- ----

Rates
Rates
I’ve found
I've problems to
rate problems
found rate to be pretty polarizing‐some
be pretty students just
polarizing-some students just “get"
"get" them intuitively, others
them intuitively, others get completely
get completely
Most of the
lost. Most rate problems
the rate problems on
on the SAT will bebe pretty straightforward,
pretty straightforward, but but for the ones that aren’t, highly
the ones that aren't, I highly
recommend using
recommend using conversion
conversion factors to set up up the solution ((if
the solution i f you’ve
you've gone through chemistry,
gone through you should
chemistry, you should
know
know what I ' m talking
what I'm talking about).
about) . Conversion are a fool-proof
factors are
Conversion factors fool-proof way approach a lot of these
way to approach problems,
these problems,
but they can
but can bebe slow-going stronger problem
slow-going for stronger I'll be
solvers.. I’ll
problem solvers be covering both the
covering both straightforward, intuitive
the straightforward, intuitive
approaches
approaches and
and the approach throughout
conversion factor approach
the conversion examples in this
throughout the examples chapter..
this chapter

EXAMPLE bicycle manufacturer

EXAMPLE 1: A bicycle manufacturer can produce 20
can produce bicycles per
20 bicycles per hour
hour.. How many hours
H o w many hours would take
would it take
the
the manufacturer produce 320
manufacturer to produce bicycles?
320 bicycles?

Easy enough. Wedivide

enough . We total by the rate
the total
divide the + 2020 =
rate to get 320 ...,... : [!§]hours
hours..

EXAMPLE 2:
EXAMPLE 2: A rocket
rocket has 360 gallons
has 360 gallons of fuel
fuel left
left after flight, and
hours of flight,
after 2 hours only 100
and only gallons after
100 gallons after 66 hours
hours
flight. It burns
of filght. gallons of fuel
burns n71gallons every hour
fuel for every flight, where
hour of flight, where n is a constant. What is the
constant. What value of n ??
the value

we are
Here, we
Here, figuring out
are figuring the rate.
o u t the rate. ln hours of flight, the rocket
In 6 -‐ 2 =z 4 hours burned 360 -‐ 100 =z 260 gallons
rocket burned gallons of
260 ILt:l
Therefore, the
fuel. Therefore, bums a? =
rocket bums
the rocket gallons of fuel every
z 5] gallons every hour.
hour .
4

EXAMPLE 3: A box
EXAMPLE at the
box at the supermarket hold 66 oranges
can hold
supermarket can oranges each. Each orange
each. Each orange costs 20 cents
costs 20 that
Given that
cents.. Given
the supermarket
the has a
supermarket has budget of $540
a budget $540 to stock oranges, how
stock oranges, how many will the
boxes will
many boxes supermarket be
the supermarket be able to
able to
fill?

If each
If each orange
orange is 20 cents, then aa dollar
cents , then would be
dollar would enough for 5 oranges.
be enough Five hundred
oranges . Five hundred forty dollars would then
dollars would then
be enough for 540 x 5 =z 2700 oranges,
be enough oranges, which
which would + 6=
would fill 2700 ...,... : j 450 Iboxes.
boxes.

The examples
examples above were quite
above were straightforward and
quite straightforward and didn 't really
didn’t really call for writing out conversion
writing out factors, but
conversion factors, but
what if
what if we wanted
wanted to use conversion factors
use conversion Example 3?
factors for Example 3? What the solution
would 've the
What would’ve solution looked
looked like?

IOOcents lgange 1l bbox

ox
540 0 W xx [Link]
5 [Link]-Ha"fs .centS" 1
x x ---- =
‐ 4450
0 boxes
0 m X 66ganges
2 .centS"
l1d o l i a r? X 20 5 boxes

32
 THE COLLEGE
THE COLLEGE PANDA
PANDA

As you
As you can
can see,
see, conversion factors are
conversion factors multipliers that
are multipliers that help you go
help you go from
from one
one set of units
set of units to
to another They’re
another.. They're
. . . . . . 1 oran e
usually expressed as
usually expressed fractions, and
as fractions, they represent
and they represent either
either information
information provided prov1ded byby the
the question
question ([Link])
(e.g. orange)
20 cents
, _ 100 cents)
cents Wh .. .. f
standard
or stan d ar d unit. .
u n i t conversmns ( e.g. mdollar
conversions (e.g. 100 ) .. When c o n v e r s 1 o n factors
usmg conversion
en using solve
actors to so 1ve a pro bl
problem, you must
em, you must set
set
1
them up
them up in the right sequence
the right sequence and with the
and with appropriate numerators
the appropriate numerators and denominators.
and denominators.
The
The rest
rest of the examples in this
the examples chapter are
this chapter are done with conversion
done with factors to teach
conversion factors teach you how they’re
you how used, even
they're used, even
though you
though you may be able
may be able to solve the
to solve problems "intuitively".
the problems “intuitively”.

