Unit 2.

3 Mixed numbers and remainders

The standardized tests take a different view of mixed numbers than the view
taken in most middle schools.

The skill that is most likely to be tested is converting between improper

fractions and mixed numbers, with an emphasis on finding the remainder.

Converting improper fractions to mixed numbers

An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator is larger than the

denominator, for example The improper fraction is converted to a mixed
number by dividing to get a quotient and a remainder.

In this example, the quotient is 1 (the whole number part) and the remainder is
3 (the numerator of the fraction part of the mixed number).

In the real world, you would not do conversions in this way. You would use a
calculator. First, divide 4 into 7

7 ÷ 4 = 1.75

So now we know that the whole number is 1. To get the remainder,

remainder = 7–(1.4)= 7 – 4 = 3.
This gives

Try this calculator technique with a more difficult example, say

386 ÷ 28 = 13.7857

So now we know that the whole number is 13. To get the remainder,

remainder = 386–(13.28)= 386 –364 = 22

This gives

Terminology: When the remainder is zero, the numerator is said to be divisible

by the denominator. For example,

In the example above, 8 is divisible by 4 because when 8 is divided by 4 the

remainder is zero.

Converting mixed numbers to improper fractions

Of course you are also expected to be able to convert a mixed number to an

improper fraction.
Another way to think of this is

This is a better way to convert a mixed number to an improper fraction (it is

faster and makes better use of the calculator). Take the whole number, multiply
it by the denominator, then add the product to the numerator.

Word problems involving remainders

There is a class of problems on standardized tests that I call “remainder

problems” because they are based on converting an improper fraction to a
mixed number. Although there are several problems of this type in unit 6.3, it is
worth taking a look at them now. A good example is:

Sarah wanted to make jump ropes for herself and her friends, so she went
to a store and purchased 100 feet of rope. If each jump rope is 7 feet
long, how many jump ropes could Sarah make and how many feet of rope
will she have left over?

Begin by dividing the 100 total feet of rope by each of the 7 foot lengths. Using
the calculator, this gives

So now we know that there will be 14 jump ropes. To get the amount of rope
left over:
 rope left over = 100 – (14.7)=100 – 98 = 2

Mathematically what we just did was

Two is the remainder, which in this problem represents the amount of rope left
over.
 Problems on mixed numbers and remainders (unit 2.3)

1. What is the remainder when 287 is divided by 5?

(A) 2
(B) 4
(C) 20
(D) 57
(E) 285

2. What is the remainder when 980 is divided by 28?

(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) 2
(D) 3
(E) 35

3. The mixed number is equivalent to:

(A) 23/8
(B) 31/8
(C) 112/8
(D) 128/8
(E) 135/8

4. If a cage can hold 8 chickens, how many cages will be needed to hold 300
chickens?
(A) 36
(B) 37
(C) 38
(D) 39
(E) 2400
5. If n is an integer greater than 100, what is the smallest value that n could
be if n is divisible by 4?
(A) 100
(B) 101
(C) 102
(D) 103
(E) 104

6. If n is a two digit integer that is divisible by 3, then the units digit of n

cannot be:
(A) 0
(B) 1
(C) 2
(D) 3
(E) None of the above

7. If an integer is divisible by 5 then

I. It must equal a power of 5.
II. One of its prime factors must be 5.
III. Its units digit must be 0 or 5.

(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III

8. When an integer is divided by 7 its remainder is 3. The value of that

integer could be:
(A) 13
(B) 17
(C) 23
(D) 27
 (E) 33

9. When an integer is divided by 6 its remainder is 3. The value of that

integer cannot be
(A) 3
(B) 27
(C) 39
(D) 47
(E) 57

10. The night before Halloween, Kyle sorted 1,000 pieces of candy into bags,
with each bag containing 12 pieces of candy. If Kyle is allowed to eat any
candy left over, how many pieces could he eat?
(A) 0
(B) 4
(C) 8
(D) 16
(E) 83

11. Mary has $25 to make copies of her flyer. If each copy costs 8 cents, how
many copies can she make?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 5
(D) 31
(E) 312

12. To get a discount, Bill has to buy at least $50 of newspapers. If each
newspaper costs 75 cents, how many newspapers must he buy to get the
discount?
(A) 37
(B) 38
(C) 66
 (D) 67
(E) 667

