Chapter 17

Answers and Explanations

for Practice SAT Math Test 1

H
ere are the answers to the 58 questions from Practice SAT Math Test 1 in Chapter 16. For
each question, I provide a detailed explanation showing a possible way to find the correct
answer. I recommend reading these explanations to further hone your SAT math skills.

Section 3
1. 4. Kenny’s original hourly rate was $120 4 hours $30 / hour . His new hourly rate is
$170 5 hours $34 / hour . Thus, Kenny’s hourly rate increased by $4.

2. B. Between 0.5 and 1. Travis has committed to gaining 7.5 pounds in 5 months, so he
has committed to gaining 7.5 5 1.5 pounds per month. Using the conversion equation,
1 kilogram 2.2 pounds, you can make the following proportional equation:

1 kilogram x kilograms
2.2 pounds 1.5 pounds

To solve for x, begin by cross-multiplying, and then isolate x:

2.2 x 1.5
1.5
x 0.68
2.2

Therefore, Answer B is correct.

3. C. From minute 30 to minute 50. A time period indicating a steady increase without a
decrease has a positive slope on the graph. According to the graph, this only occurred from
minute 30 to minute 50, when Nia’s speed increased steadily from 5 to 7 miles per hour.
Therefore, Answer C is correct.

CHAPTER 17 Answers and Explanations for Practice SAT Math Test 1 269
 4. D. –27. Given f ( x ) 2 x 7, set up the calculation for 3f ( 1) as follows:

3f ( 1) 3[2( 1) 7]

Now, simplify:

3[ 2 7] 3[ 9] 27

Therefore, Answer D is correct.

5. C. 90. If Jack receives the maximum quiz score of 100 for his last three quizzes, then the
average of his eight scores will be as follows:

75 85 80 95 85 100 100 100 720

Average 90
8 8

This is the maximum that Jack can score, so Answer C is correct.

6. B. Negative correlation. The graph shows a general tendency for students who have been
absent more days to have a lower average grade, and for students who have been absent
fewer days to have a higher average grade. This is a negative correlation between the two
metrics, so Answer B is correct.

7. 123. The left-side triangles in the figure are both right triangles, so 30 and p are a pair of
complementary angles, which add up to 90 , so p 60 . The three angles along the bottom
line of the figure comprise a straight line, so the sum of these three angles is 180 ; there-
fore, q 33 . The right-side triangle is also a right triangle, so q and r are a pair of
complementary angles, so r 57 . Finally, r and s are a pair of supplementary angles,
which add up to 180 , so s 123 . Therefore, the correct answer is 123.

3 3x
8. D. . Begin by dividing both sides of the equation 4 by 3:
2 y
x 4
y 3

Now, flip both sides to their reciprocals:

y 3
x 4

To finish, multiply both sides of the equation by 2, and simplify the right side:

2y 6 3
x 4 2

Therefore, Answer D is correct.

9. 20. To solve the equation |2b 19| 7 14 , begin by adding 7 to both sides:

|2b 19| 21

Next, split the equation into two separate equations as follows:

2b 19 21 2b 19 21
2b 40 2b 2
b 20 b 1

The problem states that b 0, so the correct answer is 20.

270 PART 6 Practice Makes Perfect: SAT Math Section Practice Tests
10. A. 3 3 . Both triangles ABC and ADE are 30 60 90 right triangles. Thus, both of these
triangles have a short leg, a long leg, and a hypotenuse that are in a 1 : 3 : 2 ratio, and so
3 3 3
ED 3 , and DA 3 3 . Thus, BA 3 3 3 , so CB . Rationalize this value as follows:
3
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 9
CB 3 3
3 3 3 3

Therefore, Answer A is correct.

25
11. C. . In the quadratic function y 2 x 2 5 x c , a 2 and b 5 . When the discriminant
8
2
b 4ac 0 , the function has only one x-intercept. With this information, solve the follow-
ing equation for c:

( 5)2 4( 2 )c 0
25 8c 0
25 8c
25
c
8

Therefore, Answer C is correct.

35
12. B. . The radius of the circle is 5. Convert the number of degrees of arc from degrees to
9
radians as follows:

7
140
180 9

Now, plug these values into the formula for arclength:

7 35
Arclength radius radians
9 9

Therefore, Answer B is correct.

122
13. D. g ( x ) x . The graph of g ( x ) is a line that passes through f ( x ) at a right angle,
3 3
1
so the slope of g ( x ) is the negative reciprocal of that of f ( x ). Thus, g ( x ) x b . To find
3
the value of b, calculate f ( 4 ) as follows:

f ( 4 ) 3( 4 ) 6 12 6 6
1
Thus, the intersection of f ( x ) and g ( x ) is (4, 6). Plug these two values into g ( x ) x b to
3
find the value of b:

1
6 (4) b
3
4
6 b
3
4
6 b
3
18 4
b
3 3
22
b
3
1 22
So g ( x ) x . Therefore, Answer D is correct.
3 3

CHAPTER 17 Answers and Explanations for Practice SAT Math Test 1 271
 105
14. C. 4 x 23 . Divide the numerator 4 x 2 3 x 10 by the denominator x 5 using
x 5
synthetic division:

5 4 3 10
20 115
4 23 105
105
This result means that 4 x 23 is equivalent to the original expression, so Answer C
x 5
is correct.

