> Basic Math Tutor

The Basic Math Tutor and Basic Math Tutor Summary are designed to review basic high
school mathematics courses. They will prepare you for the SAT and PSAT mathematics
lessons, in which additional advanced mathematics review and test-taking strategies will be
provided.

The Basic Math Tutor is divided into several sections for easy referencing, For example, if
you need additional practice in algebraic operations, you can quickly access the Algebraic
Operations section from the Table of Contents.

You do not need to master ali of the concepts in the Basic Math Tutor, yet a good working
knowledge of ali concepts is necessary.

Whole Numbers
Whole numbers are the numbers we use for counting, plus the number zero: O, 1 ,
2, 3, 4, ....

.I The Base Ten System

The counting system is based on groups of ten, so it. is called the base ten system.
When we write a number, the positions of the digits indicate their value:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
:r ::i::
e:
-1
r!1
-i ::i::
e:
-i e:
z .::i:: fTI
:z C) z :z -1
r- o -1 e: o (f)
<f>
C) ;:o :X:' (f) ;;o
z rr,
o C)' :r;,.
z ITI
U) e o o
-1 (J) (f)
:z: :r;,. U)
o ·Z
(f)
o
(J)
:I>-
:z

The first digit (at the far right) always indicates the number of units; the second
digit indicates the number of groups of ten; the third digit always indicates the
number of "ten groups of ten," or hundreds; the fourth digit indicates the number
of "ten groups of ten groups of ten," or thousands; and so on.
So 1,234,567 is equivalent to one group of one million plus two groups of one
hundred thousand plus three groups of ten thousand plus tour groups of a thousand
plus five groups of one hundred plus six groups of ten plus seven additional units.
 BASIC MATH.TUTOR B-3

Operatiom with Wbole Numbers

l. Temis
sum or total: The result of adding numbers together. For example, the sum (or tota�
of 2 and 3 is 5: 2 + 3 = 5.
difference: The result of subtracting one number from another. For example, the
difference between 5 and 2 is 3: 5 -2 = 3.
product: The result of multiplying numbers together. For example, the product of 2
and 3 is 6: 2 x 3 = 6.
quotient:· The result of dividing one number by another. For example, the quotient
when 6 is divided by 2 is _3: 6 + 2 = 3.
remainder: In division, if the quotient is not itself a whole number, the result can be
written as a whole number quotient plus a whole number remainder. For example,
7 + 3 = 2 plus a remainder of 1.

2. PunctuaJion
In math, the basic punctuation mark is the parenthesis. Sets of parentheses will tell
you in what order operations are to be performed, and operations in parentheses are
always done first.

EXAMPLE:
(2 + 3) x 4 = 20, BUT 2 .+ (3 X 4) = 14
Here is a more complex exarnple:

1 (2 X 3) X
3 X (5 - 4) ·
(2 + 1)
= (6) X (3) = 1-ª
3 X ( 1) 3
=6

A particularly complex statement might use brackets as well.

EXAMPLE:
((2 X 3) - 5) + (2 X (4 - 1 ))

With such a problem, work from the inside out. Start with the operations within
parentheses:

((2 X 3) - 5) + (2 X (4 - 1)) = (6 - 5) + (2 X 3)

Then do the operations within brackets:

(6 - 51 + (2 X 3) = 1+6
And finish the problem off:
1 +6= 7
3-4 BASIC MATH TUTOR

3. Order of Operations
Punctuation eliminates ambiguity, but it does not always dictate the order in which
operations must be done.
EXAMPLE:
2+3+4=4+3+2
2X3X4=4X3X2

Even when multiplication and addition are combined, you have a choice about
order of operations.

EXAMPLES:
5(2 + 3 + 4) =
Most people would probably do the addition first and then the multiplication:

·5(2 + 3 + 4)=5(9)=45

lt is also permissible, however, to do the multiplication first:

5(2 + 3 + 4)=2(5) + 3(5)+4(5)=1 O + 15+20=45

(1 + 4)(2 + 3) =
Again, most people would probably do the addition first:

(1 +4)(2, + 3)=(5)(5)=25 . ·

But it is possible to do the multiplication· first:

(1 + 4)(2. + 3)=(1)(2) + (1)(3) + (4)(2) + (4)(3) = 2 + ;3 + 8 + 12 = 25
lt just so happens that the first �ethod (addition before multiplication) is easier, so it's
the one we naturally use.
We have just seen that 1O + 15 + 20 is equal to 2(5) + 3(5) + 4(5), which in turn
equals 5(2 + 3 + 4). We might call this process, whrch is the reverse of multiplica­
tion, "de-mu•tiplication." "De-multiplying" can be a tremendous labor-saving device.
EXAMPLE:
(723)(34) - (723)(33)=

You could do this calculation by first multiplying and then subtracting:

(723)(34) - (723)(33)= 24,582 - 23,859=723

·,,
 BASIC MATH TUTOR B-5 ·

That's easy enough to do with a calculator, but you will not be permitted to use a
calculator on the exam. So a better way of handling the calculation is to "de-multiply":
(723)(34) - (723)(33) = 723(34 - 33) = 723(1) = 723
"De-multiplication" can be combined with division for even greater simplifying power.

