13 7
1) What is the product of and ?
15 5
First, multiply the numerator by the numerator and denominator by the denominator.
13 7 13 (7) 91
x
15 5
= 15 (5) = 75
91 16
75
= 175
16
Final answer is 175.
19 4
2) What is the product of 20 x 9 ?
First, multiply the numerator by the numerator and denominator by the denominator.
19 (4) 76
20 (9)
= 180
76 ÷ 4 19
=
180 ÷ 4 45
Note: It is also possible to reduce our fractions BEFORE we do the multiplication. This can be
advantageous because the reducing happens with smaller numbers.
Page | 20
In our multiplication above, we can reduce 4 on the top and 20 on the bottom by dividing both
numbers by 4. We can reduce a numerator from one fraction and denominator from another
because order does not matter when multiplying numbers (i.e. 19 x 4 or 4 x 19 gives the same
answer).
÷4=1
19 (4) 19 (1) 19
20 (9)
= 5 (9) = 45
÷4=5
1 3
3) What is the product of 29 and 5 ?
1
Our first step is to change 29 into an improper fraction.
1 19
2 =
9 9
Now, we can multiply numerator by the numerator and denominator by the denominator. We can
also reduce before performing the actual multiplication (3 and 9 are both divisible by 3).
÷3=1
19 3 19 (3) 19(1) 19
9
x = 5 9 (5)
= 3(5) = 15
÷3=3
Since our product is an improper fraction, we need to change it to a mixed number.
19 4
15
= 115
4
The final answer is 115.
Practice questions:
𝟒 𝟓
16. What is the product of 𝟏𝟗 and 𝟐 ?
20
a) 36
20
b) 21
10
c) 19
8
d) 95
Page | 21
𝟏 𝟐
17. What is the product of 17𝟓 and 2𝟑 ?
13
a) 4515
2
b) 4015
14
c) 1130
19
d) 3420
Division of fractions
If dividing a mixed number by a fraction OR two mixed numbers, first change the mixed
number(s) to improper fraction(s) and then follow the same steps as above.
Examples:
19 1
1) What is the quotient of and ?
20 5
19 1 19 1
In order to divide and , we need to multiply by the reciprocal of .
20 5 20 5
1 5
The reciprocal of 5 is 1.
19 1 19 5
20
÷ 5 = 20 x 1
÷5=1
19 5 19 (1) 19
x
20 1
= 4(1) = 4
÷5=4
19 3
4
= 44
3
Final answer is 44.
Page | 22
6 9
2) What is the quotient of 37 and 11?
6
First, we need to change 3 into an improper fraction.
7
6 27
37 = 7
27 9 27 9
Now, we divide 7
and 11 by multiplying 7
by the reciprocal of 11.
27 9 27 11
7
÷ 11 = 7
x 9
÷9=3
27 11 3(11) 33
7
x 9 = 7(1) = 7
÷9=1
33
Last step is to change to a mixed number.
7
33 5
7
= 47
Practice questions:
𝟓 𝟒
18. What is the quotient of and ?
𝟏𝟏 𝟑𝟑
15
a) 4
20
b) 363
3
c) 34
d) Both a and c
𝟕𝟑 𝟑
19. What is the quotient of 𝟗𝟎 and 3𝟓?
73
a) 324
219
b) 150
1314
c)
150
324
d) 73
Ordering Fractions
There are a numbers of ways to compare (greater than, less than, equal to) or order fractions.
Page | 23
One way is to convert all fractions to equivalent fractions with a common denominator
and then to compare the numerators. Given the same denominator, a fraction with a bigger
numerator will be greater than a fraction with a smaller numerator.
Another approach is to convert all fractions to decimals and then use the decimals to
compare or order the given fractions. (See section on converting fractions to decimals.)
Example:
Order the following numbers from least to greatest.
2 5 7 1
; ; ;
3 6 12
2; 12
The lowest common multiple of 3, 6, 12, 1 and 2 is 12. Thus, the lowest common denominator for
the fractions is 12.
