Question ID ac472881
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
one variable
ID: ac472881
In the given equation, and are constants, and . If the equation has infinitely many solutions, what is the value of ?
ID: ac472881 Answer
Correct Answer:
403
Rationale
The correct answer is . For a linear equation in one variable to have infinitely many solutions, the coefficients of the
variable must be equal on both sides of the equation and the constant terms must also be equal on both sides of the
equation. The given equation can be rewritten as , or . Applying the
distributive property to the right-hand side of this equation yields . For this equation to have
infinitely many solutions, the coefficients of must be equal, so it follows that . Additionally, the constant terms must
be equal, which means . Substituting for in this equation yields , or .
Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Adding to both sides of this equation yields .
Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields . Therefore, if the equation has infinitely many solutions, the
value of is .
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID d1b66ae6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Systems of two
linear equations in
two variables
ID: d1b66ae6
If satisfies the system of equations
above, what is the value of y ?
ID: d1b66ae6 Answer
Rationale
The correct answer is . One method for solving the system of equations for y is to add corresponding sides of the two
equations. Adding the left-hand sides gives , or 4y. Adding the right-hand sides yields . It
follows that . Finally, dividing both sides of by 4 yields or . Note that 3/2 and 1.5 are examples of
ways to enter a correct answer.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 3cdbf026
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
two variables
ID: 3cdbf026
The graph of the equation is a line in the xy-plane, where a and k are
constants. If the line contains the points and , what is the value of
k?
A.
B.
C. 2
D. 3
ID: 3cdbf026 Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The value of k can be found using the slope-intercept form of a linear equation, , where m is
the slope and b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. The equation can be rewritten in the form
. One of the given points, , is the y-intercept. Thus, the y-coordinate of the y-intercept must be equal to .
Multiplying both sides by k gives . Dividing both sides by gives .
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from errors made rewriting the given equation.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID ff501705
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Systems of two
linear equations in
two variables
ID: ff501705
In the given system of equations, is a constant. If the system has no solution, what is the value of ?
ID: ff501705 Answer
Correct Answer:
6
Rationale
The correct answer is . A system of two linear equations in two variables, and , has no solution if the lines represented
by the equations in the xy-plane are parallel and distinct. Lines represented by equations in standard form,
and , are parallel if the coefficients for and in one equation are proportional to the corresponding
coefficients in the other equation, meaning ; and the lines are distinct if the constants are not proportional, meaning
is not equal to or . The first equation in the given system is . Multiplying each side of this
equation by yields . Adding to each side of this equation yields , or
. The second equation in the given system is . Multiplying each side of this equation by
yields . Subtracting from each side of this equation yields . Subtracting from
each side of this equation yields . Therefore, the two equations in the given system, written in standard form,
are and . As previously stated, if this system has no solution, the lines represented by the
equations in the xy-plane are parallel and distinct, meaning the proportion , or , is true and the
proportion is not true. The proportion is not true. Multiplying each side of the true proportion,
, by yields . Therefore, if the system has no solution, then the value of is .
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 2937ef4f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
one variable
ID: 2937ef4f
Hector used a tool called an auger to remove corn from a storage bin at a constant
rate. The bin contained 24,000 bushels of corn when Hector began to use
the auger. After 5 hours of using the auger, 19,350 bushels of corn remained in the
bin. If the auger continues to remove corn at this rate, what is the total number of
hours Hector will have been using the auger when 12,840 bushels of corn remain in
the bin?
A. 3
B. 7
C. 8
D. 12
ID: 2937ef4f Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. After using the auger for 5 hours, Hector had removed 24,000 – 19,350 = 4,650 bushels of corn from the
storage bin. During the 5-hour period, the auger removed corn from the bin at a constant rate of bushels per
hour. Assuming the auger continues to remove corn at this rate, after x hours it will have removed 930x bushels of corn.
Because the bin contained 24,000 bushels of corn when Hector started using the auger, the equation 24,000 – 930x = 12,840
can be used to find the number of hours, x, Hector will have been using the auger when 12,840 bushels of corn remain in the
bin. Subtracting 12,840 from both sides of this equation and adding 930x to both sides of the equation yields 11,160 = 930x.
Dividing both sides of this equation by 930 yields x = 12. Therefore, Hector will have been using the auger for 12 hours when
12,840 bushels of corn remain in the storage bin.
