CHAPTER 1:

FROM WORDS TO
MATH
PROBLEMS
What you should know
Most SAT solutions require merely one to two steps. A bunch of words are included only
to scare you. Don’t fall into their traps and lose $104.5 because of your fear.
Keep calm, read the questions, break them down, and get a perfect 800.

A. MATHEMATIC TERMS
1. Types of Numbers
2. How to translate words into Math problems?
3. How to round a number?
B. PRACTICE
1. Solving Problems by Variables
2. Ratio, Rate, and Proportion problems

by Thu Le|1
A. MATHEMATIC
TERMS NATURAL NUMBERS

Any number that is divisible by 2.

Even numbers
Ex: 2; 4; 6; 8; …
Any number that is NOT divisible by 2.
Odd numbers
Ex: 1; 3; 5; 7 …
Any positive integer that has exactly two
Prime numbers distinct factors: itself and 1.
Ex: 2; 3; 5; 7; 11; …
OTHER TYPES OF NUMBERS
Positive and negative whole numbers, and
Integers (ℤ) zero
ℤ = {… ; −2; −1; 0; 1; 2; … }
Any number that can be expressed as a
Rational numbers fraction of two integers.
(ℚ) 𝑎
ℚ = { | a ∈ ℤ; b ∈ ℤ; b ≠ 0}
𝑏
Any number that does not end or repeat
Irrational (any number that is NOT rational).
numbers (𝕀)
Ex: 𝜋; √2; 𝑒; …

Real numbers Any number on the number line;

(ℝ) everything except imaginary numbers.

Imaginary
numbers 𝒾 = √−1

ARITHMETIC WORDS

The members of a set listed in order,

Consecutive without skipping any;
numbers Ex: Consecutive positive multiples of three
are 3, 6, 9, 12, etc.
Sum The result of adding numbers
Difference The result of subtract numbers
Product The result of multiplying numbers
Quotient The result of dividing numbers
The integer left over after dividing two
Remainder
numbers
Reciprocal The result when 1 is divided by a number.
1
Ex: is the reciprocal of 2
2

2 | by Thu Le
 HOW DOES MATH SPEAK?
of × (multiplied by)
per ÷ (divided by)
(creates a ratio) for each of, every, etc.
percent ÷ 100
x is how much more than
𝒙−𝒚 y is how much less than x
x is how many times (more than) y
Remember!
𝒙÷𝒚 x is twice as many as y = twice as many x as y
→ 𝒙 = 𝟐𝒚
𝒙=𝒚 x is equal to/ equivalent to y
x is less than y
𝒙<𝒚 y is more/greater than x
x is less than or equal to y;
𝒙≤𝒚 y is more/greater than or equal to x
x does not exceed y
𝒙 𝒂
= the ratio of x to y is a to b
𝒚 𝒃

𝟎. 𝟓𝟔𝟕 ≈ 𝟏. 𝟎 round the number to the whole number

𝟎. 𝟓𝟔𝟕 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟔 round the number to the nearest tenth

round the number to the nearest hundredth

𝟎. 𝟓𝟔𝟕 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟓𝟕
round the number to the nearest cent
Most of the common careless errors made in answering math
questions are made in the very first step – READING THE
QUESTION. The power of your calculator can not help you if
you’ve entered the wrong equation.
The table above provides many common terms you might
encounter in SATs. Now you understand your enemies. The
following steps will show you how to knock out them cleverly:
1. Read each line of the problem, carefully!
2. Write down keywords in Math language
3. Define the question, using variables if necessary!
4. Calculate the solution
For example:
The sum of three consecutive integers is 72.
What is the largest of these three integers?

by Thu Le|3
 CHAPTER 2

MANIPULATING
EQUATIONS

A. EXPONENTS AND RADICALS

B. POLYNOMIALS
1. Adding and Subtracting
2. Expanding
3. Factoring
4. Dividing
C. RATIONAL FUNCTIONS
1. Finding the Domain
2. Simplifying
3. Adding and Subtracting
4. Multiplying
5. Dividing

by Thu Le|13
A. EXPONENTS
AND RADICALS 𝒙𝟏 = 𝒙 𝒙𝟎 = 𝟏

𝒎 𝒏 𝒎+𝒏 𝑥𝑚
𝒙 .𝒙 = 𝒙 = 𝑥 𝑚−𝑛
𝑥𝑛

(𝒙𝒚)𝒎 = 𝒙𝒎 . 𝒚𝒎 (𝑥 𝑚 )𝑛 = 𝑥 𝑚.𝑛

𝟏 1
𝒙−𝒎 = 𝑥 𝑚 = √𝑥
𝑚
𝒙𝒎
𝒏 −
𝒏 1
𝒙𝒎 =
𝒎
√𝒙𝒏 𝑥 𝒎 = 𝑚
√𝑥 𝒏

1
Example 1: If 𝑎−2 = 5, what is the value of a?

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Example 2:
𝟑
√𝑎 2 . √𝑏 3
Which of the expressions is equivalent to the expression above?
5 6
6 3 3
A. √𝑎4 𝑏 9 B. (𝑎2 𝑏 3 )6 C. ( √𝑎. √𝑏) D. √𝑏 2 . √𝑎3
4𝑎
Example 3: If 2𝑎 − 𝑏 = 4, what is the value of
2𝑏

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Example 4: 𝑥 2 𝑦 3 = 10 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥 3 𝑦 2 = 8, what is the value of 𝑥 5 𝑦 5

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_______________________________________________

Example 5: If √𝑥√𝑥 = 𝑥 𝑎 , then what is the value of a?

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14 | by Thu Le
B. POLYNOMIALS A monomial is a numeral, a variable, or the product of a numeral
and one or more variables.

A coefficient is the numerical factor in a monomial.

The degree of a monomial is the sum of the exponents of
its variables.
Example: Define coefficients and degrees of these monomials.

𝑥 __________________________________________
−2𝑡 ________________________________________
2
−𝑥 3𝑦
_______________________________________
3

−𝑎𝑏 ________________________________________

A polynomial is a monomial or a sum of terms that are monomials.