2 8
=
3 12
5 10
=
6 12
2 24
2= =
1 12
1 3 18
12 = 2 = 12
7 8 10 18 24
< < < <
12 12 12 12 12
Therefore,
7 2 5 1
12
<3< 6
< 12 < 2
5
6
= 0.83333333
7
12
= 0.58333333
1
12 = 1.5
Page | 24
0.58333333 < 0.666666667 < 0.83333333 < 1.5 < 2
Therefore,
7 2 5 1
< < <1 <2
12 3 6 2
Practice Question:
𝟕
20. Which of the following numbers are greater than 𝟏𝟓?
𝟏 𝟏 𝟏 𝟗
i) 𝟐 ii) 𝟑 iii) 1𝟒 iv) 𝟏𝟎
a) i and ii
b) i, ii and iii
c) ii and iv
d) i, iii and iv
Example:
96.45 + 3.987
Page | 25
Practice questions:
21. Add 35.879 + 1.36
Page | 26
The decimal point in the answer goes directly beneath the decimal points in the numbers being
subtracted. Any “empty” decimal place values can be filled in with 0’s.
Example:
16.9 – 7.804
Practice questions:
23. Subtract 369.8 – 1.539
Page | 27
decimal point here. The number of decimal places in the answer should be the same as the total
number of decimal places in the question.
Example:
Evaluate. 98.76 x 1.305.
Page | 28
The final answer is 128.8818. The last 0 can be dropped as this does not change the value (or
magnitude) of the number.
Practice questions:
25. Multiply 12.89 by 3.671
Page | 29
Division (by hand)
One way to divide two decimals is to make the divisor a whole number. To do this, count the
number of decimal places in the divisor and multiply by a multiple of 10 that will make the divisor
a whole number (Rule of thumb: the number of zeros in the multiple of 10 should equal the
number of decimal places you are trying to get rid of). For example, 12.4 should be multiplied by
10 since multiplying by 10 moves the decimal place one place to the right. 12.4 x 10 = 124.
However, in order to keep the division problem equivalent to the question given, you MUST also
multiply the dividend by the same multiple of 10! Note that, the dividend can remain a decimal.
For example, to divide 62.08 by 3.2, multiply the dividend and divisor by 10. The division
problems becomes 620.8 ÷ 32. Once the divisor is a whole number, proceed to do the division
problem as you would divide any two whole numbers. If the dividend is a decimal, put a decimal
point in the quotient once you “meet” the decimal point in the dividend during long division (see
Example 2).
Example:
1.2 x 10 = 12 Step 1: You want to make the divisor, 1.2, into a whole number. Since 1.2
has one decimal place, multiply by 10.
358.8 x 10 = 3588 Step 2: Since 1.2 was multiplied by 10, the dividend, 358.8 MUST also be
multiplied by 10.
Step 3: Do long division as you would normally divide two whole numbers.
Example 2:
Page | 30
0.07 x 100 = 7 Step 1: You want to make the divisor, 0.07, into a whole number.
Since 0.07 has two decimal places, multiply by 100.
21.6279 x 100 = 2162.79 Step 2: Since 0.07 was multiplied by 100, the dividend,
21.6279 MUST also be multiplied by 100.
Step 3: Do long division as you would normally divide two whole numbers.
Once you “meet” the decimal point in the dividend, put a decimal point in
the quotient. Put a decimal point in the quotient before bringing the 7
down.
Practice questions:
27. Evaluate. 20.79 ÷ 1.1
To convert a proper or improper fraction into a decimal, divide the numerator by the
denominator using long division or a calculator.
The decimal equivalent of a proper fraction will always be less than 1 but greater than 0. The
decimal equivalent of an improper fraction will always be greater than 1.
Example:
6
Convert 15 into a decimal.
Page | 31
6 ÷ 15 = 0.4
To convert a mixed number into a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator for the
fractional part and then add the whole number to the resulting decimal.
Example:
1
Convert 3 into a decimal.
8
1 ÷ 8 = 0.125
0.125 + 3 = 3.125
1 1
= 0.5 = 0.2
2 5
1 2
3
= 0.333… = 0.4
5
2 3
3
= 0.666… = 0.6
5
1 4
4
= 0.25 = 0.8
5
3 1
= 0.75 = 0.1
4 10
- Write the decimal in fraction form with a denominator of 1 and decimal in the numerator
- Multiply both numerator and denominator by a multiple of 10 that will make the decimal a
whole number.
- Reduce the fraction if you can.
Example:
Convert 0.82 into a fraction.
First, write the decimal in fraction form by writing the decimal over 1.