EXAMPLE:
24 + 36 12(2 + 3)
.. 12
= .12 = (1)(2 + 3) = 2 + 3 = S

In this case, 12 can be extracted from both 24 and 36 . Then it is possible to divide
12 by 12, which is 1. This last step is also known as cancelling.

1 Factors, Multiples, and Primes j

Numbers that evenly divide another number are called the factors of that number.
(What we called "de-multiplication" above is usually called factoring. The process
is called factoring because it breaks a number into its factors.)
lf a number is evenly divisible by another number, it is considered to be a multi­
ple of that number. 2, 3, 4, and 6 are all factors of 12. And conversely, 12 is a
mu/tiple of 2, a mu/tiple of 3, and so on.
Sorne numbers are not evenly divisible except by 1 and themselves. For exam­
ple, 13 is evenly divisible by 1 but not by 2 through 12. And; of course, it can be
divided by itself .. A number such as this (which can be divided evenly only by 1 and
itself) is called a prime number. Examples of prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13,
17, 19, and 23. (Note: 1 · is not considered a prime number even though it is not
evenly divisible by any other n.umber.)

Odds and Evens

An even number is a nurnber that is divisible by 2; an odd nurnber is one that is not
divisible by 2. Any nurnber the Jast digit of which is O, 2, 4,' 6, or 8 is divisible by 2
and therefore even. Any number the last digit of which is 1, 3, ,5, 7, or 9 is not
divisible by 2 and therefore odd.
Here are sorne important principies that govern the behavior of odd and even
numbers:
EVEN + EVEN = EVEN For example, 2 + 4 =6
EVEN + 000 = 000 For example, 4 + 3 =7
000 + EVEN = 000 For example, 3 + 4 =7
000 + 000 = EVEN · For example, 3 + 5 = 8
EVEN x EVEN = EVEN For example, 2 x4 = 8
EVEN x 000 = EVEN For example, 2 x3 = 6
000 x EVEN = EVEN For example, 3 x 2 = 6
000 X 000 = 000 For example, 3 x5 = 15
B-6 BASIC MATH TUTOR

Note: The addition rules apply also to subtraction (which is just the reverse of addi­
tton, though you might wind up with a negative number-a topic taken up later).
But the rules on multiplication do NOT apply to division. For example, if you divide
the even number 4 by the even number 8, the result is t. Odd and even are charac­
teristics of whole numbers (plus negative integers), but not fractions .. A fraction is
neither odd nor even.

ConsecutiveNumbers ]

Consecutive numbers are ones that follow each other immediately. For example, J,
4, 5, and 6 are consecutive numbers, but 3, 7, 21, and 45 are not. In a string of
consecutive numbers, the next number is always one more than the preceding num­
ber. Thus, if n is the first number in a string of consecutive numbers, the second
number is n + 1, the third number is n + 2, the fourth number is n + 3, and so on.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

3 4 ·5 6
n n+ 1 n+2 n+3

We can also speak of consecutive even numbers and consecutive odd numbers.
2, 4, 6, and 8 are consecutive even nümbers; 3, 5, 7, and 9 are consecutive odd
numbers. In a string of conseq.itive even (or odd) numbers, the next number is
always two more than the preceding number. Thus, if n is the first number in a string
of consecutive even (or odd) m.imbers, the second number is n + 2, the ·third number
is n + 4, the fourth number is n + 6; and so on.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

4 6 8 10
�
n n+2 n+4 n+6
3 5 7 9
n n+2 n+4 n+6

Don't be confused by the fact that the sequence for consecutive odd numbers pro­
ceeds n, n + 2, n + 4, etc. Even though 2, 4, etc., are even numbers, n + 2, n + 4,
etc. will be odd numbers when n, the starting point, is odd.
 BASIC MATHTUTOR B-7

EXERCISE 1
Whole Numbers

1. Subtracting 1 from which digit in the number 12,345 will decrease the value of the
number hy 1,000?
(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4 (E) 5 1345
2. Adding 3 to which digit in the number 736, 124 will increase the value ofthe number by
30,000?
(A) 7 (B) 3 (C) 6 (D) 2 (E) 4

