SG Education

SAT Math

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Unit 1. Heart of Algebra

1. Linear Equations, Linear Inequalities, and Linear Functions
in Context

Example 1
In 2014, County X had 783 miles of paved roads. Starting in 2015, the county has been building 8
miles of new paved roads each year. At this rate, how many miles of paved road will County X have
in 2030? (Assume that no paved roads go out of service.)

16yrs
16
16 8 783 9110
Example 2
2030 2014
In 2014, County X had 783 miles of paved roads. Starting in 2015, the county has been building 8
miles of new paved roads each year. At this rate, if n is the number of years after 2014, which of the
following functions f gives the number of miles of paved road there will be in County X? (Assume
that no paved roads go out of service.)
A) f (n) = 8 + 783n
B) f (n) = 2,014 + 783n

0
C) f (n) = 783 + 8n
D) f (n) = 2,014 + 8n

Example 3

0
In 2014, County X had 783 miles of paved roads. Starting in 2015, the county has been building 8
miles of new paved roads each year. At this rate, in which year will County X first have at least
1,000 miles of paved roads? (Assume that no paved roads go out of service.)

783 8n 1000
n 27.125 28
Example 4 2014 28 20420
0 0
To edit a manuscript, Miguel charges $50 for the first 2 hours and $20 per hour after the first 2
i
hours. Which of the following expresses the amount, C, in dollars, Miguel charges if it takes him x
hours to edit a manuscript, where x > 2?
A) C = 20x
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B) C = 20x + 10
C) C = 20x + 50 50 20 x 40
D) C = 20x + 90

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Example 5
A builder uses the function g defined by g (x) = 80x + 10,000 to estimate the cost g(x), in dollars, to
build a one-story home of planned floor area of x square feet. If the builder estimates that the cost to
build a certain one-story home is $106,000, what is the planned floor area, in square feet, of the
home?
1200

2. Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities in Context

Example 6
Maizah bought a pair of pants and a briefcase at a department store. The sum of the prices of the
pants and the briefcase before sales tax was $130.00. There was no sales tax on the pants and a 9%
sales tax on the briefcase. The total Maizah paid, including the sales tax, was $136.75. What was e
the price, in dollars, of the pants?

0093 6 下5

Example 7
3 13678
S
B
P 550
75

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Each morning, John jogs at 6 miles per hour and rides a bike at 12 miles per hour. His goal is to jog

0 10
and ride his bike a total of at least 9 miles in no more than 1 hour. If John jogs j miles and rides his
bike b miles, which of the following systems of inequalities represents John’s goal?

Distance speed xt
0
jtb 9 器
吕 1

3. Fluency in Solving Linear Equations, Linear Inequalities, and

Systems of Linear Equations

Example 8

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0.666
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Example 9
−2(3x − 2.4) = −3(3x − 2.4)
What is the solution to the given equation?

3X 24 0
0.

Example 10

n0_T7
−2x = 4y + 6
2(2y + 3) = 3x − 5 az 3X 5
What is the solution (x, y) to the system of equations above?
A) (1, 2)
5X 5
X 1
0
B) (1, −2)
C) (−1, −1)
D) (−1, 1)

4. The Relationships among Linear Equations, Lines in the

Coordinate Plane, and the Contexts They Describe

The point of intersection gives the solution to the system.

If the equations in a system of two linear equations in two variables are graphed, each graph will be
a line. There are three possibilities:

三
1. The lines intersect in one point. In this case, the system has a unique solution.
2. The lines are parallel. In this case, the system has no solution.
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3. The lines are identical. In this case, every point on the line is a solution, and so the system has

__
infinitely many solutions.

y mx C
One way that the second and third cases can be identified is to put the equations of the system in
slope-intercept form. If the lines have the same slope and different y-intercepts, they are parallel; if
both the slope and the y-intercept are the same, the lines are identical.

perpendicular 有 Mi Mz
How are the second and third cases represented algebraically? Examples 11 and 12 answer this 1
question.

Example 11
2y + 6x = 3
y + 3x = 2
凹 of6上equations have?
How many solutions (x, y) does the given system parallel
0
A) Zero
B) Exactly one
C) Exactly two
D) Infinitely many

Example 12
5 1550 10t 5a
3s − 2t = a
−15s + bt = −7 identical
In the system of equations above, a and b are constants. If the system has infinitely many solutions,
what is the value of a?