0.82
1
Next, multiply both the numerator and denominator by 100 since we want to get rid of two
decimals places in 0.82.
Page | 32
0.82 100 82
1
x 100 = 100
41
The final answer is .
50
Practice question:
29. Which of the following fractions are equivalent to 0.05?
19
a) 20
1
b) 20
1
c) 2
1
d) 10
Introduction to Percent
Percent means “per hundred”.
Like fractions, percents are a way to represent parts of one whole. However, in percent one
whole is always considered to be 100%.
1 whole = 100%
𝟏𝟎𝟎
To convert a fraction into a percent, multiply by 𝟏
and then simplify as much as you can
(e.g. reduce the fraction, convert an improper fraction to a mixed number, etc.).
Another way to convert a fraction into a percent is to convert the fraction into a decimal first and
then multiply by 100.
Example:
1
Convert 3 into a percentage.
100 1
3
= 33 3 Step 2: Change the improper fraction into a mixed number.
1
Final answer is 33 %.
3
Page | 33
To convert a decimal into a percent, multiply the decimal by 100. The shortcut method with
multiplying decimals by 100 is to move the decimal place over to the right two times.
Example:
Convert 0.028 into a percentage.
Practice question:
𝟐
30. What is expressed as a percent?
𝟓
2
a) 5
%
b) 0.4 %
c) 4%
d) 40%
To convert a percent into a fraction, write the percent as the numerator of a fraction with a
denominator of 100. (This is the same as dividing the percent by 100). Simplify fully.
𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕
𝟏𝟎𝟎
Example:
52
52% = 100 Step 1: Write the percent as the numerator. Denominator is 100.
52 13
100
= 25 Step 2: Reduce the fraction.
13
Final answer is 25.
To convert a percent into a decimal, divide the percent by 100. The shortcut method to divide
decimals by 100 is to move the decimal place over to the left two times.
Page | 34
Example:
Practice question:
4. Percent
Examples of the three most common word problems involving percent are:
To solve word problems in the format “What is x% of y?”, follow these steps:
0.15 x 30 = 4.5
Page | 35
To solve word problems in the format “y is x% of what number?”, follow these steps:
1. Convert the percentage into a decimal.
2. Divide the number given in the question by the decimal.
30 ÷ 0.15 = 200
To solve word problems in the format “x is what percent of y?”, follow these steps:
15 ÷ 30 = 0.5
0.5 x 100 = 50
Practice questions:
32. What is 60% of 500?
a) 3000
b) 300
c) 30
d) 833.33
Page | 36
Sales Tax
Sales tax is expressed as a certain percentage of a sales price. The sales tax amount ($) is
added to the selling price in order to get the final total price.
When solving for the total price of a product after taxes use the following steps:
Method 1:
1. Find the sales tax amount by converting the sales tax percentage into a decimal and then
multiplying by the selling price.
2. Add the sales tax amount to the original selling price.
OR
Method 2:
1. Convert the sales tax percentage into a decimal. Then add 1. (The decimal part of this
number represents the amount of tax; 1 represents the original sales price).
2. Multiply the number from the previous step by the original sales price to get the total final
price.
Note: when working with dollar amounts, always round your answer to 2 decimal places.
Example:
A t-shirt costs $20.99. What is the final price of this t-shirt after a tax of 13% is added?
Method 1:
Method 2:
0.13 + 1 = 1.13
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Practice question:
35. What is the final price of a textbook that costs $187 after 13% tax is added?
a) 211.31
b) 199.99
c) 24.31
d) 1438.46
Price Discounts
Discount is usually expressed as a certain percentage of a selling price (e.g. 30% off). The sales
tax amount ($) is subtracted from the selling price in order to get the final price.
When solving for the total price of a product after a discount has been applied use the
following steps:
Method 1:
1. Find the discount amount by converting the discount percentage into a decimal and then
multiplying by the original price.
2. Subtract the discount amount from the original price.
OR
Method 2:
1. Convert the discount percentage into a decimal. Subtract this decimal from 1. (This
decimal represents what part of the original price is the discounted price.)
2. Multiply the number from the previous step by the original price to get the final discounted
price.
Example:
A camera costs $299. Right now, the camera is on sale at 15% off. What is the discounted price
of the camera?