3. Adding 1 to each digit of the number 222,222 will increase the value ofthe number by
how much?
(A) 333,333 (B) 111,111 (C) 100,000 (D) 10 (E) 1
4. (1 X 10,000) + (2 X 1,000) + (3 X 100) + (4 X 10) + (5 X 1) =
(A) 5,000 (B) 15,000 (C) 12,345 (D) 54,321 (E) 543,210
5. (1 X 1) + (1 X 10) + (1 X 100) + (1 X 1,000) + (1 X 10,000)=
(A) 5 (B) 5,000 (C) 11,111 (D) 111,110 (E) 1,111,100
6. (1 X 100,000) + (2 X 10,000) + (3 X 1,000) =
(A) 123 (B) 1,230 - (C) 12,300 (O) 123,000 (E) 1,230,000
7. (2 X 1,000) + (3 X 100) + (1 X 10,000) + (2 X 10) + 1 =
(A) 11,223 (8) 12,132 (C) 12,321 (O) 23,121 (E) 32,121
8. (9 X 10,000) + (9 '?<- 100) =
(A) 99 (B) 9,090 (C) 90,009 (D) 90,090 (E) 90,900
9. (2 X 10,000) + (8 X 1,000) + (4 X 10) =
(A) 284 (B) 482 (C) 2,084 (0) 2,840 (E) 28,040
10. What is the sum of 2 and 3?
(A) 1 (B)\5 (C) 6 (D) 8 (E) 10
11. What is the s.um of 5, 7, and 8?
(A) 12 (B) 15 (C) 20 (D) 25 (E) 28
12. yYhat is the sum of 20, 30, and 40?
(A) 60 (B) 70 (C) 80 (D) 90 (E) 100
13. What is the difference between 8 and 3?
(A) 24 (B) 11 (C) 8 (D) 5 (E) 3
14. What is the difference between 28 and 14?
(A) 2 (B) 7 (C) 14 (D) 42 (E) 392
15. What is the product of 2 and 8?
(A) 4 (B) 6 (C) 10 (D) 16 (E) 24
16. What is the product of 20 and 50?
(A) 70 (B) 100 (C) 1,000 (O) 10,000 (E) 100,000
B-8 BASIC MATH TUTOR

17. The product of 12 and 10 is

(A) 2 (B) 22 (C) 1 20 (D) 240 (E) 300
18. What is the sum of (5 + 1) and.(2 + 3)?
(A) 4 . (B) 11 (C) 24 (D) 33 (E ) 40
19. What is the difference between (5 + 2) and (3 x 2)?
(A) O (B) 1 (C) 3 (D) 10 (E) 14
20. What is the product of the sum of 2 and 3 and the sum of 3 and 4?
(A) 6 (B) 12 (C) 35 (O) 48 (E) 72

21. What is the sum of the product of 2 and 3 and the product of 3 and 4?
(A) 6 (B) 12 (C) 18 (D) 35 (E) 72

22. What is the difference between the product of 3 and 4 and the product of 2 and 3?
(A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 6 (D) 12 (E) 36

23. What is the remainder when 12 is divided by 7?

(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (O) 4 (E) 5

24. What is the remainder when 18 is divided by 2?

(A) O (B) 1 (C) 3 (D) 6 (E) 9
25. What is the remainder when 50 is divided by 2?
(A) O (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 25 (E) 50

26. What is the remainder when 7 is divided by 8?

(A) O (B) 1 (C) 4 (D) 7 (E) 89
27. What is the remainder when 15 is divided by 2?
(A) O (B) 1 (C) 7 (D) 8 (E) 14
28. When both 8 and 13 are divided by a certain number, the remainder is 3. What is that
number?
(A) 4 (B) 5 .(C) 6 (D) 7 (E) 8 ·
29. When both 33 and 37 are divided by a certain number, the rernainder is L What is that
number?
(A) 4 (B) 9 (C) 10 (O) 16 (E) 18
30. When both 12 and 19 are dívided by a certain number, the rernainder is 5. What is that
number?
(A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 5 (O) 7 (E) 9
31. (4 X 3) + 2 =
(A) 6 (B) ..9 (C) 12 (O) 14 (E) 17
32. (2 � 3) + (t'+ 1) =
(A) O (B) 1 (C) 2 (O) 3 (E) 6

33. (2 X (12 + 4)) + (6 + (1 + 2)] =

(A) 4 (B) 6 (C) 8 (O) 18 (E) 24
34. ((36 + 12) X (24 + 3)) + ((] X 3) - (18 + 9)) =
(A) 3 (B) 8 (C) 16 (O) 20 (E) 24
35. ((12 X 3) - (3 X 12)) + [(8 + 2) + 4] =
(A) O (B) 1 (C) 4 (D) 8 (E) 16
 BASIC MATH TUTOR B-9