13. Emily’s Mom sends her into the store with $10, telling her to buy as many
apples as possible. If each apple costs 80 cents, how much change (in
cents) will Emily receive?
(A) 2
(B) 4
(C) 40
(D) 50
(E) 80

14. When an integer is divided by 8, the remainder is 3. The value of that

integer cannot be
(A) 3
(B) 19
(C) 24
(D) 67
(E) 99

15. At a summer camp, 50 campers are assigned to red, white or blue teams, in
that order. To which team is the last camper assigned?
(A) red
(B) white
(C) blue
(D) red or white
(E) red or blue

16. A certain clock strikes once every 20 minutes. If the clock struck 20 more
times after it had struck at midnight, what time is it now?
(A) 5:20 AM
(B) 6:00 AM
(C) 6:20 AM
 (D) 6:40 AM
(E) 8:00 PM

17. A certain sequence is A, B, D, C, A , B, D, C, A, B, D, C, etc. What is the

90th term in the sequence?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
(E) Cannot be determined
Unit 2.4 Order of operations and Scientific Notation

Order of Operations

Order of operations is a fairly important topic in its own right, but it is

especially important for students who rely on the calculator. The graphing
calculator will always follow the order of operations no matter what, even if
that is not what you intended it to do.

The order of operations is best remembered by the acronym, PEMDAS:

P = parenthesis. Always perform operations inside parentheses first

E = exponents. Next, raise terms to their powers (exponents)
M = multiplication. Multiplication and division go together.
D = division. Multiply and divide terms, from left to right.
A = addition. Addition and subtraction go together.
S = subtraction. Last, add and subtract terms, left to right.

Like many things in math, examples are the best way to learn PEMDAS. Start
with

5.(8 + 22) ÷ 4 – 32

The first step is to simplify the expression within the parenthesis, giving us

5.(12)÷ 4 – 32

Next, we clear the exponents

 5.(12)÷ 4 – 9

Next, we multiply and divide, left to right

60 ÷ 4 – 9
15 – 9

The last step is addition and subtraction, yielding an answer of 6.

PEMDAS does not only apply to numbers, it also applies to variables.

Consider

2x +(2x + x)2 – 6x2 ÷ 2x – x

First simplify expressions inside parentheses

2x + (3x)2 – 6x2 ÷ 2x – x

Next we clear out the exponents

2x + 9x2 – 6x2 ÷ 2x – x

Next divide

2x + 9x2 – 3x – x

The last step is to add and subtract (combine like terms)

9x2 – 2x
Calculator tips

On calculators PEMDAS errors often involve negative numbers. First of all,

please remember that there is a negative key (labeled as “(–)” on the
calculator) and a subtraction key (labeled as “–“ on the calculator). These keys
are different. The negative key is used to set the sign of a number, whereas the
subtraction key is used to subtract one number from another (either number
could be positive or negative).

Suppose you want to subtract negative 3 from 5

5 – –3 = 8.

The key sequence is 5, –, (–), 3, Enter. This gives you the correct result of 8.
The calculator is following PEMDAS. It first multiplies –1 by 3. Then it
subtracts –3 from 5.

Suppose you wanted to calculate the square of negative 2. Rather than get the
correct answer of positive 4 (–2)2 = (–2).(–2) = 4, many students will get –4.
This is because the calculator followed PEMDAS but the student did not. If
you enter (–), 2, x2 the calculator will return –4

–22 = –2. 2 = –4.

This is due to PEMDAS. The calculator deals with the exponent first, raising 2
to the second power, giving 4. Then it multiplies 4 by –1. To get the correct
result of positive 4 you must use parentheses. The correct key sequence is (,
(–), 2,), x2, enter.

(–2)2 = 4.

Scientific Notation
Scientific notation involves writing a number in the form of a x 10n, where 1≤
a <10. That sounds pretty complicated but it is not once you’ve seen some
examples.