Choice A is incorrect. Three hours after Hector began using the auger, 24,000 – 3(930) = 21,210 bushels of corn remained,
not 12,840. Choice B is incorrect. Seven hours after Hector began using the auger, 24,000 – 7(930) = 17,490 bushels of corn
will remain, not 12,840. Choice C is incorrect. Eight hours after Hector began using the auger, 24,000 – 8(930) = 16,560
bushels of corn will remain, not 12,840.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 9bbce683
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
two variables
ID: 9bbce683
For line , the table shows three values of and their corresponding values of . Line is the result of translating line
down units in the xy-plane. What is the x-intercept of line ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 9bbce683 Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The equation of line can be written in slope-intercept form , where is the slope of the
line and is the y-intercept of the line. It’s given that line contains the points , , and .
Therefore, its slope can be found as , or . Substituting for in the equation yields .
Substituting for and for in this equation yields , or . Subtracting from both
sides of this equation yields . Substituting for in yields . Since line is the result of
translating line down units, an equation of line is , or . Substituting for in this
equation yields . Solving this equation for yields . Therefore, the x-intercept of line is .
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 2b15d65f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 2b15d65f
An economist modeled the demand Q for a certain product as a linear function of
the selling price P. The demand was 20,000 units when the selling price was $40
per unit, and the demand was 15,000 units when the selling price was $60 per unit.
Based on the model, what is the demand, in units, when the selling price is $55 per
unit?
A. 16,250
B. 16,500
C. 16,750
D. 17,500
ID: 2b15d65f Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. Let the economist’s model be the linear function , where Q is the demand, P is the selling
price, m is the slope of the line, and b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the line in the xy-plane, where . Two pairs
of the selling price P and the demand Q are given. Using the coordinate pairs , two points that satisfy the function are
and . The slope m of the function can be found using the formula . Substituting
the given values into this formula yields , or . Therefore, . The value of
b can be found by substituting one of the points into the function. Substituting the values of P and Q from the point
yields , or . Adding 10,000 to both sides of this equation
yields . Therefore, the linear function the economist used as the model is . Substituting
55 for P yields . It follows that when the selling price is $55 per unit, the demand is
16,250 units.
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from calculation or conceptual errors.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID e25f0807
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: e25f0807
The table shows two values of and their corresponding values of . The graph of the linear equation representing this
relationship passes through the point . What is the value of ?
ID: e25f0807 Answer
Correct Answer:
16.25, 65/4
Rationale
The correct answer is . The linear relationship between and can be represented by the equation , where
and are constants. It's given in the table that when , . Substituting for and for in the
equation yields , which can be rewritten as . It's also given in the table
that when , . Substituting for and for in the equation yields , which can be
rewritten as . Substituting for in this equation yields . Adding to
both sides of this equation yields . Adding to both sides of this equation yields . Dividing
both sides of this equation by yields , or . Substituting for , for , and for in the equation
yields , or . Adding to both sides of this equation yields .
Therefore, and . Substituting for and for in the equation yields . Thus,
the equation represents the linear relationship between and . It’s also given that the graph of the linear
equation representing this relationship passes through the point . Substituting for and for in the equation
yields , which is equivalent to , or . Note that 65/4 and 16.25 are
examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID be9cb6a2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: be9cb6a2
The cost of renting a backhoe for up to days is for the first day and for each additional day. Which of the
following equations gives the cost , in dollars, of renting the backhoe for days, where is a positive integer and ?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: be9cb6a2 Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It's given that the cost of renting a backhoe for up to days is for the first day and for each
additional day. Therefore, the cost , in dollars, for days, where , is the sum of the cost for the first day, , and
the cost for the additional days, . It follows that , which is equivalent to
, or .
Choice A is incorrect. This equation represents a situation where the cost of renting a backhoe is for the first day and
for each additional day.
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 db422e7f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
two variables
ID: db422e7f
Line is defined by . Line is perpendicular to line in the xy-plane. What is the slope of line ?
ID: db422e7f Answer
Correct Answer:
.5, 1/2
Rationale
The correct answer is . For an equation in slope-intercept form , represents the slope of the line in the xy-
plane defined by this equation. It's given that line is defined by . Subtracting from both sides of this
equation yields . Dividing both sides of this equation by yields , or . Thus,
the slope of line is . If line is perpendicular to line , then the slope of line is the negative reciprocal of the slope of
line . The negative reciprocal of is . Note that 1/2 and .5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 45cfb9de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear inequalities
in one or two
variables
ID: 45cfb9de
Adam’s school is a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute bus ride away from his house.