15. C. 41 z 64 . The median value in the set is y, so y 25 . Thus, 0 x 25, so 1 x 24. The
range of values is 40, so z is exactly 40 greater than x. Therefore, 41 z 64, so Answer C
is correct.

16. D. 54. To begin, evaluate f ( 4 ):

f ( 4 ) 2( 4 ) 3 11

Now, plug in 11 for f ( 4 ) into g ( f ( 4 )) :

g ( f ( 4 )) g (11)

To complete the problem, evaluate g(11):

5(11) 1 55 1 54

Therefore, Answer D is correct.

1 k
17. D. y x 1. The function is linear, so it has the form y mx b . To find the slope, use
3
y 2 y1
the slope formula m , substituting in the two values of x and y from the points given:
x 2 x1
1 k 1 k
m
0 ( 3) 3

So, use this value for the slope:

1 k
y x b
3

The graph passes through the point (0, 1), so its y-intercept is 1. Substitute this value for b
into the equation:

1 k
y x 1
3

Therefore, Answer D is correct.

18. 39,000. The car that Antonio assessed was four years old, so plug in 4 for t into the function
and simplify:

V ( 4 ) P ( 0.82 ) 4
V 0.45 P

272 PART 6 Practice Makes Perfect: SAT Math Section Practice Tests
 The car had lost $21,367.25 of its value, so V P 21, 367.25 . Plug in this value for V into the
equation and solve for P:

P 21, 367.25 0.45 P

0.55 P 21, 367.25
0.55 P 21, 367.25
0.55 0.55
P 38, 849.55

Even accounting for rounding errors accumulated along the way, when rounded to the
nearest thousand dollars, P is approximately 39,000.

3 1
19. A. . An n-sided die has n – 8 sides that are greater than 8, and each of these sides has a
4 n
probability of landing face up. Thus, the probability that one of these sides will land face up
n 8 3
is . To find n, set this value equal to and solve:
n 5
n 8 3
n 5
5( n 8 ) 3n
5n 40 3n
2n 40
n 20

Thus, the die that Ariel is working with has 20 sides, each with a different positive integer
from 1 to 20, 15 of which are greater than 5. Thus, calculate the probability that one of these
sides will land face up as follows:

15 3
20 4

Therefore, Answer A is correct.

y x
20. C. . Recall that the three trig ratios are as follows:
x2 y2
Opposite Adjacent Opposite
sin cos tan
Hypotenuse Hypotenuse Adjacent

y
If tan , then the opposite side of the triangle from has a length of y, and the adjacent
x
side has a length of x (or these lengths are in proportion to y and x). Thus, by the
Pythagorean Theorem, the hypotenuse of the triangle equals x2 y 2 . Thus:

Opposite Adjacent y x y x
sin cos
Hypotenuse Hypotenuse x2 y2 x2 y2 x2 y2

Therefore, Answer C is correct.

21. 2. The formula for the difference of two cubes is:

a3 b3 ( a b )( a 2 ab b 2 )

You can rewrite the equation as follows:

a3 b3
1
( a b )( a 2 b 2 ab )

CHAPTER 17 Answers and Explanations for Practice SAT Math Test 1 273
 Now, plug in 183.5 for a 3 b 3 , 62.5 for a 2 b 2 , and 29.25 for ab:

183.5
1
( a b )( 62.5 29.25 )

Simplify and solve:

169
1
( a b )( 91.75 )
2
1
a b
2 a b

Therefore, the correct answer is 2.

22. D. y x 4 x 3 13 x 2 x 12 . The function y x 3 2 x 2 11x 12 has a y-intercept of 12,

so it fails Mei’s criterion; therefore, Answer A is incorrect. The other three functions have
y-intercepts of –12, so they all pass this test. The function y x 4 7 x 3 11x 2 7 x 12 is a
positive 4th-degree polynomial, so it increases as x decreases, which fails Ruthie’s crite-
rion; therefore, Answer C is incorrect. The remaining two functions pass this test. To test
which of them has a factor of x – 4, do synthetic division on both as follows:

4 1 6 5 12 4 1 1 13 1 12
4 40 180 4 12 4 12
1 10
0 45 168 1 3 1 3 0

Thus, the function y x 3 6 x 2 5 x 12 doesn’t have a factor of x – 4, but y x4 x3

13 x 2 x 12 does, so Answer D is correct.