Method 1:
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Method 2:
1 – 0.15 = 0.85
Practice question:
36. A box of pens costs $17.99. The pens are currently on sale at 30% off. What is the
discounted price of a box of pens?
a) 14.99
b) 59.97
c) 5.40
d) 12.59
Percent Increase
Questions that involve a percent increase can be solved using the same strategies as for prices
after taxes. Taxes are really just a percent increase.
Step 2. Multiply the decimal by the number representing the total to get the increase amount.
Example:
The sales of company A totaled $389,000 in 2010. In 2011, the sales increased by 3%. What is
the amount of sales for company A in 2011?
Solution:
3% ÷ 100 = 0.03
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Practice Question:
37. In the fall semester, a total of 780 students visited the Tutoring and Learning Centre. In
the winter semester, the number of students increased by 5%. What is the number of
students who attended the Tutoring and Learning Centre in the winter semester?
a) 15600
b) 1170
c) 39
d) 819
Percent Decrease
Questions that involve a percent decrease can be solved using the same strategies as for
prices after discount. Discounts are really just a percent decrease.
Step 2. Multiply the decimal by the number representing the total to get the decrease amount.
Example:
The population of a small northern town was 6780 people. This year, the population decreased
by 3.2%. What is the population of the town this year?
Solution:
0.032 x 6780 = 216.96 = 217 (We cannot have 0.96 of a person. Therefore, round the answer to
the nearest whole number.)
Practice Question:
38. Last year there were 3180 cases of the flu treated at hospital A. This year, the number
of cases of flu decreased by 12.7%. What is the number of cases of flu for this year?
a) 404
b) 2776
c) 3584
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d) 3139
Find the difference between the original number and the number after increase/decrease
1. Divide the difference by the original number. (You should get a decimal answer.)
2. Multiply the decimal by 100 to get a percentage.
Examples:
Problem 1:
The average price of a detached home in city A was $506,000 in 2010. By 2012, the average
price increased to $745,000. By what percentage has the average home price increased from
2010 to 2012? (State the final answer to 2 decimal places.)
Solution:
Therefore, the average home price increased by 47.23% from 2010 to 2012.
Problem 2:
In 1990 the number of families in the GTA relying on social assistance was 35700. By 2000 this
number decreased to 32100. By what percentage did the number of families in the GTA relying
on social assistance decrease between 1990 and 2000? (State the final answer to the nearest
whole percent.)
Solution:
Therefore, there was a 10% decrease in the number of families in the GTA relying on social
assistance between 1990 and 2000.
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Practice Questions:
39. Due to inflation, the price of food has increased. If a loaf of bread cost $1.99 five years
ago and costs $2.49 today, what is the percent increase in the price of a loaf of bread?
a) 20%
b) 25%
c) 10%
d) 80%
40. A company’s profit was $897,000 in 2010. Following recession, the company’s profit
decreased to $546,000 in 2011. What was the percent decrease in the company’s profit
between 2010 and 2011?
a) 64%
b) 27%
c) 13%
d) 39%
6. Rates
For example, your cell phone company might charge you 35¢ per minute for a long distance call.
35¢ per minute is a rate that compares cost in cents to time in minutes.
A unit rate is a special type of rate where the first type of quantity corresponds to one unit of the
second type of quantity.
The long distance charge example from above, 35¢ per minute, is also an example of a unit rate
since we are comparing cost to one unit of time (one minute).
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Any rate can be converted to a unit rate by dividing the first quantity by the second
quantity.
Example 1:
A local grocery store sells raisins at $6 for 500 grams. What is the unit price of the raisins?
Solution:
$6 ÷ 500 g = $0.012/g
Example 2:
It takes 30 hours to fill a 100 liters tank with water. At the same rate, how long will it take to fill a
120 L tank with water?
Now we use the unit rate to find how long it will take to fill a 120 L tank with water.
0.3 hrs/L x 120 L = 36 hrs
Therefore, at the same rate, it will take 36 hours to fill a 120 L tank with water.
When working with rates, it is a good idea to include units in the calculations. Units can be used
as a guide for doing the correct operation (e.g. multiplying or dividing). If you have done the
correct calculation you will be left with the desired units in the answer.
Example:
A marathon runner completes a 10 km race in 0.75 hours. Assuming the same pace, how long
will it take the runner to complete a full 42 km marathon?