Polynomials can be classified by the number of their terms such as
a binomial or a trinomial.
The standard form of a polynomial expression is written
with the exponents in descending order of degree.
A leading coefficient is the numerical factor of the variable
with the highest degree.
The degree of a polynomial is the greatest degree of its
terms. Polynomials can also be classified by degree, as
shown below

DEGREE NAME EXAMPLES

𝒏=𝟎 Constant

𝒏=𝟏 Linear

𝒏=𝟐 Quadratic

𝒏=𝟑 Cubic

𝒏=𝟒 Quartic

by Thu Le|15
1. Adding and To add OR subtract polynomials, combine like terms.
Subtracting
Example: Simplify these expression
1. (−2𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 + 4) + (−2𝑥 3 + 7𝑥 − 6)
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2. (−6𝑥 3 − 6𝑥 2 + 7𝑥 − 1) − 2(3𝑥 3 − 5𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 8)
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2. Expanding To expand any expression, follow this method called

FOIL (first, outer, inner, last)
Example: Simplify the expression 𝑥(16 − 2𝑥)(12 − 2𝑥)
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3. Factoring To factor a polynomial, you have to define its zeros or utilize

some key formulas below
Remember! You
should memorize these (𝒂 + 𝒃)𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 + 𝟐𝒂𝒃 + 𝒃𝟐
formulas forwards and
backwards. They show 𝒂𝟐 − 𝒃𝟐 = (𝒂 − 𝒃)(𝒂 + 𝒃)
up very often. Example: Factor these polynomial
1. 4𝑥 4 − 9𝑦 2
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2. 16𝑥 4 − 8𝑥 2 𝑦 2 + 𝑦 4
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16 | by Thu Le
 Factoring a binomial is one of many prominent techniques you
should master on SAT.
Example: Factor these quadratics
𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 6
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𝑥 2 − 10𝑥 + 9
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𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 − 7
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5𝑎2 + 20𝑎 − 60
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3. Dividing Dividing one polynomial by another is the same as dividing
numbers in 3rd grade.
Example: Define the quotient and remainder of these sums
𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 1 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥

by Thu Le|17
 Otherwise, you can divide two polynomials by writing them in a
form of a rational expression by splitting fractions.
Example:
𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 1
=
𝑥 2 + 3𝑥

The Remainder Theorem

Whenever a polynomial is divided by a binomial, 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏, the
remainder can be found by plugging into the polynomial the value
of 𝑥 that makes the monomial equal to 0.
Example: Do these sums by one of two methods above
1. (3𝑥 3 − 9𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 2) ÷ (𝑥 − 2)

2. (3𝑥 3 − 9𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 2) ÷ (𝑥 − 3)

In example 1, the remainder equals to 0; this means that:

3𝑥 3 − 9𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 2 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑥 − 2, or
𝑥 − 2 𝑖𝑠 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 3𝑥 3 − 9𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 2, or
𝑓(2) =
In example 2, the remainder equals to _____; this means that:

3𝑥 3 − 9𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 2 𝑖𝑠
𝑥 − 3 𝑖𝑠 𝑁𝑂𝑇
𝑓(3) =

18 | by Thu Le
C. RATIONAL A rational expression is a quotient (or a fraction) of two
FUNCTIONS polynomials. A set of all real numbers except those ones making the
denominator equal to zero is called the domain of the function.
Example:

𝒇(𝒙)
1. Finding the 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑨(𝒙) = 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒈(𝒙) ≠ 𝟎
𝒈(𝒙)
Domain
Example: Find the domain of these functions below
𝒙+𝟐
𝒈(𝒙) =
𝒙−𝟐
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𝟑𝒙𝟐 + 𝒙 − 𝟐
𝒇(𝒙) =
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑
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𝟐𝒙
𝒈(𝒙) =
𝒙𝟑 − 𝒙
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2. Simplifying To simplify a rational expression, follow the steps below:
Rational
Expressions Factor the numerator and the denominator.
Divide both of them by a common factor. The expression
is simplified when you can no longer divide the numerator
and denominator by a common factor other than 1.
Remember! Try to Example: Simplify these expressions:
simplify rational
expressions whenever you 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟓𝒙 − 𝟔
can before any calculating so 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟑𝟔
that you can work with ___________________________________________________
easier and smaller numbers.
___________________________________________________

by Thu Le|19
 𝒃𝟐 − 𝟒𝟗
𝒃𝟐 − 𝟖𝒃 + 𝟕
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𝒙𝟐 − 𝟏𝟎𝒙 + 𝟗
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙 − 𝟑
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3. Adding or To add or subtract rational expressions, remember to bring them
Subtracting into the same denominators.
Example: Find the sum below
1 2 1
+ −
𝑥+2 𝑥−2 3
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𝒇(𝒙) 𝒉(𝒙) 𝒇(𝒙) × 𝒉(𝒙)

4. Multiplying × =
𝒈(𝒙) 𝒌(𝒙) 𝒈(𝒙) × 𝒌(𝒙)
Example: Multiply these fractional expressions
15 𝑥 5 4
× ×
𝑥 2 12 𝑥
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𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 − 5 𝑥2 − 4
×
𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 + 2 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 10
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20 | by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 3

INTERPRETING
LINEAR
EQUATIONS

PHRASE
A. STANDARD FORMULA
1. y-intercept
2. Slope
B. LINES
1. Intersection
2. Perpendicular
3. Parallel
C. LINEAR AND EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

by Thu Le|35
A. STANDARD The standard form of a linear equation is 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 = 𝑐.
FORMULA Normally, to graph a linear function, we use the form
𝒚 = 𝒂𝒙 + 𝒃 with two key features:
a. b is the y-intercept (when 𝑥 = 0)
b. a represents the slope

1. y-intercept y-intercept is an intersection of a line and y-axis. Thus, to find the

y-intercept of a line, substitute 0 for x in a linear equation.
Remember: What happens to a graph of a function whose y-
intercept equals 0?
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____________________________________________________

2. Slope The slope of a line is the change in vertical units divided by the
corresponding change in horizontal units.
If there are two points (𝑥1 ; 𝑦1 ) and (𝑥1 ; 𝑦2 ) in
the line f. The slope of f is given by the ratio:
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚 𝒚𝟐 − 𝒚𝟏
𝒂= =
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒙 𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙𝟏
Indeed, the slope of a line tells you about the
steepness and direction of the line.

36 | by Thu Le
Remember! The Example 1: Interpreting linear function
meanings of a slope and
a. When x increases a unit,
y-intercept are favorite
- y increases by the value of the slope if a slope is positive, or
parts of SAT-makers
- y decreases by the value of the slope if a slope is negative.
b. y-intercept is the initial value of 𝑦 when 𝒙 = 𝟎.

For example, read the problem below and answer the question.
The value 𝑉, in dollars, of a home from 2006 to 2015 can be
estimated by the equation 𝑉 = 240,000 − 5,000𝑇, where 𝑇 is the
number of years since 2006.
1. Which of the following best describes the meaning of the
number 240,000 in the equation?
A. The value of the home in 2006.
B. The value of the home in 2015.
C. The average value of the home from 2006 to 2015.
D. The increase in the value of the home from 2006 to 2015.
2. Which of the following best describes the meaning of the
number 5,000 in the equation?
A. The number of homes sold each year
B. The yearly decrease in the value of the home.
C. The difference between the value of the home in 2006 and in 2015.
D. The yearly decrease in the value of the home per square foot.
Example 2: Figure out linear features
1. Line n passes through points 𝐴(1; 4) and 𝐵(−3; 5). Define
the slope and equation of line n.
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2. A line 𝑙 passes though the points (−2,3) and (3; 13). What
is the 𝑦-intercept of line 𝑙?
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1
3. If a line has a slope of and passes through the point
3
(1; −2), which of the following point also lies on the line?
𝐴(−2; −5) 𝐵(−2; −1) 𝐶(4; −1) 𝐷(4; 10)
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by Thu Le|37
B. LINES Working with two or more distinct lines, you may encounter these
common cases:
1. Intersection Intersecting lines cross at some point no matter what angles the
lines meet at. To find the point of intersection of two distinct lines,
make their functions equal and solve x.
𝒇(𝒙) = 𝒈(𝒙) → 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 (𝒙; 𝒚)
Example: Find the intersection of two lines on the graph below
with 𝑓(𝑥): 𝑦 = − 14 𝑥 + 2 and 𝑔(𝑥): 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 3.