Number in decimal Number in scientific notation

1, 230,000 1.23 x 106
0.0098723 9.8723 x 10–3
12,300,000,000 1.23 x 1010
0.000009123 9.123 x 10–6

In addition to converting between decimal and scientific notation, you must

also be able to perform operations on numbers in scientific notation. The
approach to follow is: perform operations on the decimal portions of the
problem first, next perform operations on the ten-to-a-power portions, and then
re-adjust into scientific notation. For example:
 Problems on order of operations and scientific notation (unit 2.4)

1. The expression is equal to

(A)
(B) –1
(C) –0.5
(D) 1
(E)

2. The expression 5 – 22 + 3(1+ 2)2 is equal to:

(A) 10
(B) 28
(C) 30
(D) 36
(E) 145

3. The expression is equal to:

(A) –9
(B) –7
(C) –5
(D) 7
(E) 11

4. The expression is equal to:

(A) –18
(B) –9
 (C) 0
(D) 9
(E) 18

5. The expression is closest to:

(A) –2
(B) –1
(C) 0
(D) 1
(E) 2

6. The expression is equal to:

(A) 0
(B) 2
(C) 8
(D) 26
(E) 27

7. The expression -x2 – (–2x)2 – x + (–3)3 is equivalent to:

(A) 3x2 – x + 9
(B) 3x2 – x – 27
(C) 7x2 – x + –27
(D) –6x2 – 27
(E) –5x2 – x – 27

8. Extra Credit: The expression is equivalent to:

(A) x +1
(B) x2 + 3
(C) x –1
(D) x2 – 3
 (E) None of the above.

9. When expressed in scientific notation 150,000 is:

(A) 1.5 x 10–5
(B) 1.5 x 105
(C) 0.15 x 10–5
(D) 15 x 104
(E) 0.15 x 106

10. When expressed in scientific notation 0.000506 is:

(A) 506 x 10–3
(B) 506 x 103
(C) 5.06 x 104
(D) 5.06 x 10–4
(E) 50.6 x 10–5

11. What is the product of 1,350,000 and 2,300,000?

(A) 3.105 x 1012
(B) 3.105 x 10–12
(C) 3.65 x 105
(D) 3.65 x 10–5
(E) 27/46

12. When expressed in decimal, 6.2 x 109 is

(A) 0.0000000062
(B) 0.00000000062
(C) 6,200,000,000
(D) 6.2000000000
(E) 6, 200,000

13. When expressed in decimal, 3.2 x 10–8 is

 (A) 32,000,000
(B) 0.0000000032
(C) 32.000000
(D) .000000032
(E) 328

14. What is the product of 5,330,000 and 0.22 x 10–10?

(A) 11.726
(B) 1,172,600
(C) 1.1726 x 10–4
(D) 1.1726 x 10–5
(E) 1.1726 x 10–6

15. Simplify (1.2 x 10–3) ÷(3.2 x 102)

(A) 0.0375
(B) 0.375
(C) 3.75 x 10–4
(D) 3.75 x 10–5
(E) 3.75 x 10–6

16. The quantity (9.1 x 1010)5 is equivalent to:

(A) 6.24
(B) 62,403
(C) 6.24 x 1046
(D) 6.24 x 1050
(E) 6.24 x 1054
Unit 2.5 Percentages

Percentages are a favorite topic for standardized tests, and they can come in
several forms. Let's start with a good drill: How many ways can we write five
percent? Three ways are possible:

The last way, as a fraction, is the most important to remember.

How many ways can we write x percent? Two ways are possible:

The last way, as a fraction, is the only useful way to write x percent. It is
critical to remember that because in word problems the phrase “what percent”
is substituted by when we set up an equation. Consider:

What percent of 86 is 18?

This is not difficult if you substitute correctly. The equation becomes:

Consider another simple word problem:

28 is 16 percent of what number?

When written as an equation we have:

It is faster (and better) to approach this problem directly, using decimals:

Lastly we consider an even simpler word problem

What is 5% of 185?

If we were to set up an equation, we would have:

It is faster (and better) to solve using decimal notation:

With practice, you will gain insight into when it is better to use the decimal or
fraction representations of percentage amounts. You should begin by using the
fraction and then start using the decimal amounts to speed up calculations.

Percentage Increase

Just as there are two forms to remember for percentages (as decimals and
fractions), there are two forms to remember for percentage increase, and both
forms are useful. First, we consider:
If a store raises its price for a shirt from $80 to $90, the percentage increase is

Another useful form of percentage increase is that to:

If a store decides to raise all of its prices by 5%, then a shirt that originally
costs $80 will now cost

Percentage Decrease

The equations for percentage decrease are similar to the ones above for
percentage increase. The first is:

If a store marks its price for a shirt from $90 to $80, the percentage decrease is

The other useful form of percentage is that to:

If a store decides to reduce all of its prices by 5%, then a shirt that originally
costs $80 will now cost
 Problems on percentages (unit 2.5)

1. What is 28% of 600?

(A) 0.47
(B) 21.42
(C) 168
(D) 2,142
(E) 16,800

2. 15 is what percent of 500?