5a 7
a
亏

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Example 13

0 6 3 0
gradient
O_o 2

Example 14
A voter registration drive was held in Town Y. The number of voters, V, registered T days after the
drive began can be estimated by the equation V = 3,450 + 65T. What is the best interpretation of the

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number 65 in this context?
A) The number of registered voters at the beginning of the registration drive
B) The number of registered voters at the end of the registration drive
C) The total number of voters registered during the drive

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D) The number of voters registered each day during the drive

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Unit 2. Problem Solving and Data Analysis

5. Ratio, Proportion, Units, and Percentage

Example 1
On Thursday, 240 adults and children attended a show. The ratio of adults to children was 5 to 1.
How many children attended the show?

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A) 40
B) 48
C) 192
D) 200

Example 2
On an architect’s drawing of the floor plan for a house, 1 inch represents 3 feet. If a room is
represented on the floor plan by a rectangle that has sides of lengths 3.5 inches and 5 inches, what is
the actual floor area of the room, in square feet?
A) 17.5
B) 51.0
C) 52.5

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D) 157.5

Example 3
Scientists estimate that the Pacific Plate, one of Earth’s tectonic plates, has moved about 1,060
kilometers in the past 10.3 million years. About how far, in miles, has the Pacific Plate moved
during this same time period? (Use 1 mile = 1.6 kilometers.)
A) 165
B) 398

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C) 663
D) 1,696

Example 4
County Y consists of two districts. One district has an area of 30 square miles and a population
density of 370 people per square mile, and the other district has an area of 50 square miles and a

0
population density of 290 people per square mile. What is the population density, in people per
square mile, for all of County Y?

30x370 11 100
25800 320
50 290 14 500
Example 5

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A furniture store buys its furniture from a wholesaler. For a particular style of table, the store
usually sells a table for 75% more than the cost of the table from the wholesaler. During a sale, the

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store sells the table for 15% more than the cost from the wholesaler. If the sale price of the table is
$299, what is the usual price for the table?
A) $359
B) $455
C) $479
299
a5Xeostdze1.1
D) $524
1.75X260
1550
6. Interpreting Relationships Presented in Scatterplots, Graphs,
Tables, and Equations

Example 6

There are several different questions that could be asked about this context.

A. According to the line of best fit, how many pints of raspberries would the grocery store
be predicted to sell in a week when the price of raspberries is $4.50 per pint?

233 32 4.5 89
B. For how many of the 19 weeks shown was the number of pints of raspberries sold
greater than the number predicted by the line of best fit?
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C. What is the best interpretation of the slope of the line of best fit in this context?

perdollar price peiāed to sell 32few pints

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D. What is the best interpretation of the y-intercept of the line of best fit in this context?

free 233people would be expected to

Example 7
accept

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Example 8
Every month Jamal adds two new books to his library. Which of the following types of functions
best models the number of books in Jamal’s library as a function of time?

0
A) Increasing linear
B) Decreasing linear
C) Increasing exponential
D) Decreasing exponential

Example 9

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One evening, Maria walks, jogs, and runs for a total of 60 minutes. The graph above shows Maria’s
speed during the 60 minutes. Which segment of the graph represents the times when Maria’s speed
is the greatest?
A) The segment from (17, 6) to (19, 8)
B) The segment from (19, 8) to (34, 8)
C) The segment from (34, 8) to (35, 6)
D) The segment from (35, 6) to (54, 6)

7. More Data and Statistics

Some questions on the SAT Math Test will assess your ability to understand and analyze data
presented in a table, bar graph, histogram, dot plot, box plot, line graph, or other display.

Example 10
A store is deciding whether to install a new security system to prevent shoplifting. Based on store
records, the security manager of the store estimates that 10,000 customers enter the store each week,
24 of whom will attempt to shoplift. Based on data provided from other users of the security
system, the manager estimates the results of the new security system in detecting shoplifters would
be as shown in the table below.