________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
2. Perpendicular Perpendicular lines meet at right angles.
𝒇(𝒙): 𝒚 = 𝒂𝟏 𝒙 + 𝒃𝟏 and 𝒈(𝒙): 𝒚 = 𝒂𝟐 𝒙 + 𝒃𝟐
𝒇 ⊥ 𝒈 ↔ 𝒂𝟏 . 𝒂𝟐 = −𝟏
1
Example: Line m has a slope of and passes through the point
3
(4; 3). If the line n is perpendicular to line m at that point, what is
the equation of line n?
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3. Parallel Parallel lines are always the same distance apart from each other
— no matter how far they are extended, they will never meet.
𝒇(𝒙): 𝒚 = 𝒂𝟏 𝒙 + 𝒃𝟏 and 𝒈(𝒙): 𝒚 = 𝒂𝟐 𝒙 + 𝒃𝟐
𝒇 ∥ 𝒈 ↔ 𝒂𝟏 = 𝒂𝟐 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒃𝟏 ⋕ 𝒃𝟐
Example: Line d has a slope of 4 and passes through the point
(1; 3). If the line k is parallel to line m at the point (5; 2), what is
the equation of line k?
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38 | by Thu Le
C. LINEAR AND
EXPONENTIAL Linear Exponential
Growth and Decay Growth and Decay
GROWTH
The quantity increases The quantity increases or
or decreases by the same decreases by the same
amount every time rate every time period.
period.
Definition
Therefore, the amount
changed every single
period is different.

Equation 𝒚 = 𝒂𝒙 + 𝒃 𝒚 = 𝒂𝒙𝒕

𝒂>𝟎 𝒙>𝟏
Graph

𝒂<𝟎 𝟎<𝒙<𝟏

Example 1: Of the following scenarios, which one would result in

linear growth of the square footage of a store?
A. The owner increases the square footage by 0.75% each year.
B. The owner increases the square footage by 5% each year.
C. The owner increases the square footage by 5% of the
original square footage each year.
D. The owner alternates between adding 200 square feet one
year and 300 square feet the next year.
Example 2: Albert has a large book collection. He decides to trade
in two of his used books for one new book each month at a local
bookstore. What is the relationship between time (in months) and
the total number of books in Albert’s collection?
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by Thu Le|39
 CHAPTER 4

INTERPRETING
QUADRATIC
EQUATIONS

A. STANDARD FORM
1. The graph of a quadratic function
2. Axis of symmetry
3. y-intercept
4. Vertex
B. VERTEX FORM
C. THE ROOTS
1. Discriminant
2. Quadratic Formula
3. Factor

by Thu Le |55
A. STANDARD The standard form of a quadratic function is
FORM
𝒇(𝒙): 𝒚 = 𝒂𝒙𝟐 + 𝒃𝒙 + 𝒄 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 ≠ 𝟎
The graph of a quadratic function is a parabola.
1. The graph

The y-intercept of a parabola is the value of y when 𝑥 = 0.

2. y-intercept
The vertex is the midpoint of a parabola. The vertical line passes
3. Vertex through x-coordinate of the vertex is the axis of symmetry,
dividing the parabola into two parts that reflect each other.

When 𝒂 > 𝟎, the parabola opens upwards and the vertex

is the lowest point. The y-coordinate of the vertex is the
minimum value of 𝑓.
When 𝒂 < 𝟎, the parabola opens upwards and the vertex
is the highest point. The y-coordinate of the vertex is the
maximum value of 𝑓.
B. VERTEX FORM Besides the standard form, a quadratic function can be represented
in the vertex form below:

𝒇(𝒙): 𝒚 = 𝒂(𝒙 − 𝒉)𝟐 + 𝒌 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 ≠ 0

𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 (𝒉; 𝒌) 𝑖𝑠 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒙

Remember! SAT-
makers love the vertex, To define the vertex form from its standard from, we utilize the
you must master the
perfect square formula 𝒂𝟐 ± 𝟐𝒂𝒃 + 𝒃𝟐 = (𝒂 ± 𝒃)𝟐
technique of rewriting a
quadratic in the vertex Example:
form.
1. Define the vertex of the function 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 − 21.
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56| by Thu Le
C. THE ROOTS The roots are the values of 𝑥 that make 𝑓(𝑥) = 0. They are also
called the x-intercepts or the solutions of a function.
However, a quadratic function does not always have real roots.
So, to check whether it has real roots, we calculate
the discriminant: 𝑫 = ∆ = 𝒃𝟐 − 𝟒𝒂𝒄

When ∆ < 0, there are no real

solutions, or the parabola does not
intercept x-axis.
When ∆ = 0, there is one real solution,
or the parabola intercepts x-axis at one
point, which is also its vertex.
When ∆ > 0, there are two distinct real
solutions, or the parabola intercept x-
axis at two different points whose x-
−𝒃±√∆
The expressions are coordinate are given by 𝒙 =
𝟐𝒂
also called “quadratic 𝒃
Sum of two roots 𝑺 = −
formulas”. 𝒂
𝒄
Product of two roots 𝑷 =
𝒂

Example: Find the discriminant and the roots of these equations.

1. 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 + 6 = 0
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2. 𝑥 2 + 8𝑥 + 16 = 0
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3. 2𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 − 7 = 0
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_________________________________________________
Otherwise, when ∆ > 0, you can factor the quadratic equation to
find its roots instead of using the quadratic formula above.

𝒂𝒙𝟐 + 𝒃𝒙 + 𝒄 = (𝒙 − 𝒉)(𝒙 − 𝒌)
𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝒃 = 𝒉 + 𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄 = 𝒉. 𝒌
Example: Find the solutions of 𝑥 2 − 7𝑥 − 30 = 0
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58| by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 5:

SYSTEMS OF
EQUATIONS

PHRASE
A. SOLUTIONS OF A SYSTEM
1. Graph
2. Substitution
3. Elimination
B. SYSTEM OF LINEAR EQUATIONS
1. One Solution
2. No Solutions
3. Infinite Solutions

by Thu Le |67
A. SOLUTIONS A system of equations is a collection of equations with the same
OF A SYSTEM variables.
The solution of a system of two equations in 𝑥 and 𝑦 is any
ordered pair, (𝑥; 𝑦), that satisfies both equations. Also, (𝑥; 𝑦) is the
point of intersection for the graphs of the functions in the system.
There are three main ways of solving system of two equations:
1. Graph You can graph each equation in the system in 𝑥𝑦-plane and then
define whether the intersection exists or not.
Example: Find the solution of the system below by graph.
___________________________________
___________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
2. Substitution Substitution is all about isolating one variable in terms of the other
from one equation. Then, substitute that variable in the second
equation and solve from there.
Example: Find the solution of the system below by substitution.
________________________________
________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
3. Elimination Elimination is about getting the same coefficients for one variable
across the two equations so that you can add or subtract the
equations, thereby eliminating that variable.
Example: Find the solution of the system below by graph.
________________________________
________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

68 | by Thu Le
B. SYSTEM OF 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 = 𝑑
{
LINEAR 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 = 𝐷
EQUATIONS
Due to the coefficients of the equations, there are three possibilities
for the solutions of the system above.