36. (1 X2X3 X 4) - 1(2 X3)+(3 X6)] =

(A) O (B) 1 (C) 6 (D) 16 (E) 24

37. Which of the following statements is (are) true?

l. (4 + 3) - 6 = 4 + (6 - 2)
11. 3(4 +5) = (3 X4) + (3 X5)
111. (3 +5) X 4 = 4 X (5 + 3)
(A)1 only (B) 11 only (C) 111 only (O) 11 and 111 only (E) 1, 11, and 111
38. 12 +24 +36 =
(A)3X12 (8)12(1+2+3) (C)12(3+4q-5)
(D) 6(2) +6(3) +6(4) (E) 12X24 X 36

39. 25 + so + 100 =
(A) 5(1 + 2 + 3) (B) 5(1 + 2 + 4) (C) 25(1 + 2+3)
(D) 25(1 + 2 + 4) (E) 25(1 +5+10)
99(121) - 99(120)
40.
33
(A)1 (B) 3 (C) 33 (D) 99 (E) 120
41. 1,234(96) - 1,234(48) =
(A)1,234X48 (8)1 ,234 X 96 (C)1,234(48 +96)
(D) (1,234 x 1,234)x 48 (E) 59,232

42. How many prime numbers are greater than 20 but less than 30?
(A) O (B)1 (C) 2, (D)3 (E)4
43. How many prime niJmbers are greater that 50 but less than 60?
(A)O (B) 1 '(C) 2 (D)3 (E)4
44. · Which of the followir:.ig numbers are prime numbers?
l. 11
11. 111
111. 1 ,111
. (A) 1 only (B)11 only (C)1 and II only (D)1 and 111 only (E)1, 11, and 111
45. Which of the following numbers are prime numbers?
l. 12,345 /
. ll..999;99Q,999 ..,,
• 111. 1,000,000,002
(A)1 only (B)111 only (C) 1 and II only (D)1, 11, and 111 (E)Neither 1, 11, nor 111
46. What is the largest factor of both 25 and 40?
(A) 5 (B) 8 (C) 1 O (D) 15 (E) 25

47. What is the largest factor of both 6 and 9?

(A) 1 (B) 3 (C) 6 (D) 9 (E) 12

48. What is the largest factor of both 12 and 18?

(A) 6 (B) 24 (C) 36 (D) 48 (E) 216

49. What is the largest factor of 18, 24, and 36?

(A) 6 (B) 9 (C) i 2 (D) 15 (E) 18
50. What is the largest factor of 7, 14, and 21?
(A)1 (B) 7 (C) 14 (D)21 (E)35

Largest factor: máximo

B-10 BASIC MATH TUTOR

The LCM is the smallest number divisible by both 5

and 2. The answer is 10
51. What is the smallest multiple of both 5 and 2?
(A) 7 (8) 1 O (C) 20 (O) 30 (E) 40
52. What is the smallest multiple of both 12 and 18?
(A) 36 (B) 48 (C) 72 (D) 1'28 (E) 216
53. Which of the following is (are) even? ·
l. 12.
11. 36
111. 101
(A) l only (8) 11 only (C) l and ll only (O) 1 and 111 only (E) l, 11, and 111
54. Whi�h of the following is (are) odd?
l. 24 X 31
fl. 22 X 49
fll. 33 X 101
(A) 1 only (8) 11 only (C) 111 only (O) r and fil only (O) 1, 11, and 111
55. Which of the following is (are) even?
l. 333,332 X 333,333
11. 999,999 + 101,101
111. 22,221 X 44,441
(A) 1 only (B) 11 only (C) 1 and II only (O) 1 and 111 only (E) 1, 11, and 111
56. lf n is an even number, ali of the following must also be even EXCEPT
(A) (n x n) + n (8) n x n - n (C) n + 2 (O) 3(n + 2) (E) �

. 57. For any whole number n, which of the following must be odd?
l. 3(n + 1)
11. 3n· + 2n
fil. 2n - 1
(A) 1 only (B) 11 only · (C) fil only (0) l .and ll only (E) 1, 11, and 111
58. lf 8 is the third number in a series of three consecutive whole numbers, what is the first
number in the series?
(A) O (B\ 1 (C) 6 (O) 7 (E) 11
,
59. lf 1 5 is the fifth number in a series of five consecutive odd numbers, what is the third
number in the series?
(A) 5 (B) 7 (C) 9 (O) 11 (E) 13
60. lf m, n, and o are consecutive whole numbers that total 15, what is the largest of the
three numbers?
(A) 4 (B) 5 (C) 6 (O) 14 (E) 17

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