According to the manager’s estimates, if the alarm sounds for a customer, what is the probability
that the customer did not attempt to shoplift?
A) 0.0003
B) 0.0035
C) 0.0056
D) 0.625
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Example 11
The histogram shown summarizes the distribution of time worked last week, in hours, by the 40
employees of a landscaping company. In the histogram, the first bar represents all workers who 20ᵗʰ21
worked at least 10 hours but less than 20 hours; the second represents all workers who worked at 三
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milian 10 6 20 17
30x9 40 5
50t60X2

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minimum

least 20 hours but less than 30 hours; and so on. Which of the following could be the median and
mean amount of time worked, in hours, for the 40 employees?
A) Median = 22, Mean = 23
B) Median = 24, Mean = 22
C) Median = 26, Mean = 32

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D) Median = 32, Mean = 30

(Note: On the SAT, all histograms have the same type of boundary condition. That is, the values
represented by a bar include the left endpoint but do not include the right endpoint.)

A data set may have a few values that are much larger or smaller than the rest of the values in the

__
set. These values are called outliers. An outlier may represent an important piece of data. For
example, if a data set consists of rates of a certain illness in various cities, a data point with a very
high value could indicate a serious health issue to be investigated.

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In general, outliers affect the mean more than the median. Therefore, outliers that are larger than
the rest of the points in the data set tend to make the mean greater than the median, and outliers that
are smaller than the rest of the points in the data set tend to make the mean less than the median. In
Example 11, the mean was larger than the median due to the unusually large amount of time worked
by a few employees.

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The mean and the median are different ways to describe the center of a data set. Another key
characteristic of a data set is the amount of variability, or spread, in the data. One measure of spread
is the range, which is equal to the maximum value minus the minimum value. Another measure of

1 1
spread is the standard deviation, which is a measure of how far away the points in the data set are
from the mean value. On the SAT Math Test, you will not be asked to compute the standard
deviation of a data set, but you do need to understand that a larger standard deviation corresponds to
a data set whose values are more spread out from the mean value.

Example 12

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由
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The dot plots show the distributions of scores on a current events quiz for two classes of 24 students
each. Which of the following statements about the standard deviations of the two distributions is
true?
A) The standard deviation of quiz scores in Class A is less than that of quiz scores in Class B.
B) The standard deviation of quiz scores in Class A is greater than that of quiz scores in Class B.
C) The standard deviation of quiz scores in Class A is equal to that of quiz scores in Class B.
D) There is not enough information to compare the standard deviations.

When asked to compare the standard deviations of two data sets, first locate the mean
approximately. Then, ask yourself which data set has values that are more closely clustered around
the mean. That data set will have the smaller standard deviation.

A population parameter is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of a population. For

example, the percentage of registered voters who would vote for a certain candidate is a parameter

ˋ
describing the population of registered voters in an election. In another example, the average

ˋˋ 1
ˋ
income of a household in a city is a parameter describing the population of households in that city.
We often do not know the value of the population parameter; thus, an essential purpose of statistics
is to estimate a population parameter based on a sample from the population. A common example is

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election polling, where researchers will interview a random sample of registered voters to estimate

___
the proportion of all registered voters who plan to vote for a certain candidate. The precision of the
estimate depends on the variability of the sample data and the sample size. For instance, if
household incomes in a city vary widely or the sample is small, the estimate that comes from a
samplemr may differ considerably from the actual value for the population parameter.

For example, a researcher wants to estimate the mean number of hours each week that the 1,200
students at a high school spend on the internet. Interviewing all 1,200 students would be time
consuming, and it would be more efficient to survey a random sample of the students. Suppose the

主
researcher has time to interview 80 students. Which 80 students? In order to have a sample that is
representative of the population, students who will participate in the study should be selected at
random. That is, each student must have the same chance to be selected. Random selection is
essential in protecting against bias and increases the reliability of any estimates calculated. The
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researcher can select students at random in several different ways; for instance, write each student’s
name on a slip of paper, put all the slips in a bowl, mix up the slips, and then draw 80 names from
the bowl. In practice, a computer is often used to select participants at random.

If you do not select a random sample, the sampling method used may introduce bias. For example,
if you found 80 students from those attending a game of the school’s football team, those people
would be more likely to be interested in sports, and in turn, an interest in sports might be related to
the average amount of time the students spend on the internet. The result would be that the average
time those 80 students spend on the internet might not be an accurate estimate of the average
amount of time all students at the school spend on the internet.