The bus runs once every 30 minutes, and the number of minutes, w, that Adam
waits for the bus varies between 0 and 30. Which of the following inequalities gives
the values of w for which it would be faster for Adam to walk to school?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 45cfb9de Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It is given that w is the number of minutes that Adam waits for the bus. The total time it takes Adam to
get to school on a day he takes the bus is the sum of the minutes, w, he waits for the bus and the 5 minutes the bus ride
takes; thus, this time, in minutes, is w + 5. It is also given that the total amount of time it takes Adam to get to school on a
day that he walks is 20 minutes. Therefore, w + 5 > 20 gives the values of w for which it would be faster for Adam to walk to
school.
Choices A and B are incorrect because w – 5 is not the total length of time for Adam to wait for and then take the bus to
school. Choice C is incorrect because the inequality should be true when walking 20 minutes is faster than the time it takes
Adam to wait for and ride the bus, not less.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f14484a5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
one variable
ID: f14484a5
A manufacturing plant makes -inch, -inch, and -inch frying pans. During a certain day, the number of -inch frying pans
that the manufacturing plant makes is times the number of -inch frying pans it makes, and the number of -inch frying
pans it makes is . During this day, the manufacturing plant makes frying pans total. Which equation represents this
situation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: f14484a5 Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It's given that during a certain day, the number of -inch frying pans the manufacturing plant makes is
and the number of -inch frying pans it makes is . It's also given that during this day the number of -inch frying pans
that the manufacturing plant makes is times the number of -inch frying pans, or . Therefore, the total number of -inch,
-inch, and -inch frying pans the manufacturing plant makes is , or . It's given that during this day
the manufacturing plant makes frying pans total. Thus, the equation represents this situation.
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 b7e6394d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
one variable
ID: b7e6394d
Alan drives an average of 100 miles each week. His car can travel an average of
25 miles per gallon of gasoline. Alan would like to reduce his weekly expenditure
on gasoline by $5. Assuming gasoline costs $4 per gallon, which equation can
Alan use to determine how many fewer average miles, m, he should drive each
week?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: b7e6394d Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. Since gasoline costs $4 per gallon, and since Alan’s car travels an average of 25 miles per gallon, the
expression gives the cost, in dollars per mile, to drive the car. Multiplying by m gives the cost for Alan to drive m
miles in his car. Alan wants to reduce his weekly spending by $5, so setting m equal to 5 gives the number of miles, m,
by which he must reduce his driving.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Choices A and B transpose the numerator and the denominator in the fraction. The fraction
would result in the unit miles per dollar, but the question requires a unit of dollars per mile. Choices A and C set the
expression equal to 95 instead of 5, a mistake that may result from a misconception that Alan wants to reduce his driving by
5 miles each week; instead, the question says he wants to reduce his weekly expenditure by $5.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID ee2f611f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear inequalities
in one or two
variables
ID: ee2f611f
A local transit company sells a monthly pass for $95 that allows an unlimited
number of trips of any length. Tickets for individual trips cost $1.50, $2.50, or
$3.50, depending on the length of the trip. What is the minimum number of trips
per month for which a monthly pass could cost less than purchasing individual
tickets for trips?
ID: ee2f611f Answer
Rationale
The correct answer is 28. The minimum number of individual trips for which the cost of the monthly pass is less than the
cost of individual tickets can be found by assuming the maximum cost of the individual tickets, $3.50. If n tickets costing
$3.50 each are purchased in one month, the inequality 95 < 3.50n represents this situation. Dividing both sides of the
inequality by 3.50 yields 27.14 < n, which is equivalent to n > 27.14. Since only a whole number of tickets can be purchased, it
follows that 28 is the minimum number of trips.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 25e1cfed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
one variable
ID: 25e1cfed
How many solutions does the equation have?
A. Exactly one
B. Exactly two
C. Infinitely many
D. Zero
ID: 25e1cfed Answer
Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. Applying the distributive property to each side of the given equation yields .
Applying the commutative property of addition to the right-hand side of this equation yields .
