Question ID b8f13a3a

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: b8f13a3a

Function is defined by , where and are constants. In the xy-plane, the graph of has a y-intercept at . The product of and is
. What is the value of ?

ID: b8f13a3a Answer

Correct Answer: 20

Rationale

The correct answer is 20. It’s given that 𝑓𝑥 = - 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏. Substituting -𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 for 𝑓𝑥 in the equation 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 - 12 yields 𝑦 = - 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 - 12. It’s given that the y-intercept of the graph of
𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 - 12 is 0, - 75 . Substituting 0 for 𝑥 and - 75 for 𝑦 in the equation 𝑦 = - 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 - 12 yields - 75 = - 𝑎0 + 𝑏 - 12, which is equivalent to - 75 = - 1 + 𝑏 - 12, or - 75 = 𝑏 - 13. Adding 13
7 7 7 7 7
16 320 320 16 16 320
to both sides of this equation yields
7
= 𝑏. It’s given that the product of 𝑎 and 𝑏 is 7
, or 𝑎𝑏 = 7
. Substituting for 𝑏 in this equation yields 𝑎
7 7
= 7
. Dividing both sides of
16
this equation by yields 𝑎 = 20.
7

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7902bed0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 7902bed0

A machine launches a softball from ground level. The softball reaches a maximum height of meters above the ground at seconds and hits the ground at
seconds. Which equation represents the height above ground , in meters, of the softball seconds after it is launched?

A.

B.

C. msup

D. msup

ID: 7902bed0 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is correct. An equation representing the height above ground ℎ, in meters, of a softball 𝑡 seconds after it is launched by a machine from ground level can be written in
the form ℎ = - 𝑎𝑡 - 𝑏2 + 𝑐, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are positive constants. In this equation, 𝑏 represents the time, in seconds, at which the softball reaches its maximum height of 𝑐
meters above the ground. It's given that this softball reaches a maximum height of 51.84 meters above the ground at 1.8 seconds; therefore, 𝑏 = 1.8 and 𝑐 = 51.84. Substituting
1.8 for 𝑏 and 51.84 for 𝑐 in the equation ℎ = - 𝑎𝑡 - 𝑏2 + 𝑐 yields ℎ = - 𝑎𝑡 - 1.82 + 51.84. It's also given that this softball hits the ground at 3.6 seconds; therefore, ℎ = 0 when 𝑡 = 3.6.
Substituting 0 for ℎ and 3.6 for 𝑡 in the equation ℎ = - 𝑎𝑡 - 1.82 + 51.84 yields 0 = - 𝑎3.6 - 1.82 + 51.84, which is equivalent to 0 = - 𝑎1.82 + 51.84, or 0 = - 3.24𝑎 + 51.84. Adding
3.24𝑎 to both sides of this equation yields 3.24𝑎 = 51.84. Dividing both sides of this equation by 3.24 yields 𝑎 = 16. Substituting 16 for 𝑎 in the equation ℎ = - 𝑎𝑡 - 1.82 + 51.84
yields ℎ = - 16𝑡 - 1.82 + 51.84. Therefore, ℎ = - 16𝑡 - 1.82 + 51.84 represents the height above ground ℎ, in meters, of this softball 𝑡 seconds after it is launched.

Choice A is incorrect. This equation represents a situation where the maximum height is 3.6 meters above the ground at 0 seconds, not 51.84 meters above the ground at 1.8
seconds.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation represents a situation where the maximum height is 51.84 meters above the ground at 0 seconds, not 1.8 seconds.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a9084ca4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: a9084ca4

The given function models the number of advertisements a company sent to its clients each year, where represents the number of years since , and . If
is graphed in the xy-plane, which of the following is the best interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph in this context?