Suppose you select 80 students at random from the 1,200 students at the high school. You ask them
how much time they spend on the internet each week, and you calculate that the mean time is 14
hours. You also find that 6 of the 80 students spend less than 2 hours each week on the internet.0
students? O_t
Based on these results, what conclusions should be made about the entire population of 1,200
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Because the sample was selected at random, the mean of 14 hours is a plausible estimate for the
mean time spent on the internet for all 1,200 students. Also, we can use the sample data to estimate
how many students spend less than 2 hours on the internet each week. In the sample, the percentage
is 6/80 or 7.5%. Applying this percentage to the entire population of 1,200 students, the best
estimate is that 90 students at the school spend less than 2 hours per week on the internet.

However, the estimates of the population parameters need to be interpreted carefully. An essential
part of statistics is accounting for the variability of the estimate. The estimates above are
reasonable, but they are unlikely to be exactly correct. Statistical analysis can also describe how far
from the estimates the actual values are expected to be, at most. To describe the precision of an
estimate, statisticians use margins of error. On the SAT, you will not be expected to compute a
margin of error, but you should understand how sample size affects the margin of error and how to
interpret a given margin of error in the context.

If the example above were an SAT question, you might be given survey results indicating that, for a
random sample of 80 students, the estimated mean was 14 hours with an associated margin of error

0
of 1.2 hours. An appropriate interpretation of these results is that it is plausible that the mean
number of hours for all 1,200 students in the population is greater than 12.8 hours but less than 15.2
hours.

There are some key points to note.

_0__
1. The value of the margin of error is affected by two factors: the variability in the data and the
sample size. The larger the standard deviation, the larger the margin of error; the smaller the

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standard deviation, the smaller the margin of error. Furthermore, increasing the size of the random
sample provides more information and typically reduces the margin of error.

2. The margin of error applies to the estimated value of the population parameter only; it does not
inform the estimated value for an individual. In the example, plausible values for the population
mean are in the interval from 12.8 hours to 15.2 hours. The time, in hours, that an individual spends
on the internet may or may not fall in this interval.

Example 13
A quality control researcher at an electronics company is testing the life of the company’s batteries

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in a certain camera. The researcher selects 100 batteries at random from the daily output of the
batteries and finds that the life of the batteries has a mean of 342 pictures with an associated margin
of error of 18 pictures. Which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion based on these
data?
A) All the batteries produced by the company that day have a life between 324 and 360 pictures.
B) All the batteries ever produced by the company have a life between 324 and 360 pictures.
C) It is plausible that the mean life of batteries produced by the company that day is between 324
o
and 360 pictures.

o
D) It is plausible that the mean life of all the batteries ever produced by the company is between
324 and 360 pictures.

The statistics examples discussed so far are largely based on investigations intended to estimate
some characteristic of a group: the mean amount of time students spend on the internet, the mean
life of a battery, and the percentage of registered voters who plan to vote for a candidate. Another
primary focus of statistics is to investigate relationships between variables and to draw conclusions
about cause and effect. For example, does a new type of physical therapy help people recover from
knee surgery faster? For such a study, some people who have had knee surgery will be randomly
0
assigned to the new therapy or to the usual therapy. The medical results of these patients can be
compared. The key questions from a statistical viewpoint are
• Is it appropriate to generalize from the sample of patients in the study to the entire population of
people who are recovering from knee surgery?
• Is it appropriate to conclude that the new therapy caused any difference in the results for the two
groups of patients?

The answers depend on the use of random selection and random assignment.
• If the subjects in the sample of a study were selected at random from the entire population in
question, the results can be generalized to the entire population because random sampling ensures
that each individual has the same chance to be selected for the sample.
• If the subjects in the sample were randomly assigned to treatments, it may be appropriate to make
conclusions about cause and effect because the treatment groups will be roughly equivalent at the

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beginning of the experiment other than the treatment they receive.

This can be summarized in the following table.

三
The previous example discussed treatments in a medical experiment. The word treatment refers to
any factor that is deliberately varied in an experiment.

Example 14

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A community center offers a Spanish course. This year, all students in the course were offered
additional audio lessons they could take at home. The students who took these additional audio
lessons did better in the course than students who didn’t take the additional audio lessons. Based on
these results, which of the following is the most appropriate conclusion?
A) Taking additional audio lessons will cause an improvement for any student who takes any
foreign language course.
B) Taking additional audio lessons will cause an improvement for any student who takes a Spanish
course.
C) Taking additional audio lessons was the cause of the improvement for the students at the
community center who took the Spanish course.