One solution No solutions Infinite solution

𝒂 𝒃 𝒂 𝒃 𝒅 𝒂 𝒃 𝒅
≠ = ≠ = =
𝑨 𝑩 𝑨 𝑩 𝑫 𝑨 𝑩 𝑫
with 𝑨, 𝑩 ≠ 𝟎 with 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐷 ≠ 0 with 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐷 ≠ 0

Example 1: If the system of equations below has no solution, what

is the value of 𝑎?
−𝑎𝑥 − 12𝑦 = 15
{
4𝑥 + 3𝑦 = −2
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Example 2: In the system of equations below, 𝑚 and 𝑛 are
constants. If the system has infinitely many solutions, what is the
value of 𝑚 + 𝑛?
3𝑥 − 5𝑦 = 8
{
𝑚𝑥 − 𝑛𝑦 = 32
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

70 | by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 6

INEQUALITIES
& WORD
PROBLEMS

PHRASE
A. INEQUALITIES
1. Solving Inequalities
2. Graph
B. WORD PROBLEMS

by Thu Le |75
A. INEQUALITY Working with inequalities, we can add and subtract a number from
both sides the same as working with equations. However, you must
1. Solving be careful every time you multiply or divide an inequality by a
Inequalities negative number, because the signs will be reversed.
Example: Solve x in these inequalities
A. 4𝑥 − 3 > −5
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
1
B. −5𝑥 + ≤ 16
2

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Graph The steps to graph an inequality are:
A. Convert a function to the linear form
B. Graph the linear equation
if there is an equal, use a solid line.
if there is not an equal, use a dashed line.
C. Determine whether the sign is
>, shade the region above the line, which means that
all the solutions of the inequalities lie in the region
above the line
<, shade the region below the line.

76 | by Thu Le
But how about the system of inequalities? Don’t be scared, graphing
the system of inequalities is graphing two inequalities on the same
𝑥𝑦-axis.
The graph below expresses the solutions of the system
𝑦 ≤ −𝑥 − 1
{
𝑦 <𝑥+2

Example 1: What integers are solutions to the inequality below?

−3𝑥 – 7 ≤ −7𝑥 − 27
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Example 2: Which of the following systems of inequalities could
be the one graphed in the 𝑥𝑦-plane below?
𝑦 > 3
A. {
𝑦>𝑥
𝑦 < 3
B. {
𝑦<𝑥
𝑦 < 3
C. {
𝑦>𝑥
𝑦 > 3
D. {
𝑦<𝑥

by Thu Le |77
 CHAPTER 7:

ABSOLUTE
VALUE

PHRASE
1. A. ABSOLUTE VALUE EQUATIONS
2. B. ABSOLUTE VALUE INEQUALITIES
3. C. WORD PROBLEMS
4.

by Thu Le |85
 THE ABSOLUTE VALUE of a number is its distance from 0. In
other words, absolute value is always non-negative.

|𝐗 | ≥ 𝟎
A V-shape is the classic graph of an absolute value function:
its points never appear in the quadrants III and IV.

Positive y-values remain.

Negative y-values reflect across the x-axis.
(the graph on the right expresses the function y = |x|)

A. ABSOLUTE With A ≥ 0, |𝐗| = 𝐀 → 𝐗 = ±𝐀

VALUE
EQUATION With A < 0, |𝐗| = 𝐀 → 𝐗 ∈ ∅: no solution!
Example: If |𝑛 − 3| = 15, what is the sum of the two values of n?

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

B. ABSOLUTE With A ≥ 0,
VALUE
INEQUALITIES |𝐗| ≥ 𝐀 → 𝐗 ≥ 𝐀 OR 𝐗 ≤ −𝐀
|𝐗| ≤ 𝐀 → −𝐀 ≤ 𝐗 ≤ 𝐀
Example 1: Find an interval of x that satisfies |1 − 2𝑥| > 5.

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Example 2: Find an interval of x that satisfies 2|𝑥 + 1| ≤ 8.

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
1
Example 3: Find an interval of x that satisfies 5 | 𝑥 + 3| > −1.
2

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Example 4: Find an interval of x that satisfies |1 − 𝑥| ≤ 0.

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
86 | by Thu Le
C. WORD 1. Find a midpoint of the desired interval
PROBLEMS 2. Subtracting the midpoint from two interval endpoints
Example 1: A manufacturer of cookies test the weight of its cookie
packages to ensure consistency in the product. An acceptable package
of cookie must weigh between 16 ounces and 18 ounces as it comes out
of production. If w is the weight of an acceptable cookie package, then
what is the absolute-value inequality correctly expresses all possible
values of w?

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Example 2: The weight of each fountain pencil manufactured in a
factory must be 8g with a tolerance of 1.2g. Pens that are not within the
tolerated weight must be thrown away. Which absolute-value inequality
can be used to assess tolerable pens? (w is the weight of the pen).

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2
Example 3: A candy store must ensure that its candies are between 3
7
6
inches and 3 millimeters in length. If h is the length of a candy from
7
this store, then which absolute-value inequality correctly expresses the
accepted values of h?

_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

by Thu Le |87
 CHAPTER 8

COMPLEX
NUMBERS

PHRASE
A. IMAGINARY EXPONENTS
B. COMPLEX EXPRESSIONS
C. COMPLEX FRACTIONS
D.

by Thu Le |95
 In the real number system, a square always has a non-negative value,
which means that NO solution satisfies the equation 𝑥 2 = −1.
However, in the complex number system, we have 𝒊, an imaginary
number, represent √−1. We define that 𝒊𝟐 = −𝟏 .

Then, an expression 𝑎𝑖 ± 𝑏 is called a complex number. Normally,

we will work with complex numbers in polynomial functions. In the
SAT, you mostly play with complex numbers in simple arithmetic
such as adding, multiplying, and dividing.

A. POWER OF AN Usually we transform the problem into the basic formula:

IMAGINARY 𝒊𝟐 = −𝟏
𝒊𝟑 = 𝒊𝟐 . 𝒊 = −𝟏. 𝒊 = −𝒊

Example: Simplify 𝑖 50 , 𝑖1600 , 𝑖 2019

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

B. COMPLEX In this problem, just look at 𝑖 as a variable and then:

EXPRESSIONS
numbers go with numbers,
and imaginary parts come along together
Example 1: Simplify the expression below
(3 + 5𝑖) − (2 − 3𝑖)

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Example 2: What is the product of (4 + 𝑖)(5 − 2𝑖)?

