Arithmetic - PSAT Math

If we plug-in a radius of 5, then a 20% increase would give us a new radius of 6 (which is 1.2 x 5). The area of the new circle is π(6)2 = 36π, and the area of the original circle was π(5)2 = 25π . The numerical increase (or difference) is 36π - 25π = 11π. Next we have to divide this difference by the original area: 11π/25π = .44, which multiplied by 100 gives us a percent increase of 44%. The percent increase = (the numerical increase between the new and original values)/(original value) x 100. The algebraic solution gives us the same answer. If radius r of a certain circle is increased by 20%, then the new radius would be (1.2)r. The area of the new circle would be 1.44 π r2 and the area of the original circle πr2. The difference between the areas is .44 π r2, which divided by the original area, π r2, would give us a percent increase of .44 x 100 = 44%.

$1,800,800 divided by 100 equals 18,008 and $2,130,346 divided by 18,008 is 118.3

So we know that $2,130,346 is 118.3% of the sales in the previous year. Hence sales increased by 18.3%.

The area of a square is given by , and if the side is doubled, the new area becomes . The increase is a factor of 4, which is 400%.

We need to find expressions for fifty percent of x and for thirty percent of the positive difference between x and y. Then, we can set these two expressions equal to each other and determine the ratio of x to y.

Fifty percent of x is equal to one-half of x, which is the same as multiplying x by 0.50.

50% of x = 0.5_x_

Thirty percent of the positive difference between x and y means that we need to multiply the positive difference between x and y by thirty percent. Because x > y, the positive difference between x and y is equal to x – y. We then need to take thirty percent of the quantity x – y. Remember that to convert from a percent to a decimal, we move the decimal two spaces to the left. Therefore, 30% = 0.30. We can now multiply this by (x – y).

30% of x – y = 0.30(x – y)

Now, we set the two expressions equal to one another.

0.5_x_ = 0.30(x – y)

Distribute the right side.

0.5_x_ = 0.3_x_ – 0.3_y_

The ratio of x to y is represent by x/y. Thus, we want to group the x and y terms on opposite sides of the equations, and then divide both sides by y.

0.5_x_ = 0.3_x_ – 0.3_y_

Subtract 0.3_x_ from both sides.

0.2_x_ = –0.3_y_

Divide both sides by 0.2

x = (–0.3/0.2)y

Divide both sides by y to find x/y.

x/y = (–0.3/0.2) = –1.5.

Because the answers are in fractions, we want to rewrite –1.5 as a fraction. We can write –1.5 as –1.5/1 and then mutiply the top and bottom by 2.

(–1.5/1)(2/2) = –3/2

The answer is –3/2

With this problem the first thing to do is cancel out variables. The x2 can all be divided by each other because they are present in each system. The equation will now look like this:

Now we can see that the equation can all be divided by y, leaving the answer to be:

Another way to represent this question is:

In the one's column, and add to produce a number with a two in the one's place. In the ten's column, we can see that a one must carry in order to get a digit in the hundred's place. Together, we can combine these deductions to see that the sum of and must be twelve (a one in the ten's place and a two in the one's place).

In the one's column:

The one carries to the ten's column.

In the ten's column:

The three goes into the answer and the one carries to the hundred's place. The final answer is 132. From this, we can see that because .

Using this information, we can solve for .

You can check your answer by returning to the original addition and plugging in the values of and .

_x_2 – _y_2 can be also expressed as (x + y)(x – y).

Therefore, the fraction now can be re-written as (x + y)(x – y)/(x + y).

This simplifies to (x – y).

Following this equation, you divide 4 by 8 to get 1/2. When a variable is raised to an exponent, and you are dividing, you subtract the exponents, so 6 – 3 = 3.

125 goes into 2000 evenly 16 times. 1/16 is the fraction in its simplest form.

120 goes into 6000 evenly 50 times, so we get 1/50 as our simplified fraction.

First we want to simplify the expression: .

One way to simplify this complex fraction is to find the least common multiple of all the denominators, i.e. the least common denominator (LCD). If we find this, then we can multiply every fraction by the LCD and thereby be left with only whole numbers. This will make more sense in a little bit.

The denominators we are dealing with are 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. We want to find the smallest multiple that these numbers have in common. First, it will help us to notice that 6 is a multiple of both 2 and 3. Thus, if we find the least common multiple of 4, 5, and 6, it will automatically be a multiple of both 2 and 3. Let's list out the first several multiples of 4, 5, and 6.

4: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60

5: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60

6: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60

The smallest multiple that 4, 5, and 6 have in common is 60. Thus, the least common multiple of 4, 5, and 6 is 60. This also means that the least common multiple of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 is 60. Therefore, the LCD of all the fractions is 60.

Let's think of the expression we want to simplify as one big fraction. The numerator contains the fractions 1/4, 1/3, and –1/5. The denominator of the fraction is 1/2, –1/6 and 1. Remember that if we have a fraction, we can multiply the numerator and denominator by the same number without changing the value of the fraction. In other words, x/y = (xz)/(yz). This will help us because we can multiply the numerator (which consists of 1/4, 1/3, and –1/5) by 60, and then mutiply the denominator (which consists of 1/2, –1/6, and 1) by 60, thereby ridding us of fractions in the numerator and denominator. This process is shown below:

= =

=

This means that a/b = 23/80. We are told that a and b are both positive and that their greatest common factor is 1. In other words, a/b must be the simplified form of 23/80. When a fraction is in simplest form, the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator equals one. Since 23/80 is simplified, a = 23, and b = 80. The sum of a and b is thus 23 + 80 = 103.

The answer is 103.

(2_x_ + 4)/(x + 2)

To simplify you must first factor the top polynomial to 2(x + 2). You may then eliminate the identical (x + 2) from the top and bottom leaving 2.

A negative exponent in the numerator of a fraction can be rewritten with a positive exponent in the denominator. The same is true for a negative exponent in the denominator. Thus, .

When is multiplied by , the numerators and denominators cancel out, and you are left with 1.

Set up the conversions as fractions and solve:

To simplify exponents which are being divided, subtract the exponents on the bottom from exponents on the top. Remember that only exponents with the same bases can be simplified

Factor both the numerator and the denominator:

After reducing the fraction, all that remains is:

Notice that the term appears frequently. Let's try to factor that out:

Now multiply both the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator:

To simply a fraction with variables, subtract exponents of like bases:

This leaves us with the expression:

Next, we know that to change negative exponents in the numerator into positive exponents, we place them in the denominator. Thus, our expression simplifies to: