Basic Mathematics
Numbers • Algebra • Geometry • Statistics & Probability
REVIEWER
Study guide for self-review — read, recall, and practice.
1. Number Sense and Operations
Order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS) tells you the sequence to evaluate an expression: Parentheses,
Exponents, Multiplication/Division (left to right), Addition/Subtraction (left to right).
Example: 3 + 4 × (6 − 2)² ÷ 8 → parentheses first: (6−2)=4 → exponent: 4²=16 → multiply: 4×16=64 → divide:
64÷8=8 → add: 3+8 = 11.
Fractions
• To add/subtract fractions, find a common denominator first: 1/3 + 1/4 = 4/12 + 3/12 = 7/12.
• To multiply fractions, multiply numerators and denominators straight across: 2/3 × 3/5 = 6/15 = 2/5.
• To divide fractions, multiply by the reciprocal: 2/3 ÷ 4/5 = 2/3 × 5/4 = 10/12 = 5/6.
Percentages
• Percent to decimal: divide by 100 (25% = 0.25).
• Finding a percentage of a number: 20% of 150 = 0.20 × 150 = 30.
• Percent change = (new value − old value) ÷ old value × 100.
2. Ratio, Proportion, and Rate
A ratio compares two quantities (e.g. 3:5). A proportion states two ratios are equal, and can be solved by cross-
multiplication.
Example: if 4 workers finish a job in 6 days, how many days for 8 workers? Since work is inversely proportional
to workers: 4 × 6 = 8 × d → d = 3 days.
• Speed = distance ÷ time; distance = speed × time; time = distance ÷ speed.
• Simple interest: I = Principal × Rate × Time.
3. Algebra Basics
An equation stays balanced as long as you do the same operation to both sides.
Example: solve 3x + 7 = 22 → subtract 7 from both sides: 3x = 15 → divide by 3: x = 5.
Key Rules
• Distributive property: a(b + c) = ab + ac.
• Combining like terms: 3x + 5x = 8x (only combine terms with the same variable and exponent).
• Exponent rules: xᵃ × xᵇ = xᵃ⁺ᵇ; xᵃ ÷ xᵇ = xᵃ⁻ᵇ; (xᵃ)ᵇ = xᵃᵇ; x⁰ = 1.
Quadratic Formula
For ax² + bx + c = 0, x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) ÷ 2a.
4. Geometry Essentials
Shape Perimeter/Circumference Area
Rectangle 2(l + w) l×w
Square 4s s²
Triangle sum of sides ½ × base × height
Circle 2πr πr²
• Pythagorean theorem (right triangles): a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse.
• Sum of interior angles: triangle = 180°, quadrilateral = 360°.
• Volume of a rectangular prism = length × width × height; volume of a cylinder = πr²h.
5. Statistics and Probability
Mean: the average — sum of values divided by the count of values.
Median: the middle value when data is arranged in order (average of two middle values if the count is even).
Mode: the value that occurs most frequently.
Range: the difference between the highest and lowest values.
Probability of an event = number of favorable outcomes ÷ total number of possible outcomes. For independent
events, multiply individual probabilities (e.g. probability of two coin flips both landing heads = 1/2 × 1/2 = 1/4).
QUICK CHECK — Can you answer these?
1. Evaluate: 5 + 2 × (8 − 3)² ÷ 5
2. What is 35% of 240?
3. Solve for x: 5x − 8 = 27
4. A right triangle has legs 6 and 8. Find the hypotenuse.
5. Find the mean, median, and mode of: 4, 8, 4, 9, 10, 4