Now, we use the unit rate to see how long it will take the runner complete 42 km.
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13.33 𝑘𝑚
42 km ÷ 1 ℎ𝑟
Step 1: Since you want “km” to cancel out, divide distance by speed. Unit
rate (speed) is written in fraction form to make the units distinct.
1 ℎ𝑟
= 42 km x 13.33 𝑘𝑚
Step 2: In order to divide, we multiply by the reciprocal. “km” in the
numerator and “km” in the denominator cancel out.
= 3.15 hr Step 3: The answer has the desired units, which is hours in this question.
Answer is rounded to two decimal places.
Therefore, at the same pace, it will take the runner 3.15 hours to complete the full marathon.
Practice questions:
41. A shipping company charges $36 for a 12 kg package shipping to France. What is the
unit price for shipping packages to France?
a) $3/kg
b) $0.33/kg
c) $36/kg
d) $12/kg
42. Lucy can walk from home to school, a distance of 2 km, in 0.25 hours. Assuming the
same pace, how long will it take Lucy to walk from home to the mall, which is 5 km
away?
a) 0.5 hours
b) 0.208 hours
c) 0.625 hours
d) 1.6 hours
Squares
To square a number means to multiply the number by itself. A square is indicated with the
number two (2) as a superscript.
A common mistake that many students make when evaluating 52 is to do 5 x 2. This is not correct
since the 2 as a superscript indicates that you need to multiply 5 by itself.
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The entire number, including the superscript, is referred to as a power. The superscript is the
exponent. The number that is being multiplied by itself is called the base.
Example:
If the base on a power is negative, it must be included in brackets. For example, (−8)2
(−8)2 = (−8)(−8) = 64
If there are no brackets, the base is positive but the power is negative. For example, −82
As you can see from the above example, (−8)2 is NOT the same as −82.
Practice questions:
43. Evaluate −112
a) 121
b) −121
c) −22
d) 22
Square Roots
Square root, indicated by the symbol, √ , is the opposite operation of squaring a number.
If x2 = y, then √𝒚 = x
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When finding the square root of a number, we are looking for a number that multiplied by
itself would give us the number underneath the square root.
Example:
Evaluate √16
What number multiplied by itself would equal to 16? One such number is 4, since 4 x 4 = 16.
Another possible number is −4, since (−4)(−4) = 16. Thus, the square root of 16 is equal to 4 or
−4. Both of these are valid answers.
Practice question:
45. What is the √𝟏𝟐𝟏 ?
a) 11
121
b) 2
c) – 11
d) Both a and c.
1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, 144, 169, 196, 225, …
It is good to remember and be able to recognize which numbers are perfect squares and which
are not. Knowing the perfect squares can help to estimate the value of the square root of a
number that is not a perfect square.
Example:
Estimate the value of √62.
62 lies between the two perfect squares 49 and 64. Thus, the square root of 62 would be
somewhere between 7 (= √49) and 8 (= √64). Since 62 is much closer to 64 than to 49, the
square root of 62 would be closer to 8 than to 7. A reasonable guess might be 7.8 or 7.9.
NOTE: Most calculators only give the positive square root of a number. Likewise, we usually only
consider the positive root unless both the negative and positive roots matter in our particular
problem.
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It is possible to evaluate square roots of numbers that are not perfect squares by hand (not
discussed here) or using a calculator. On your calculator, use the √ button to evaluate square
roots.
Practice questions:
46. Estimate √𝟗𝟑. (Note: no calculator allowed.)
a) Between 7 and 8.
b) Between 10 and 11.
c) Between 9 and 10.
d) Between 8 and 9.
47. Evaluate the √𝟐𝟖. Round the answer to one decimal place. (Note: use a calculator.)
a) 6
b) 5
c) 5.3
d) None of the above
8. Basic Geometry
Perimeter is the sum of the lengths of all sides for a particular geometric shape. For a circle,
circumference is the special name for the perimeter or distance around the circle.
Area is defined as the number of square units that cover a closed figure, such as a
rectangle, square, parallelogram, circle, etc.
Formulas for perimeter and area of basic geometric shapes are presented in the table below.