A. The minimum estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients during the years was .

B. The minimum estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients during the years was .

C. The estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients in was .

D. The estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients in was .

ID: a9084ca4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The y-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is the point where 𝑥 = 0. For the given function 𝑓, the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane can be
found by substituting 0 for 𝑥 in the equation 𝑦 = 9,0000.66𝑥 , which gives 𝑦 = 9,0000.660 . This is equivalent to 𝑦 = 9,0001, or 𝑦 = 9,000. Therefore, the y-intercept of the graph of
𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 is 0, 9,000. It’s given that the function 𝑓 models the number of advertisements a company sent to its clients each year. Therefore, 𝑓𝑥 represents the estimated number
of advertisements the company sent to its clients each year. It's also given that 𝑥 represents the number of years since 1997. Therefore, 𝑥 = 0 represents 0 years since 1997, or
1997. Thus, the best interpretation of the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 is that the estimated number of advertisements the company sent to its clients in 1997 was 9,000.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors. Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2c6f214f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 2c6f214f

The first term of a sequence is . Each term after the first is times the preceding term. If represents the th term of the sequence, which equation gives in terms of ?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 2c6f214f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. Since 𝑤 represents the 𝑛th term of the sequence and 9 is the first term of the sequence, the value of 𝑤 is 9 when the value of 𝑛 is 1. Since each term after
the first is 4 times the preceding term, the value of 𝑤 is 94 when the value of 𝑛 is 2. Therefore, the value of 𝑤 is 944, or 942 , when the value of 𝑛 is 3. More generally, the value of
𝑤 is 94𝑛 - 1 for a given value of 𝑛. Therefore, the equation 𝑤 = 94𝑛 - 1 gives 𝑤 in terms of 𝑛.

Choice A is incorrect. This equation describes a sequence for which the first term is 36, rather than 9, and each term after the first is 9, rather than 4, times the preceding term.

Choice B is incorrect. This equation describes a sequence for which the first term is 4, rather than 9, and each term after the first is 9, rather than 4, times the preceding term.

Choice C is incorrect. This equation describes a sequence for which the first term is 36, rather than 9.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 781c2f6e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 781c2f6e

The function is defined by , where and are integer constants and . The functions and are equivalent to function , where and
are constants. Which of the following equations displays the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient?

A. I only

B. II only

C. I and II

D. Neither I nor II

ID: 781c2f6e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. A y-intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is a point where the graph intersects the y-axis, or a point where 𝑥 = 0. Substituting 0 for 𝑥 in the equation defining
function 𝑓 yields 𝑓0 = 𝑎2.20 + 2.2𝑏 , or 𝑓0 = 𝑎1 + 2.2𝑏 . So, the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph is 𝑎1 + 2.2𝑏 , or equivalently, 𝑎 + 𝑎2.2𝑏 . It's given that function 𝑔 is
equivalent to function 𝑓, where 0 < 𝑎 < 𝑏. It follows that 𝑘 = 2.2𝑏 . Since 𝑎2.2𝑏 can't be equal to 0, the coefficient 𝑎 can't be equal to 𝑎 + 𝑎2.2𝑏 . Since 0 < 𝑎, the constant 𝑘, which
is equal to 2.2𝑏 , can't be equal to 𝑎 + 𝑎2.2𝑏 . Therefore, function 𝑔 doesn't display the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane as a constant or
coefficient. It's also given that function ℎ is equivalent to function 𝑓, where 0 < 𝑎 < 𝑏. The equation defining 𝑓 can be rewritten as 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎2.2𝑥 + 𝑎2.2𝑏 . It follows that 𝑚 = 𝑎2.2𝑏 .
Since 𝑎2.2𝑏 can't be equal to 0, the coefficient 𝑎 can't be equal to 𝑎 + 𝑎2.2𝑏 . Since 0 < 𝑎, the constant 𝑚, which is equal to 𝑎2.2𝑏 , can't be equal to 𝑎 + 𝑎2.2𝑏 . Therefore, function ℎ
doesn't display the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient. Thus, neither function 𝑔 nor function ℎ displays the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 in the xy-plane as a constant or coefficient.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors. Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 4a0d0399
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Math Advanced Math Nonlinear functions

ID: 4a0d0399

The function is defined by , where and are constants. In the -plane, the graph of has an -intercept at and a -intercept at .
What is the value of ?

ID: 4a0d0399 Answer

Correct Answer: -324

Rationale

The correct answer is -324. It's given that the function 𝑓 is defined by 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏, where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are constants. It's also given that the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑥 has a y-intercept at
0, - 323. It follows that 𝑓0 = - 323. Substituting 0 for 𝑥 and -323 for 𝑓𝑥 in 𝑓𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 yields -323 = 𝑎0 + 𝑏, or -323 = 1 + 𝑏. Subtracting 1 from each side of this equation yields
-324 = 𝑏. Therefore, the value of 𝑏 is -324.

Question Difficulty: Hard