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

96 | by Thu Le
C. COMPLEX When a complex number happens to be the denominator of a
FRACTION fraction, utilize its conjugate to translate 𝑖 into 𝑖 2 .
X X(ai − b) X(ai − b) X(ai − b)
= = 2 2 =
ai + b (ai + b)(ai − b) a . i − b 2 −a2 − b 2
2+3𝑖
Example 1: Simplify the expression into the form of 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖
1+𝑖

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
2+𝑖
Example 2: Express into the form of 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖. What is the
𝑖−5
sum of a and b?

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
1−8𝑖
Example 3: Express into the form of 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖. What is the
7−3𝑖
value of ab?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

by Thu Le |97
 CHAPTER 9

ANGLES

PHRASE
A. TYPES OF ANGLES

B. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANGLES

C. ANGLES IN POLYGONS

1. Interior Angles

2. Exterior Angles

by Thu Le | 101
A. TYPES OF There are five types of angles.
ANGELS
Size (in degrees
Type Example
and in radians)

𝛼 = 90° OR
Right angle 𝜋
𝛼 = (𝑟𝑎𝑑)
2

0° < 𝛼 < 90°

Acute angle 𝜋
0 < 𝛼 < (𝑟𝑎𝑑)
2

90° < 𝛼 < 180°

Obtuse angle 𝜋
< 𝛼 < 𝜋 (𝑟𝑎𝑑)
2

𝛼 = 180°
Straight angle
𝛼 = 𝜋 (𝑟𝑎𝑑)

𝛼 = 360°
Full rotation
𝛼 = 2𝜋 (𝑟𝑎𝑑)

102 | by Thu Le
B. RELATIONSHIP
Definition Example
BETWEEN
ANGLES
Vertical
angles are angles
Vertical angles opposite each
other where two
lines cross. ̂ = 𝐵𝑋𝐶
𝐴𝑋𝐷 ̂

Complementary
angles are two
angles with a
Complementary
sum of 90°. A
angles
common case is
when they form ̂ + 𝐶𝑋𝐷
𝐵𝑋𝐶 ̂ = 90°
a right angle

Supplementary
angles are two
angles with a
Supplementary sum of 180°. A
angles common case is
when they lie on
the same side of ̂ + 𝐷𝑋𝐶
𝐴𝑋𝐷 ̂ = 180°
a straight line.

When two parallel lines are cut by another line, there are many
pairs of equal angles.

Vertical angles are equal (e.g. ∠1 = ∠4)

Alternate interior angles are equal (e.g. ∠4 = ∠5)
Corresponding angles are equal. (e.g. ∠1 = ∠5)
Same side interior angles are supplementary
(e.g. ∠3 + ∠5 = 180°)

by Thu Le | 103
A. ANGLES IN The sum of interior triangles of many common polygons are
POLYGONS shown below:

1. Interior angles

From the polygons above, each additional side increases the sum of
the interior angles by 180°. For any polygon, the sum of the interior
angles is
𝟏𝟖𝟎(𝒏 − 𝟐) with 𝒏 is the number of sides
OR you can easily split up the polygon into several triangles and
then multiply 180° to the number of triangles.
A regular polygon is one in which all sides and angles are equal.

2. Exterior angles An exterior angle is formed when any side of a triangle is extended.
The measure of an exterior angle is always equal to the sum of two
angles in the triangle furthest from it.

𝒙° is an exterior angle ↔ 𝒙° = 𝒂° + 𝒃°
Example: What is the value of x in the figure below?

104 | by Thu Le
98
 CHAPTER 10

TRIANGLE
&
TRIGONOMETRY
IN RIGHT TRIANGLE

PHRASE
A. TYPES OF TRIANGLES
B. TRIANGLE INEQUALITY THEOREM
C. THALES THEOREM
1. Thales theorem in triangles
2. Thales theorem in trapezoids
D. PYTHAGOREAN’S THEOREM
1. Isosceles Right Triangle
2. Half of An Isosceles Triangles
E. TRIGONOMETRY

by Thu Le |109
A. TYPES OF The sum of three interior angles in a triangle is equal to 180°. Due
TRIANGLES to the size of angles and sides, we have many types of triangles.

Definition Example

A triangle with three

Acute triangles
acute angles.

Obtuse A triangle with one

triangles obtuse angle.

A triangle with one

Right triangles
right angle.

A triangle with three

Scalene
sides that are not
triangles
equal.

Isosceles A triangle with two

triangles equal sides.

A triangle with three

Equilateral
equal sides and three
triangles
equal angles.

Two triangles are

similar when:
Two pairs of
corresponzding
angles are
equal.
Three pairs of
corresponding
Similar sides are
triangles proportional
Two pairs of
corresponding
sides are
proportional
and the
corresponding
angles between
them are equal.

110 | by Thu Le
 Example: In the figure below, the triangle ABC is equilateral. What
is the value of 𝑗 + 𝑘 + 𝑙 + 𝑚 + 𝑛 + 𝑜?
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

B. TRIANGLE For any side in a particular triangle, we

INEQUALITY have an inequality:
THEOREM
𝒂−𝒃<𝒄<𝒂+𝒃
If the sum of two sides turns out to be
equal to the third one, it’s enough to make
a line, but NOT a triangle.
Example 1: In ∆ABC below, AB = 3 and BC = 4, how many
integer values are possible for the length of AC?
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
___________________________________________________

Example 2: A triangle has one side of length 5 and another side of

length 11. Which of the following could be the perimeter of the
triangle?
I. 20 II. 26 III. 30
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

by Thu Le |111
C. THALES Thales Theorem states that, if a line is parallel to a side of a triangle
THEOREM IN which intersects the other sides into two
TRIANGLES distinct points, then the line divides those
sides in proportion.
In ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶, 𝐴𝐶 is parallel to DE, so we have
the proportion:
𝑩𝑫 𝑩𝑬 𝑫𝑬
= =
𝑩𝑨 𝑩𝑪 𝑨𝑪

Example: In ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶 below, DE is parallel to AC, AD=2, DB=3,

and DE=6.
1. What is the length of AC?
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
________________________________
2. What is the ratio of the perimeter of ∆𝐵𝐷𝐸 to the perimeter
of ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. What is the ratio of the area of ∆𝐵𝐷𝐸 to the area of ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Be careful! However, the Thales theorem in trapezoids is quite different.

In the trapezoid ABCD,
AB is parallel to DC, so
we have the proportion
𝑨𝑶 𝑩𝑶 𝑨𝑩
= =
𝑶𝑪 𝑶𝑫 𝑫𝑪

112 | by Thu Le
D. PYTHAGOREAN’S In any right triangle, the
THEOREM IN Pythagorean’s theorem states
RIGHT that the square of the hypotenuse
TRIANGLES is equal to the sum of the squares
of the adjacent and the opposite
side.