Rectangle P = 2 (l + w) A=lxw
Note: l is length
w is width
Square P = 4s A = s2
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Parallelogram P = 2 (b + w) A=bxh
Note: w is width
h is height
b is length of base
Triangle P = b + s1 + s2 𝒃×𝒉
𝑨=
𝟐
Note:
Note: r is radius C is circumference
Example:
Find the area of a rectangle whose width is 4.5 cm and length is twice the width.
Solution:
w = 4.5 cm
l = 2 x 4.5 cm
l = 9 cm
A=lxw
A = 4.5 cm x 9 cm
A = 40.5 cm2
Practice questions:
48. Find the area of a square whose perimeter is 12 cm.
a) 9 cm2
b) 16 cm2
c) 144 cm2
d) 36 cm2
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49. Find the area of a circle with radius 5.3 cm.
a) 16.64 cm2
b) 28.09 cm2
c) 88.20 cm2
d) 33.28 cm2
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Appendix A: Glossary
Area – the number of square units an enclosed figure covers
Decimal – a number that uses a decimal point followed by digits that expresses values less than
one; the fractional part of a decimal is based on powers of 10.
Decimal point – a dot or point used to separate the whole number from the fractional part in a
decimal
Denominator – the “bottom” number in a fraction; the denominator indicates the number of parts
into which one whole is divided.
Equivalent fractions – fractions that are equal in value; on a number line, equivalent fractions
would occupy the same spot.
Exponent – the number in a power indicating how many times repeated multiplication is done
Factor – a number that will divide into another number exactly; (For example, factors of 6 are 1,
2, 3, and 6).
Greatest common factor – the largest number that is a factor of two or more given numbers;
(For example, the greatest common factor of 27 and 36 is 9).
Improper fraction – a fraction where the numerator is greater than the denominator; An
improper fraction is always greater than one whole.
Lowest common denominator –the lowest common multiple of the fractions’ denominators
Lowest common multiple – the smallest number that is common in sets of multiples for two or
more numbers; (For example, the lowest common multiple of 3 and 4 is 12).
Lowest terms – a fraction is considered to be in lowest terms when it cannot be reduced further;
this occurs where there are no more common factors of the numerator and denominator other
than 1.
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Multiple – the product of a number and any whole number; (For example, multiples of 3 are 3, 6,
9, 12, 15, 18, …)
Numerator – the “top” number in a fraction; the numerator indicates how many parts of a whole
the fraction represents
Place value – the location of a digit in a number and the specific name for that location
Source: http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/place-value-chart.html
Proper fraction – a fraction where the numerator is less than the denominator; A proper fraction
is always less than one whole.
Square root – the value of the number, which multiplied by itself, gives the original number
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Sum – the result of addition
Unit rate – a special type of rate where the first type of quantity corresponds to one unit of the
second type of quantity; (For example, 30 km/h).
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Appendix B: Multiplication Table
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
3 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36
4 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48
5 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
6 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72
7 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 84
8 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96
9 9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 90 99 108
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Appendix C: Rounding Numbers
Follow these steps for rounding numbers to a specified place value or decimal place.
1. Identify the directions for rounding. (E.g. Round to the nearest tenth. Round to two
decimal places.)
2. Identify the number in the place value or the decimal place to be rounded to. Underline
this number.
3. Look at the number to the right of the underlined number. (Note: Only look at ONE
number immediately to the right.)
4. If the number to the right is 5 or higher, increase the underlined number by 1.
If the number to the right is 4 or lower, keep the underlined number the same. (Do NOT
decrease the number).
5. If the underlined number is in the decimal place values, delete all numbers to the right of
the underlined number.
If the underlined number is in the whole number place values, replace all numbers up to
the decimal point with zeroes.
Example:
Round 5.8739 to two decimal places.
Example 2:
Round 14590 to the nearest thousand.
6. Special case: If the underlined number is a 9 and the number to the right is 5 or higher,
the 9 would be rounded up to 10. In this case, the 1 is regrouped with the next number to
the left of the underlined digit, and the underlined number is replaced with a 0.
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Example:
Round 34.97 to one decimal place.
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Appendix D: Answers to Practice Questions
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34 35. a
Percent (continued) 35 36. d
36 37. d
36 38. b
38 39. b
38 40. d
Rates 40 41. a
40 42. c
Squares and Square Roots 41 43. b
41 44. d
42 45. d
43 46. b
43 47. c
Basic Geometry 44 48. a
45 49. c
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