(A) 0.03
(B) 3
(C) 33
(D) 75
(E) 7,500

3. 65 is 20 percent of what number?

(A) 0.31
(B) 3.25
(C) 13
(D) 325
(E) 1,300

4. 300 is what percent of 15?

(A) 4.5
(B) 20
(C) 45
(D) 450
(E) 2000
5. Some time ago, the price of a pound of sugar was 25 cents. It is now $3.
How much has the price changed?
(A) 0.9%
(B) 11%
(C) 91.6%
(D) 1100%
(E) 1200%

6. Diana chose a new pair of shoes marked $120, and the store is having a
sale of 20% off everything. How much will she pay for the shoes
(excluding sales tax)?
(A) $24
(B) $96
(C) $114
(D) $144
(E) $240

7. Two years ago the average rainfall was 30 inches. If it has increased by
15% per year since then, what is the average annual rainfall now?
(A) 30.0
(B) 34.5
(C) 39.0
(D) 39.7
(E) 67.5

8. 98% of Mr. Corn's students increase their math SAT score. Of those, 50%
increase their score by at least 100 points. Overall, what percent of
students increase their math SAT score by at least 100 points?
(A) 49
(B) 50
(C) 51
(D) 98
(E) 148
9. In order to stay in business, Madeline must make a 35% profit on
everything she sells. If her supplier charged her $60 for a pair of shoes,
what should her price tag on the shoes be?
(A) 21
(B) 39
(C) 60
(D) 81
(E) 102

10. The difference between a certain number and 12 is equal to 85% of that
number. What is the number?
(A) 6.49
(B) 12.85
(C) 14.11
(D) 15
(E) 80

11. 115% of what number is equal to 26.25?

(A) 3.9
(B) 22.3
(C) 22.8
(D) 30.2
(E) 175.0

12. The price of oil this year is $4.10 per gallon. If that represents a 30%
increase over last year, what was the price of oil last year?
(A) 1.23
(B) 2.87
(C) 3.15
(D) 5.33
(E) 5.86

13. A store clerk was instructed to mark everything up by 15%. Instead he

 marked everything down by 15%. If a pair of shoes was originally marked
$80, what is difference between the correct price and the incorrect price
marked by the clerk?
(A) $8
(B) $12
(C) $24
(D) $68
(E) $92

14. Goeff bought a hat with a price tag of $15.50. Due to a sale, the store
charged $11 for the hat. What percentage off was the sale price?
(A) 13.25%
(B) 26%
(C) 29%
(D) 36%
(E) 41%

15. You have traveled to a state where they charge 10% sales tax. A store
window announces that everything is 10% off today. If you go into that
store to buy a pair of shoes marked $65, how much will you pay, including
sales tax?
(A) $7.15
(B) $58.50
(C) $64.35
(D) $65.00
(E) $71.50

16. The hockey team has been great! In 2008, they won 20% more games than
in 2007. In 2009 they won 50% more games than in 2008. What was their
overall percentage increase from 2007 through 2009?
(A) 20
(B) 70
(C) 80
(D) 90
 (E) 170

17. Danny has a baseball collection, and 15% of his balls are from games he
attended. Of those, 15% are balls that he actually caught during a game.
How many balls could Danny have in his collection?
(A) 150
(B) 225
(C) 300
(D) 400
(E) 450
 Solutions to problems on percentages (unit 2.5)

1. (C)

2. (B)

3. (D)

4. (E)

5. (D)

6. (B)

7. (D)
8. (A)
(0.98)(0.50) = 0.49

9. (D)

10. (E)
n –12 = 0.85n, 0.15n = 12, n = 80

11. (C)
1.15n = 26.25, n = 26.25 /1.15 = 22.8

12. (C)
The easy way is 4.10 = 1.3x, x = 3.15 or use

13. (C)
The price should have been Instead the customer was charged

So the store lost 92–68=24 dollars.

14. (C)

15. (C)
First calculate the price with the discount Next
calculate how much you pay including sales tax
 Notice that you will not pay the original price

of $65, but something slightly less.

16. (C)
Suppose they won 100 games in 2007. Then they won (1.2)(100)=120 games
in 2008. Then they won (1.5)(120)=180 games in 2009.

17. (D)
The quick way to do this is to see that (. 15)(. 15) = .0225 = 9/400. The long
way is to take 2.25% and multiply by each answer choice.