𝒂𝟐 = 𝒃𝟐 + 𝒄𝟐
Using the formula of Pythagorean’s theorem, we have the
relationship among the sides in of these special right triangles below.

An Isosceles Right Triangle Half of an Equilateral Triangle

OR 45-45-90 triangle OR 30-60-90 triangle

Example 1: What is the area of ABC shown on the right?

_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________

Example 2: In the figure below, AD=DC, B=30, and AB=10.

What is the ratio of AC to CB?
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________

by Thu Le |113
E. TRIGONOMETRY 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆
𝒔𝒊𝒏(∠𝑨) =
IN RIGHT 𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒔𝒆
TRIANGLES
𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕
𝒄𝒐𝒔(∠𝑨) =
𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒔𝒆

𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒏(∠𝑨)
𝒕𝒂𝒏(∠𝑨) = =
𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒔(∠𝑨)

When ∠𝐴 and ∠𝐵 are complementary angles, 𝒔𝒊𝒏(∠𝑨) = 𝒄𝒐𝒔(∠𝑩)

𝝅
OR 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒙 = 𝒄𝒐𝒔(𝟗𝟎° − 𝒙); 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒙 = 𝒄𝒐𝒔( − 𝒙)
𝟐
The reverse is also true.

Otherwise, with any angle, we have the equation

𝒔𝒊𝒏(∠𝑨)𝟐 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔(∠𝑨)𝟐 = 𝟏

Remember! Example 1: If cos 40° = 𝑎, what is sin 50° in terms of a?

In SAT, you do not ___________________________________________________

need to memorize
___________________________________________________
trigonometric ratios.
Instead, you can ___________________________________________________
usually calculate them
___________________________________________________
in a right triangle.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Example 2: In a right triangle, one angle measures 𝑥° such that

tan 𝑥° = 0.75. What is the value of cos 𝑥°?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

114 | by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 11

CIRCLES

A. CIRCLE EQUATION
1. Writing a circle equation
from its center and radius
2. Writing a circle equation
from its center and a point on the circle
3. Writing a circle equation
from its diameter
4. Rewrite a circle equation
by "completing the square"

B. CIRCLE THEOREM
1. Definition and Symbols
2. Formulas of Diameter, Circumference,
and Area
3. Circle Theorem

by Thu Le |125
A. CIRCLE The standard form of a circle equation is
EQUATION expressed below: 𝑟
(𝒙 − 𝒂)𝟐 + (𝒚 − 𝒃)𝟐 = 𝒓𝟐 𝐼(𝑎; 𝑏)
with the center 𝐼(𝑎; 𝑏) and a radius, 𝑟.
Example: The equation of a circle in the 𝑥𝑦-plane is given below.
What are the coordinates of the center and the radius of the circle?
(𝑥 + 4)2 + (𝑦 − 2)2 = 49
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
1. Writing a circle Find the center and radius of the circle
equation when
you know its Example 1: A circle has a radius of √13 units and is centered at (−9; 4)
center and radius ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Writing a circle To find the radius, utilize the formula below to calculate the
equation when distance from a center to a point on the circle.
you know its
center and a point 𝒅𝑨𝑩 = √(𝒙𝑨 − 𝒙𝑩 )𝟐 + (𝒚𝑨 − 𝒚𝑩 )𝟐
on the circle 1 2
Example: A circle in the 𝑥𝑦-plane has its center at ( ; − ). If the
2 3
5
point (0; ) lies on the circle, what is the equation of the circle?
6

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

3. Writing a circle A center is defined as the midpoint of a diameter.

equation when 𝒙𝑨 + 𝒙𝑩 𝒚𝑨 + 𝒚𝑩
you know its 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝑨𝑩 = ( ; )
𝟐 𝟐
diameter.
Example: A circle in the 𝑥𝑦-plane a diameter with endpoints at
(0; 3) and (−4; 0). What is the equation of the circle?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

126 | by Thu Le
4. Rewrite a circle (𝒂 ± 𝒃)𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 ± 𝟐𝒂𝒃 + 𝒃𝟐
equation by
"completing the Example:
square." 1. 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 22𝑥 + 30𝑦 + 90 = 0.
A circle in the 𝑥𝑦-plane has the equation above. Write the equation
in its standard form and define its center and radius.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 10𝑥 + 32𝑦 + 272 = 0.
A circle in the xy-plane has the equation above. What are the center
and the length of its radius?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. 4𝑥 2 + 4𝑦 2 − 24𝑥 = 28.
A circle in the 𝑥𝑦-plane has the equation above. What is the
diameter of the circle?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

by Thu Le |127
B. CIRCLE
THEOREMS Shaded Sector

Central Angle

Arc Length

This ratio is the only formula you need to solve most circle
problems in SAT.

𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 (°) 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 (𝒓𝒂𝒅) 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒓𝒄 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉

= = =
𝟑𝟔𝟎° 𝟐𝝅 𝑨 𝑪

𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑑) = 2𝜋𝑟

with { 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 (𝐴) = 𝜋𝑟 2
𝐶𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 (𝐶) = 2𝜋𝑟

Example :
Anatoli is making a cement step for
his patio in the shape of a sector of
a circle as shown at right. He has
enough cement to fill an area of 3.6
square meters (𝑚2 ) such that the
central angle is 1.21 radians. What
must be the radius of the circular
sector, 𝑟, according to this design?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

128 | by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 12

VOLUME

by Thu Le |143
FORMULAS

Rectangular
𝑽 = 𝒍𝒘𝒉
Prism

Triangular 𝒃𝒉𝒍
Prism 𝑽=
𝟐

Cylinder 𝑽 = 𝝅𝒓𝟐 𝒉

𝟏
Pyramid 𝑽= 𝒍𝒘𝒉
𝟑

𝟏 𝟐
Cone 𝑽= 𝝅𝒓 𝒉
𝟑

𝟒 𝟑
Sphere 𝑽= 𝝅𝒓
𝟑

144 | by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 13

PERCENTAGES

PHRASE
A. ORGINAL PERCENT
1. The Percent of A Number
2. The Percent of Two Objects
B. PERCENT CHANGES
1. Series of Percent Changes
2. Change in Percent
C. INTERST
1. Simple Interest
2. Compound Interest

by Thu Le |147
A. THE 𝐚
𝐚% of X = .X
MEANING OF 𝟏𝟎𝟎
PERCENT Example 1: Jacob got 50% of the questions correct on a 30-
question test and 90% on a 50-question test. What percent of all
questions did Jacob get correct?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Example 2: A record of driving violations by type and vehicle is
shown below.