EXAMPLE 4: A car
EXAMPLE can travel
car can mile in 1 minute
travel 1 mile and 15
minute and 15seconds.
second-s. At this rate,
Afthis how many
rate, how miles can
many miles the car
can the ear
travel in 1 hour?
travel hour?

In most
most rate problems, you'll
rate problems, you’ll start with what
start with what the question is asking
the question We need
asking for. We need to convert that 11 hour
convert that to aa
hour to
distance
distance that
that the
the car
car travels
travels.. The
The car's
car’s rate
rate is 1 mile every 75 seconds
mile every seconds..

1 r x 6 0 m m 60seeonfis 11 mile = 60 x 60 :
miles = I miles
1 hoof x 60 .mifl1:rtes x 60 _seetmcisx mile 60 x 60 miles
148
mil
r 1wear
hoof xlmimifixfiseeerfisz
[Link] 75 _seetmcis 75 75 es

The units
The should cancel
units should as you
cancel as go along.
you go along. If the
the units canceling, chances
are canceling,
units are chances are you're doing
are you're things right.
doing things right.
Notice
Notice that
that the ”miles” unit
the "miles" at the
unit at the end is the
end is the unit we wanted
u n i t we wanted to end
end up with . This
up with. is another
This is sign that
another sign that we’ve
we've
done things
done correctly.
things correctly.

EXAMPLE 5: Tom
EXAMPLE 30miles
drives 30
Tom drives at an
miles at an average rate of 50
average rate 50 miles per hour.
miles per If Leona
hour. If drives at
Leona drives an average
at an average
rate of 40
rate 40 miles per hour,
miles per many more
how many
hour, how minutes will
more minutes w i l l it take her to travel
take her travel the same distance?
the same distance?

We have
We figure out
have to figure how long
o u t how long it takes to drive
takes Tom to drive 30
30 miles
miles::

. hour
1 hour 60 minutes
minutes .
30 miles
m11es><
x .
miles
50 m1
x
1es x
h
1 hour
our
= 36 minutes
2 36 minutes

Leona will take

Leona will take
1 hour 60 minutes
60
30 miles x
miles>< ho_t x i°~inutes = 45 minutes
miles
4 0 m1 es 1 hour
our : 45 minutes
So,
So,
45-‐ 36
45 36 = E minutes
minutes

prepare for class,

EXAMPLE 6: To prepare
EXAMPLE class, Mr. Chu has
Mr. Chu print a
has to print number of booklets
a number with p pages
booklets with per booklet.
pages per booklet. If
If
pages cost
every 5 pages
every cost c0 cents print and
cents to print and he spent aa total
he spent total of d dollars,
dollars, how booklets did
how many booklets did Mr. Chu print
Chu print
p,c,
in terms of p, and d ??
c, and
cp 100d
B) 100d 500d
C) 500d D) 35
Sd
A) 500d
A) 500d B) cp C) cp D) cp

,i---:::- 100 .cetrtS' 5 pages x 1

1OOcents‘ 1booklet
booklet I 500d booklets
SOOd b kl
d
,.J _
d ~ctrS X
r s x lIda-Harxccents
..J-J.J...-::°
.1xrue1r
X
[Link]'
X
ppages
p~
= --cp
cp
00 ets

CT§]
Answer (C) .
Answer .

33
33
CHAPTER
CHAPTER 4 RATES
RATES

CHAPTEREXERCISE:Answers for this chapter star t on page 280.