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D) No conclusion about cause and effect can be made regarding students at the community center
who took the additional audio lessons at home and their performance in the Spanish course.

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Unit 3. Passport to Advanced Math

8. Operations with Polynomials and Rewriting Expressions

Example 1
(x2 + bx − 2)(x + 3) = x3 + 6x2 + 7x − 6
In the equation above, b is a constant. If the equation is true for all values of x,
what is the value of b?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 7
D) 9

Example 2
Which of the following is equivalent to 16s4 − 4t2?
A) 4(s2 − t)(4s2 + t)
B) 4(4s2 − t)(s2 + t)
C) 4(2s2 − t)(2s2 + t)
D) (8s2 − 2t)(8s2 + 2t)

Example 3
Which expression is equivalent to xy2 + 2xy2 + 3xy?
A) 2xy2 + 3xy
B) 3xy2 + 3xy
C) 6xy4
D) 6xy5

9. Quadratic Functions and Equations

Example 4
A car is traveling at x feet per second. The driver sees a red light ahead, and after 1.5 seconds
reaction time, the driver applies the brake. After the brake is applied, the car takes x/24 seconds to

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stop, during which time the average speed of the car is x/2 feet per second. If the car travels 165 feet
from the time the driver saw the red light to the time it comes to a complete stop, which of the
following equations can be used to find the value of x?
A) x2 + 48x − 3,960 = 0
B) x2 + 48x − 7,920 = 0
C) x2 + 72x − 3,960 = 0
D) x2 + 72x − 7,920 = 0

Some questions on the SAT Math Test will ask you to solve a quadratic equation. You must
determine the appropriate procedure: factoring, completing the square, using the quadratic formula,
using a calculator, or using structure. You should also know the following facts in addition to the
formulas in the directions:
• standard form:
• vertex form:
• solutions:
• The sum of the solutions:
• The product of the solutions:
• x and y coordinates of vertex:

Each of the facts can be seen from the factored form of a quadratic.
If r and s are the solutions of x2 +bx+c=0, then x2 +bx+c=(x−r)(x−s).
Thus, b=−(r+s) and c=(−r)(−s)=rs.

Example 5

Example 6
If x > 0 and 2x2 + 3x − 2 = 0, what is the value of x?

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Example 7
What is the sum of the solutions of (2x − 1)2 = (x + 2)2?

10. Exponential Functions, Equations, and Expressions and

Radicals

Example 8
A researcher estimates that the population of a city is increasing at an annual rate of 0.6%. If the
current population of the city is 80,000, which of the following expressions appropriately models
the population of the city t years from now according to the researcher’s estimate?
A) 80,000(1 + 0.006)t
B) 80,000(1 + 0.006t)
C) 80,000 + 1.006t
D) 80,000(0.006t)

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Some Passport to Advanced Math questions ask you to use properties of exponents to rewrite
expressions.

Example 9

Example 10

What are all possible solutions to the given equation?

A) 5
B) 20
C) −5 and 20
D) 5 and 20

11. Solving Rational Equations

Questions on the SAT Math Test may assess your ability to work with rational expressions,
including fractions with a variable in the denominator. This may include finding the solution to a
rational equation.

Example 11

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12. Systems of Equations

Questions on the SAT Math Test may ask you to solve a system of equations in two variables in
which one equation is linear and the other equation is quadratic or another nonlinear equation.

Example 12
3x + y = −3
(x + 1)2 − 4(x + 1) − 6 = y
If (x, y) is a solution of the system of equations above and y > 0, what is the value of y?

13. Relationships Between Algebraic and Graphical

Representations of Functions

A function f has a graph in the xy-plane, which is the graph of the equation y = f (x), or, equivalently,
consists of all ordered pairs (x, f (x)). Some Passport to Advanced Math questions assess your
ability to relate properties of the function f to properties of its graph, and vice versa. You may be
required to apply some of the following relationships:

• Intercepts. The x-intercepts of the graph of f correspond to values of x such that f (x) = 0, which
corresponds to where the graph intersects with the x-axis; if the function f has no zeros, its graph
has no x-intercepts, and vice versa. The y-intercept of the graph of f corresponds to the value of f
(0), or where the graph intersects with the y-axis. If x = 0 is not in the domain of f, the graph of f
has no y-intercept, and vice versa.