Speeding Stop Sign Parking Total

Truck 68 39 17 124
Car 83 51 26 160
Total 151 90 43 284

1. Which is closest to the percent of recorded parking

violations that were committed by trucks?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
! Remember: Data 2. If the data were used to estimate driving violation
from survey collection information about 2,000 total violations in a certain state,
and real-life statistics which is the best estimate of the number of speeding
change; only the violations committed by cars in the state?
percentage remains.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

B. PERCENT A is a% greater than B A = (100+a)%B

CHANGES A is a% less than B A = (100-a)%B
1. Series of
percent Example 3: The price of a dress is increased by 20%, then
changes decreased by 40%, then increased by 25%. The final price is what
percent of the original price?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

148 | by Thu Le
 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 − 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞
% 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞
2. The change in Example 4: In a particular store, the number of computers sold the
percent week of Black Friday was 470. The number of computers sold the
previous week was 320. What is the percent increase in the
computer sales from the previous week to the week of Black Friday?
Round your answer to the nearest hundredth.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
C. INTEREST
PROBLEMS
1. Simple SIMPLE interest only gives you the same amount each time.
Interest 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 = 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 × (𝟏 ± 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 × 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞)
Example: Gaga bought a $4,000 government bond that yields 7%
in simple interest each year. What is the total amount, in dollars,
Gaga will receive when she sells the bond after 10 years? Round the
answer to the nearest cent.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

2. Compound COMPOUND interest lets you earn interest on the interest you’ve
Interest earned.
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 = 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 × (𝟏 ± 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞)𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞
Example 1: Jonas has a savings account that earns 3 percent
interest compounded annually. Her initial deposit was $1000. Which
of the following expressions gives the value of the account after 10
years?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
! Be careful to
Example: Lovato opens a bank account that earns 5% interest each
NOTICE the unit of
year, compounded every quarter. If she opens the account with
time.
$10,000, what is the total amount in her account after 5 years?
Round the answer to the nearest whole numbers.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

by Thu Le |149
 CHAPTER 14

PROBABILITY
What you should know:
This is one of the easy parts in the SAT. Normally, they will ask you figure out the
probability of a SINGLE event. Probability of MULTIPLE events will appear mostly
in the SAT Subject Tests. Don’t worry!

by Thu Le |155
PROBABILITY OF Every probability is a fraction or a percent.
A SINGLE EVENT
The LARGEST probability can be 1.
The SMALLEST probability can be 0.
𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐱
𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐱 =
𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬
? But what are possible
outcomes? Example 1:
When you flip a coin, there are only two possible outcomes, heads
1
and tails. The probability of getting heads is 1 out of 2, or .
2
When you roll a die, there are six possible outcomes, 1 through 6;
1
THE ODDS of getting a 6 is therefore .
6

? How to define target Example 2:

outcomes and possible
outcomes?
Beef Chicken
First Class 18 27
Coach 62 138

The table above summarizes the meat preferences of passengers on

a particular flight. If a first class passenger is chosen at random
from this flight, what is the probability that the passenger chosen
prefers beef?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Example 3:

Cars Trucks Total

First shift 173 126 299
Second shift 182 143 325
Third shift 165 109 274
Total 520 378 898

If a vehicle is selected at random at the end of the day, which of the

following is closest to the probability that the vehicle will be either
a car produced during the first shift or a truck produced during the
third shift?
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
156 | by Thu Le
 CHAPTER 15

READING
DATA
PHRASE
A. COMMON CHARTS AND GRAPHS
1. Line Chart
2. Histogram
3. Data Table
4. Gantt Chart
B. SCATTER PLOT
1. Definition
2. Correlation
3. Trend Model

by Thu Le |165
A. COMMON Interpreting Charts and Graphs may seem to be the easiest Math
CHARTS AND section because most of them just test you on simple arithmetic.
GRAPHS However, you must pay attention on each feature represented on
graphs, especially units, figure of x- and y-axis, etc.

1. Line Chart Example 1:

The complete graph of
the function 𝑓 is shown in
the 𝑥𝑦-plane. For what
value of x is the value of
𝑓(𝑥) at its maximum?

Example 2:
Anne runs at different
speeds as part of her
training program. The
graph shows her target
heart rate at different
times during her workout.
In which interval is the
target heart rate strictly
decreasing then strictly
increasing?

2. Histogram Example 1:
The number of rooftops
with solar panel
installations in 5 cities is
shown in the graph. If the
total number of
installations is 27,500,
what is an appropriate
label for the vertical axis
of the graph?
A. Number of installations (in tens)
B. Number of installations (in hundreds)
C. Number of installations (in thousands)
D. Number of installations (in tens of thousands)

166 | by Thu Le
 Example 2:
The bar graph above shows renewable energy consumption in
quadrillions of British
thermal units (Btu) in the
United States, by energy
source, for several energy
sources in the years 2000
and 2010.
Of the following, which
best approximates the
percent decrease in
consumption of wood
power in the United States
from 2000 to 2010
A. 6% B. 11% C. 21% D. 26%

3. Data Table

The table above lists the annual budget, in thousands of dollars, for
each of six different state programs in Kansas from 2007 to 2010.
1. Which of the following best approximates the average rate of
change in the annual budget for agriculture/natural resources
in Kansas from 2008 to 2010?
A. $50,000,000 per year
B. $65,000,000 per year
C. $75,000,000 per year
D. $130,000,000 per year
2. Of the following, which program’s ratio of its 2007 budget to
its 2010 budget is closest to the human resources program’s
ratio of its 2007 budget to its 2010 budget?
A. Agriculture/natural resources
B. Education
C. High ways and transportation
D. Public safety

by Thu Le |167
4. Gantt Chart Example:
Customers can park in
the Ace Parking Garage
for a maximum of 8
hours, and the fees
charged for parking
depend on the length of
time parked, as shown in
the graph to the right.
According to the graph,
which of the following is
NOT true?
A. The fee for 2 hours of parking is twice the fee for 1
hour of parking.
B. The fee for 4 hours of parking is twice the fee for 2
hours of parking.
C. The fee for 3 hours of parking is the same as the fee for
1
3 hours of parking.
2
D. The maximum fee for parking is 16 dollars.

168 | by Thu Le
B. SCATTERPLOT A scatterplot is a type of data display that shows the relationship
between two numerical variables. Each member of the dataset gets
plotted as a point whose (𝑥; 𝑦) coordinates relates to its values for
the two variables.
Example:
The scatterplot on the right shows the
shoe sizes and quiz scores for students in
a class.
Each data point is a student whose
𝑥 −coordinate gives their shoe size and
𝑦 −coordinate gives their quiz score.

1. Correlation When the y variable tends to increase as the x variable increase, we

say there is a positive correlation between the variables.
In contrast, when the y variable tends to decrease as the x variable
increases, we say there is a negative correlation between them.
Also, there may be no clear relationship or no correlation between
the two variables.