A calculator should
should N O T be
NOT used on the
be used
following
following questions.
questions.
submarine descends
As a submarine descends into the deep
into the deep ocean,
ocean,
the pressure
the pressure itit m u s t withstand
must withstand increases.
increases. At
At an
altitude of ‐700
altitude meters, the
- 700 meters, pressure is 50
the pressure 50 atrn
atrn
diet plan
Tim's diet
Tim’s plan calls for 60
60 grams protein per
grams of protein per (atmospheres),
(atmosphe res), andand at an altitude of -‐900
an altitude 900
day.
day. If were to meet
If Tim were this requirement
meet this requirement by meters, the
the pressure
pressure is 70 atrn. For every
meters, atrn . For every 10
only
only eating certain protein
eating a certain protein bar
bar that
that contains
contains 30 meters the
meters submarine descends,
the submarine descends, the pressure itit
the pressure
grams of protein,
grams protein, how many protein
how many bars would
protein bars would faces increases
increases by n, where constant. What
where n is a constant. What
he have to buy
he have buy to last a
a week?
week? is the value
va lue of n ??
A) 0.1
B) 1
C) 2
D
D)) 110
0

electronics company
An electronics company sells
sells computer
computer monitors empty pool
An empty pool can
can be hours if
be filled in 5 hours water is
if water
monitors
and releases
and releases a model every
e w model
a nnew every year.
year . With
With each pumped
pumped in at 300 gallons
gallons an How many
hour . How
an hour. many
new model,
new the company
model, the increases the
company increases the screen
screen
hours would
hours would it take the pool
take to fill the water is
pool if water
size by a constant
size constan t amount.
amount. In ln 2005, the
the screen
screen
pumped
pumped in at 500 gallons
ga llon s an
an hour?
hour?
size was 15.5 inches.
size was 1n2011, the screen
inches . In screen size was
size was
18.5 inches. Which of the
inches. Which the following
following best
best
describes
describes how
how the size changed
screen size
the screen changed between
between
2005 and
and 2011?
A) The
A) The company
company increases
increases the
the screen size by
screen size
inch every
0.5 inch every year.
year .
The company
B) The company increases
increases the
the screen size by 1
screen size
inches every
inches every year.
year.
C) The company increases the
company increases screen size
the screen size by 2 If a app les cost d dollars, which of the following
inches every
inches every year.
year .
expressions gives the cost of 20 apples, in
The company
D) The increases the
company increases screen size
the screen size by 3 dollars?
inches every
inches every year.
20a
A) 303
d
d
B)
B) y20d
a
a
C) 20d
C) 207
20
D>H
D) ad

34
 THE COLLEGE PANDA
THE COLLEGE PANDA

During
During a
a raceon
race on a
a circular race track,
circular race track, aa racecar
racecar ‘ Idina can type
Idina can words in 2.5 minutes.
90 words
type 90 minutes. H ow
How
bums
bums fuel
fuel at
at a
a constant
constant rate.
rate. After lap 4, the
After lap the many words
many words can
can she type in 12
she type 12 minutes?
minutes?
racecar has
racecar has 22 gallons
ga110ns left
left in its tank. After
its tank. lap 7,
After lap
the racecar
the has 18 gallons
racecar has left in its
gallons left tank.
its tank.
Assuming the
Assuming racecar does
the racecar does not refuel, after
not refuel, after
which lap will
which lap will the have 6 gallons
racecar have
the racecar gallons left
left in
its tank?
tank?
A) Lap 13
Lap 13
B)
B) Lap
Lap 15
15
C)
C) Lap
Lap 16
16 _
D
D) LLap 19
19
) ap A salesman company makes
salesman at aa tea company makes a a $15
commission on
commission on every worth of products
every $100 worth products
_ that he
that he sells.
sells. If
If a
a jar of tea leaves
leaves is $20, how
how
many jars
many jars would
would he have to
he have sell to
to sell make $180 in
to make
commission?
By 1:00 PM,
PM, a total
total of 40 boxes had
40 boxes had been
been commission?
unloaded
unloaded fromfrom a a delivery truck . By 3:30 PM,
delivery truck. PM, a a
total of 65
total 65 boxes
boxes had
had been unloaded from
been unloaded from the
the
same truck. If
same truck. If boxes are unloaded
boxes are unloaded from
from the truck
the truck
rate, what
constant rate,
at a constant the total
what is the number of
total number
boxes that
boxes will have
that will have been
been unloaded
unloaded fromfrom the
the
truck
truck by PM?
by 7:00 PM?