Section 4
1. C. 2 x y 5. To put the equation into slope-intercept form, move the x-term to the right
side as follows:

2x y 5 2x y 5 2x y 5 2x y 5
y 2x 5 y 2x 5 y 2x 5 y 2x 5

Thus, only 2 x y 5 results in an equation that has a slope of 2 and a y-intercept of 5,

so Answer C is correct.

2. 42. To find the answer, set up and solve the following proportional equation:

x 100
4 9.58
9.58 x 400
400
x 42
9.58

Therefore, the correct answer is 42.

274 PART 6 Practice Makes Perfect: SAT Math Section Practice Tests
 1 2
3. D. 7. Begin by changing n to n , and then multiplying the resulting equation by the
2 4
common denominator of 4 to remove the fractions:

1 3 11
n
2 4 4
2 3 11
n
4 4 4
2n 3 11
2n 14
n 7

Therefore, Answer D is correct.

4. 23.5. Begin by adding 5 to both sides of the equation 7 x 5 13.5:

7x 18.5

Now, to solve quickly, add another 5 to both sides of the equation:

7x 5 23.5

Therefore, the correct answer is 23.5.

5. D. $720.00. Let x equal the price of the bicycle when not on sale. A 15% decrease on x is
equal to 85% of that value, so you can make the following word equation:

85% of x 612

Rewrite as a math equation and solve:

0.85 x 612
0.85 x 612
0.85 0.85
x 720

Therefore, Answer D is correct.

6. A. –35. To solve the system of equations, multiply the first of the two equations by –2:

6x 8 y 2
7x 8 y 9

Now, add the two equations together:

x 7

Plug in x for 7 into the simpler of the two equations, and solve for y:

3(7 ) 4 y 1
21 4 y 1
4y 20
y 5

Therefore, xy (7 )( 5 ) 35, so Answer A is correct.

CHAPTER 17 Answers and Explanations for Practice SAT Math Test 1 275
 7. B. 9. The formula for the volume of a cylinder is V r 2h. Substitute 567 for the volume V
and 7 for the height h:

567 r 2 (7 )

Solve for r:

567 r 2 (7 )
81 r2
2
81 r
9 r

Therefore, Answer B is correct.

8. 91. To find the average cost, first calculate the total cost as follows:

$87.50 6 $112 $637

Now, divide this total by 7 to get the average cost per night:

$637
$91
7

Therefore, the correct answer is 91.

9. A. x 2 x 7 14. Begin by FOILing:

(x 7 )( x 2 7 ) x2 2x 7 x 7 2 7 7

Note that 2 x 7 x 7 x 7 , so combine like terms as follows:

x2 x 7 2 7 7

Note that 2 7 7 2(7 ) 14 , so complete the problem as follows:

x2 x 7 14

Therefore, Answer A is correct.

17 31
10. C. y x . A linear relationship has the equation y mx b . Begin by using the slope
2 2
y 2 y1
formula m , plugging in the four values in the table:
x 2 x1
27 10 17
m
5 3 2
17 17
Thus, the equation has a slope of , so it’s y x b, which rules out Answers A and B.
2 2
To find the y-intercept, plug in 3 for x and 10 for y:

17
10 3 b
2
51
10 b
2
51
10 b
2
20 51
b
2 2
31
b
2

Therefore, Answer C is correct.

276 PART 6 Practice Makes Perfect: SAT Math Section Practice Tests
11. D. 6. The minimum point on an absolute value function is its vertex, whose parent function
is at (0, 0). The function f ( x ) | x 5| 1 has a vertical shift up 1 and a horizontal shift right
5, so its vertex is at (5, 1). Thus, h k 6, so Answer D is correct.

12. D. Both teams have the same range, but St. Bartholomew’s has a greater standard deviation.
Calculate the range by subtracting the least height from the greatest height:

Corpus Christi: 6 ' 5" 5' 10" 7"

St. Bartholomew’s: 6' 6" 5' 11" 7"

Thus, both teams have the same range, which rules out Answers A and B. At Corpus Christi,
the middle-height players are more closely clustered around the average height. At
St. Bartholomew’s, the middle-height players are more spread toward the edges of the
range. Thus, St. Bartholomew’s has the greater standard deviation, so Answer D is correct.

x 5
13. D. 3 3. To find the inverse, begin by changing f ( x ) to y:
2
y 2( x 3)3 5

Next, switch the x and y in this equation:

x 2( y 3)3 5

Now, solve this new equation for x in terms of y:

x 5 2( y 3 ) 3
x 5
( y 3)3
2
x 5
3 y 3
2
x 5
3 3 y
2
1
The resulting function is f ( x ), so Answer D is correct.