Since the two sides of the equation are equivalent, this equation is true for any value of . Therefore, the given equation has
infinitely many solutions.
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 D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID fdee0fbf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
two variables
ID: fdee0fbf
In the xy-plane, line k intersects the y-axis at the point and passes through
the point . If the point lies on line k, what is the value of w ?
ID: fdee0fbf Answer
Rationale
The correct answer is 74. The y-intercept of a line in the xy-plane is the ordered pair of the point of intersection of the
line with the y-axis. Since line k intersects the y-axis at the point , it follows that is the y-intercept of this line.
An equation of any line in the xy-plane can be written in the form , where m is the slope of the line and b is the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept. Therefore, the equation of line k can be written as , or . The value of
m can be found by substituting the x- and y-coordinates from a point on the line, such as , for x and y, respectively. This
results in . Solving this equation for m gives . Therefore, an equation of line k is . The value of w
can be found by substituting the x-coordinate, 20, for x in the equation of line k and solving this equation for y. This gives
, or . Since w is the y-coordinate of this point, .
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f75bd744
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Systems of two
linear equations in
two variables
ID: f75bd744
In the given system of equations, is a constant. If the system has no solution, what is the value of ?
ID: f75bd744 Answer
Correct Answer:
8
Rationale
The correct answer is . The given system of equations can be solved using the elimination method. Multiplying both sides
of the second equation in the given system by yields , or . Adding this equation to
the first equation in the given system, , yields , or
. Subtracting from both sides of this equation yields
, or . If the given system has no solution, then
the equation has no solution. If this equation has no solution, the coefficients of on each side of
the equation, and , must be equal, which yields the equation . Dividing both sides of this equation by
yields . Thus, if the system has no solution, the value of is .
Alternate approach: A system of two linear equations in two variables, and , has no solution if the lines represented by the
equations in the xy-plane are parallel and distinct. Lines represented by equations in the form , where , ,
and are constant terms, are parallel if the ratio of the x-coefficients is equal to the ratio of the y-coefficients, and distinct if
the ratio of the x-coefficients are not equal to the ratio of the constant terms. Subtracting from both sides of the first
equation in the given system yields , or . Subtracting from
both sides of the second equation in the given system yields , or . The
ratio of the x-coefficients for these equations is , or . The ratio of the y-coefficients for these equations is . The
ratio of the constant terms for these equations is , or . Since the ratio of the x-coefficients, , is not equal to the ratio
of the constants, , the lines represented by the equations are distinct. Setting the ratio of the x-coefficients equal to the
ratio of the y-coefficients yields . Multiplying both sides of this equation by yields
, or . Therefore, when , the lines represented by these equations are parallel.
Thus, if the system has no solution, the value of is .
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID b3abf40f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: b3abf40f
The function gives the temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, that corresponds to a temperature of kelvins. If a
temperature increased by kelvins, by how much did the temperature increase, in degrees Fahrenheit?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: b3abf40f Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that the function gives the temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit,
that corresponds to a temperature of kelvins. A temperature that increased by kelvins means that the value of
increased by kelvins. It follows that an increase in by increases by , or . Therefore, if a
temperature increased by kelvins, the temperature increased by degrees Fahrenheit.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID e6cb2402
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear equations in
one variable
ID: e6cb2402
In the given equation, is a constant. The equation has no solution. What is the value of ?
ID: e6cb2402 Answer
Correct Answer:
.9411, .9412, 16/17
Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the equation has no solution. A linear equation in the
form , where , , , and are constants, has no solution only when the coefficients of on each side of
the equation are equal and the constant terms aren't equal. Dividing both sides of the given equation by yields
, or . Since the coefficients of on each side of the equation must be equal, it
follows that the value of is . Note that 16/17, .9411, .9412, and 0.941 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID b988eeec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: b988eeec
The functions and are defined as and . If the function is defined as
, what is the x-coordinate of the x-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane?
ID: b988eeec Answer
Correct Answer:
-12
Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the functions and are defined as and . If
the function is defined as , then substituting for and for in this
function yields . This can be rewritten as , or . The x-
intercept of a graph in the xy-plane is the point on the graph where . The equation representing the graph of
is . Substituting for in this equation yields . Subtracting from both sides of this equation
yields , or . Therefore, the x-coordinate of the x-intercept of the graph of in the xy-plane is .
Question Difficulty:
Hard