A train covers 32
train covers 32 kilometers
kilometers in 14.5 minutes.
minutes . If
If it
continues to travel
continues at the
travel at the same which of the
rate, which
same rate, the
following
following is closest to
is closest distance it will
the distance
to the will travel
travel
in 2 hours?
hours?
54kilometers
A) 54 kilometers
A calculator is allowed following
allowed on the following B) 265 kilometers
kilometers
questions.
questions. C)
C) 364 kilometers
364 kilometers
D) 928 kilometers
kilometers

A rolling
rolling ball covers a
ball covers a distance
distance of 2400 feetfeet in 4 I1
minutes.
minutes . What
What is the ball 's average
the ball’s speed, in
average speed, _
inches
inches perer second?
second? (1212 inches
inche s == 1 foot
foot)
P ( ) Peanut oil leaks
Peanut out of an
leaks out an industrial container at
industrial container at
the rate of 3 liters
the rate liters in 2 hours.
hours. If the peanut
If the peanut oil
oil
costs 8 dollars
costs dollars per
per liter, many dollars’
how many
liter, how dollars' worth
worth
will be lost
will be lost in 11 hours?
hours?
A)
A) $60
B)
B) $96
$118
C) $118
D)
D) $132

35
CHAPTER
CHAPTER 4 RATES
RATES

A recipe for soap calls for 1 cups of lye for Henry drives 150 miles
Henry drives miles at 30 miles
at 30 hour and
per hour
miles per and
then another 200 miles
then another miles at
at 50 miles per
50 miles per hour.
hour .
every~ cup of castor
every 2 cup many cups
H o w many
castor oil. How lye
cups of lye What
What was his average
was his speed, in miles
average speed, miles per
per hour,
hour,
are needed
are needed for aa batch soap that
batch of soap that uses cups of
uses 3 cups for the
the entire journey, to the
entire journey, nearest hundredth?
the nearest hundredth?
castor oil?
castor A) 38.89
4 B) 40.00
A) 15
A) 1
5 C) 42.33
B) 5 D) 43.58
9!4
C) 9g
C)
5
1
D) 11~
D) 113
4
"slow" clock falls behind
A ”slow” behind atat the
the same
same rate
rate
every set to the
It is set
every hour. It the correct time at 4:00
correct time
A M . When
AM. the clock shows
When the shows 5:00 AM the the same
same
day, the correct
day, the time is 5:08 AM.
correct time AM . When the clock
When the
An 8 inch by 10 inch piece of cardboard costs shows
shows 10:30 AM
AM thatthat day,
day, what
what is the
the correct
correct
$2.00. If the cost of a piece of cardboard is time?
time?
proportional to its area, what is the cost of a A) 11:02 AM
AM
piece of cardboard that is 16 inches by 20 inches?
B) 11:18 AM
AM
A) $4.00 C) 11:22 AM
AM
B) $8.00 D) 12:18 PM
D)
C) $12.00
D) $16.00

Jared
Jared and
and Robert are accountants
Robert are accountants who are tasked
who are tasked
with reviewing
with financial reports.
reviewing financial takes Jared
reports. It takes Jared
9 pikol = 2 large bahar 15 hours, working
15 hours, working at a constant rate, to review
constant rate, review a
report containing
report pages of financial
containing 240 pages financial
400 kulack = 29 pikol
statements. If Robert
statements. If Robert works Jared’s
works at twice Jared 's rate,
rate,
The formulas
The represent the
above represent
formulas above relationships
the relationships how many minutes
how many would it take
minutes would Robert to
take Robert
between some
between some units weight that
unit s of weight that were
were once
once review a
review report containing
a report containing 120 pages
pages of financial
financial
used in Indonesia
used weight of 1,000 kulack
Indonesia.. A weight kulack is statements?
statements?
equivalent
equivalent to how
how many large bahar?
many large (Round
bahar? (Round A) 225
your answer
your the nearest
answer to the whole number.)
nearest whole number.) B) 345
C) 450
D) 900

36
36
 THE COLLEGE PANDA
COLLEGE PANDA

A flask contains an acidic solution with a

concentration of 7.1 x 1015 hydrogen ions per
mi!Liliter. If 4.8 x 1023 hydrogen ions have a total
mass of 0.8 grams, which of the following is
closest to the concentration, in grams per liter, of
the acidic solution?
5
A) 1.2 ><10_5
A) X 10-

8
B) 1.2 x 10-
><1o‘8
-5
C) 1.5 ><10_5
x 10
8
D) 1.5 ><10_8
D) X 10-

Brett currently spends $160 each month on gas .

His current car is able to travel 30 miles per
gallon of gas. He decides to switch his current
car for a new car that is able to travel 40 miles
per gallon of gas. Assuming the price of gas
stays the same, how much will he spend on gas
each month with the new car?
A) $100
B) $120
8) $120
C) $130
D) $140
D)

Margaret can buy 4 jars of honey for 9 dollars ,

and she can sell 3 jars of honey for 15 dollars.
How many jars of honey would she have to buy
and then sell to make a total profit of 132
dollars?

37