14. 0. To begin, plug in 0 for x and 3 for y into the function and solve for q:

y px q
3 p0 q
3 q

Thus, the function is y px 3 . Now, plug in 2 for x and 9 for y into this function and solve
for p:

y px 3
9 2p 3
6 2p
3 p

Therefore, p q 3 3 0, so the correct answer is 0.

CHAPTER 17 Answers and Explanations for Practice SAT Math Test 1 277
 15. A. f ( x ) ( x 2 )( x 2 ) 2. Expand each of the four functions, and then calculate the leading
and constant terms of the functions as follows:

( x 2 )( x 2 ) 2 ( x 1) 2 ( x 8 )
( x 2 )( x 2 )( x 2 ) ( x 1)( x 1)( x 8)
3 3
x ... 8 x ... 8
2
( x 1)( x 8 ) 2( x 2 ) 2
( x 1)( x 8 )( x 8 ) 2( x 2 )( x 2 )
x 3 ... 64 2 x 2 ... 8

Only the function f ( x ) ( x 2 )( x 2 ) 2 results in a constant term that is –8, so Answer A is

correct.

1
16. C. . Begin by rewriting 8 equivalently as 2 3 and then simplifying:
8
2n 1
8 3n
2n 1
(2 3 ) 3n
n 1
2 2 9n

Now, drop the bases, setting the exponents equal, and solve for n:

n 1 9n
1 8n
1
n
8

19
17. 9.5 or . A system of linear equations has infinitely many solutions only when the coeffi-
2
cients of like terms and the constants all have a common ratio. In the given system, the
first equation has a constant that’s twice that of the second, so:

3
a 4 2 8 b 1.5
2
19
Thus, a b 8 1.5 9.5, so the correct answer is 9.5 or .
2
18. C. The probability that a person chosen at random who owns no dogs owns at least 1 cat.

The probability that a person chosen at random who owns no cats owns at least 1 dog:

28
80%
35

The probability that a person chosen at random who owns at least 1 cat owns no dogs:

37
75.5%
49

The probability that a person chosen at random who owns no dogs owns at least 1 cat:

37
84.1%
44

278 PART 6 Practice Makes Perfect: SAT Math Section Practice Tests
 The probability that a person chosen at random who owns at least 1 dog owns no cats:

28
70%
40

The value 84.1% is greatest, so Answer C is correct.

19. B. p( 3 ) 2. A polynomial with a factor of x 3 has a zero when x 3 — that is, it includes
the point (3, 0). Similarly, a polynomial that produces a remainder of 2 when divided by
x 3 includes the point (3, 2). Thus, p( 3 ) 2, so Answer B is correct.

20. 6.91. First, calculate the amount that Andrea’s investment was worth after 3 years, rounding
the result to three decimal places:

$875(1.025 ) 3 $942.279

Next, calculate Brett’s investment:

$875(1.0275 ) 3 $949.191

Subtract Andrea’s investment from Brett’s investment, and round to the nearest cent:

$949.191 $942.279 $6.912 $6.91

Therefore, the correct answer is 6.91.

21. C. 3. To begin, FOIL the left side of the equation ( px 2 )( qx 5 ) 18 x 2 3 x 10:

pqx 2 5 px 2qx 10 18 x2 3 x 10

Because this equation is true for all values of x, you can set the coefficients for the x 2-terms
equal to each other, and do the same for the coefficients of the x-terms as follows:

pq 18 5 p 2q 3

To finish solving, try plugging in each of the four answers as p into the first equation:

p 1: p 2: p 3: p 6
1q 18 2q 18 3q 18 6q 18
q 18 q 9 q 6 q 3

Now, try plugging in each resulting pair of values for p and q into the second equation:

5(1) 2(18 ) 3 5( 2 ) 2( 9 ) 3 5( 3 ) 2( 6 ) 3 5( 6 ) 2( 3 ) 3
5 36 3 10 18 3 15 12 3 30 6 3
31 3 8 3 3 3 24 3

Therefore, Answer C is correct.

9
22. C. . The quadratic equation j ( x ) x2 b1 x c1 has x-intercepts at –3 and 1, so its
4
equation is:

j( x ) ( x 3 )( x 1) x2 2x 3

CHAPTER 17 Answers and Explanations for Practice SAT Math Test 1 279
 The quadratic equation k( x ) x2 b2 x c 2 has a vertex at (5, –10), so its equation is:

k( x ) ( x 5 ) 2 10 x 2 10 x 15

To find (m, n), where these two functions intersect, begin by setting them equal and
­solving for x:

x2 2 x 3 x 2 10 x 15
2x 3 10 x 15
12 x 18
18 3
x
12 2
3
So m . To find n, plug this value into either function and solve:
2
3 3 3 9 9
j( ) ( ) 2 2( ) 3 3 3
2 2 2 4 4

Therefore, Answer C is correct.

280 PART 6 Practice Makes Perfect: SAT Math Section Practice Tests