2. Trend models Due to its correlation, we can analyze and interpret data represented
in the scatterplot to identify the model that fits the data such as
linear, quadratic, or exponential model. This model helps us to
predict the trend or give a conclusion on the graph.
Example: Liz’s math test included a
survey question asking how many hours
students spent studying for the test. The
scatter plot below show the relationship
between how many hours students spent
studying and their score on the test. A line
was fit to the data to model the
relationship.
What is the linear equation that best describes the given model?

by Thu Le |169
 CHAPTER 16

DATA
INFERENCES

PHRASE
1. A. CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
1. Definition
2. Formula
2. B. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE
1. Definition
2. Method to reduce margin of error
3.

by Thu Le |187
A. CONFIDENCE A Confidence Interval gives an estimated range of values which
LEVEL is likely to include an unknown population parameter, the
estimated range being calculated from a given set of sample data.
(Definition taken from Valerie J. Easton and John H. McColl’s Statistics
Glossary v1.1)

Confident Interval = Sample mean ± Margin of Error

Example 1:
In a study of 40 randomly selected captive Octopus vulgaris,
researchers found that the octopi could learn to integrate visual and
tactile information to find food after a mean of 119 trials. The
estimate had a margin of error of 18 trials at a 95% confidence
level. Which of the following is the most reasonable conclusion
about the number of trials it would take all captive Octopus vulgaris in
general to learn to find the food?
A. The evidence suggests that half of them would
require 119 or fewer trials.
B. The evidence suggests that the mean number of trials would
be 119 trials.
C. The evidence suggests that the mean number of trials would
be between 119 and 137 trials.
D. The evidence suggests that the mean number of trials would
be between 101 and 137 trials.

Example 2:
In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 80.5%
of the participants had healthy levels of high-density lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol, the estimate has a margin of error of 1.5% at a
confidence level of 95%. The participants were a random sample
of United States (US) residents. If the US population at the time of
the study was 316 million people, what is the estimate at
a 95% confidence level of the number of people in the US who had
healthy levels of HDL cholesterol?
A. 237 million to 237 million people
B. 245 million to 264 million people
C. 250 million to 259 million people
D. 254 million to 300 million people

188 | by Thu Le
B. REPRESENTATIVE A representative sample is a small subset group that seeks to
SAMPLE proportionally reflect specified characteristics exemplified in a
target population.
For example, if you wanted to determine the relationship between
gratitude and job satisfaction in shark biologist, your sample might
consist of 30-40 individual shark biologists. Your population might
be “shark biologists in the United States”. However, if most shark
biologists in the population are women, but your sample is all male,
you do not have a good case for representativeness because your
sample does not share the same characteristics as the larger
population.
Though there will always be a little sampling error associated with
any study, you can reduce this margin of error by:
1. Considering your sampling frame (possible
participants) and recruitment procedures.
2. Randomly sampling from your sample frame to reduce
bias.
Example 1:
Wholesome Food Company asked all students on the baseball team
at Ridgemont High School the question, “Do you like broccoli?”
and 15% answered “Yes.” What can they conclude?
A. 15% of the outfielders on the baseball team like broccoli,
but we cannot conclude anything about the population.
B. 15% of all students on the baseball team at Ridgemont High
like broccoli.
C. 15% of all students at Ridgemont High like broccoli.

Example 2:
Ross wants to conduct a survey of his 400 classmates to determine
which candidate for class treasurer, Warren or Willa, is in the lead
in the upcoming election.
Ross will ask the question, “If the election were today, which
candidate would get your vote?”
Which of the following methods of surveying his classmates will
allow Ross to make valid conclusions about which candidate is in
the lead?
A. Ask the 50 students in his first and second period classes.
B. Put the names of all the students in a hat, and
draw 50 names. Ask those students whose names are drawn.

by Thu Le |189
 CHAPTER 17

STATISTICS

A. STATISTIC FEATURES
1. Mean
2. Median
3. Mode
4. Range
5. Standard Deviation

B. STATISTIC FEATURES IN VARIOUS

DATA DISPLAYS
1. Histogram
2. Dot plot
3. Box plot

by Thu Le |197
A. STATISTIC The science of statistics is all about working with large groups of
FEATURES numbers and trying to see patterns and trends in those numbers. To
look at those numbers in different ways, statisticians use a variety of
tools.
1. Mean The mean (or arithmetic mean) of a set is simply its average value
– the sum of all its elements divided by the number of elements.
Example:
1. The salaries at a small business with 7 employees are as
follow: $255000, $32000, $30000, $28000, $24000, $22000,
and $22000. Find the mean of the salaries.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. The average weight of a group of pandas is 200 pounds.
Another panda, weighing 230 pounds, joins the group,
raising the average weight of the entire group to 205
pounds. How many pandas were in the original group?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

2. Median The median is the number in the middle when the set is in order.
If the set has an odd number of elements, then there will be one
value in the exact middle, which is the median value. If the set has
an even number of elements, then there will be two middle values;
the median value will be the average of these two middle values.
Example:
1. Find the median of the following set of points in a game:
15, 14, 10, 8, 12, 8, 16
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Find the median of the following set of points:
15, 14, 10, 8, 12, 8, 16, 13
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

198 | by Thu Le
3. Mode The mode is the value that occurs most often in the set.
Example: What is the mode of the following numbers?
1, 2, 4, 6, 41, 2, 4, 6, 4
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

4. Range The range is the positive difference between the set’s highest and
lowest values.
Example: What is the range of data in the table below?

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

5. Standard The standard deviation is a measure of how spread out a list of

Deviation numbers is. In other words, how much they “deviate” from the
mean. The standard deviation is lower when more numbers are
closer to the mean. The standard deviation is higher when more
numbers are spread out away from the mean.
Example: The blue distribution on bottom has a greater standard
deviation (SD) than the green distribution on top:

Interestingly, standard deviation cannot be negative. A standard

deviation close to 0 indicates that the data points tend to be close
to the mean (shown by the dotted line). The further the data points
are from the mean, the greater the standard deviation.

by Thu Le |199
B. STATISTIC A histogram displays numerical data by grouping data into "bins"
FEATURES IN of equal width. Each bin is plotted as a bar whose height
VARIOUS DATA corresponds to how many data points are in that bin. The heights
DISPLAYS of the bars tell us how many data points are in each bin.
Example: The histogram below summarizes the daily number of
1. Histogram
hours spent playing sports for 80 students at a school.

What is the mean, median, and range of daily number of hours spent
playing sports for the 80 students?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

2. Dot Plot The dot plot is very similar to the frequency table, but instead of
using numbers to show frequency, it uses dots. Each dot represents
a data point.

200 | by Thu Le
 Example: The following dot plot shows the number of chocolate
chips in each cookie that Shawn has. Each dot represents a different
cookie. Define is the mean, median, and range of Shawn’s cookies.

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

3. Box plot A box and whisker plot – also called a box plot – displays the five-
number summary of a set of data. The five-number summary is the
minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum.
In a box plot, we draw a box from the first quartile to the third
quartile. A vertical line goes through the box at the median. The
whiskers go from each quartile to the minimum or maximum.

The second quartile, Q2, is the median that divides the

lower half of the data values from the upper half.
The first quartile, Q1, is the median of the lower half of
the data values.
The third quartile, Q2, is the median of the upper half of
the data values.
Example: What is the median of
the cost of each lunch for the
month (in dollars) as reported in
the plot above?

by Thu Le |201