• Domain and range. The domain of f is the set of all x for which f(x) is defined. The range of f is
the set of all y such that y = f(x) for some value of x in the domain. The domain and range can be
found from the graph of f as the set of all x-coordinates and y-coordinates, respectively, of points
on the graph.

• Maximum and minimum values. The maximum and minimum values of f can be found by
locating the highest and the lowest points on the graph, respectively. For example, suppose P is
the highest point on the graph of f. Then the y-coordinate of P is the maximum value of f, and the
x-coordinate of P is where f takes on its maximum value.

• Increasing and decreasing. The graph of f shows the intervals over which the function f is
increasing and decreasing.
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• End behavior. The graph of f can indicate if f (x) increases or decreases without limit as x
increases or decreases without limit.

• Transformations. For a graph of a function f, a change of the form f (x) + a will result in a
vertical shift of a units and a change of the form f (x + a) will result in a horizontal shift of a units.

Note: The SAT Math Test uses the following conventions about graphs in the xy-plane unless a
particular question clearly states or shows a different convention:
• The axes are perpendicular.
• Scales on the axes are linear scales.
• The size of the units on the two axes cannot be assumed to be equal unless the question states
they are equal or you are given enough information to conclude they are equal.
• The values on the horizontal axis increase as you move to the right.
• The values on the vertical axis increase as you move up.

The domain of a function is the set of all values for which the function is defined. The range of a
function is the set of all values that correspond to the values in the domain, given the relationship
defined by the function, or the set of all outputs that are associated with all of the possible inputs.

Example 13
The graph of which of the following functions in the xy-plane has x-intercepts at −4 and 5?
A) f (x) = (x + 4)(x − 5)
B) g(x) = (x − 4)(x + 5)
C) h(x) = (x − 4)2 + 5
D) k(x) = (x + 5)2 − 4

Example 14

The function f (x) = x4 − 2.4x2 is graphed in the xy-plane where y = f (x), as shown above. If k is a
constant such that the equation f (x) = k has 4 solutions, which of the following could be the value
of k?
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A) 1
B) 0
C) −1
D) −2

14. Function Notation

The SAT Math Test assesses your understanding of function notation. You must be able to evaluate
a function given the rule that defines it, and if the function describes a context, you may need to
interpret the value of the function in the context. A question may ask you to interpret a function
when an expression, such as 2x or x + 1, is used as the argument instead of the variable x.

Example 15
If g(x) = 2x + 1 and f (x) = g(x) + 4, what is f (2)?

15. Interpreting and Analyzing More Complex Equations in

Context

Equations and functions that describe a real-life context can be complex. Often, it’s not possible to
analyze them as completely as you can analyze a linear equation or function. You still can acquire
key information about the context by interpreting and analyzing the equation or function that
describes it. Passport to Advanced Math questions may ask you to identify connections between the
function, its graph, and the context it describes. You may be asked to use an equation describing a
context to determine how a change in one quantity affects another quantity. You may also be asked
to manipulate an equation to isolate a quantity of interest on one side of the equation. You may be
asked to produce or identify a form of an equation that reveals new information about the context it
represents or about the graphical representation of the equation.

Example 16
For a certain reservoir, the function f gives the water level f (n), to the nearest whole percent of
capacity, on the nth day of 2016. Which of the following is the best interpretation of f (37) = 70?
A) The water level of the reservoir was at 37% capacity for 70 days in 2016.
B) The water level of the reservoir was at 70% capacity for 37 days in 2016.
C) On the 37th day of 2016, the water level of the reservoir was at 70% capacity.
D) On the 70th day of 2016, the water level of the reservoir was at 37% capacity.

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Example 17

Example 18

Example 19
A store manager estimates that if a video game is sold at a price of p dollars, the store will have
weekly revenue, in dollars, of r(p) = −4p2 + 200p from the sale of the video game. Which of the
following equivalent forms of r(p) shows, as constants or coefficients, the maximum possible
weekly revenue and the price that results in the maximum revenue?
A) r(p) = 200p − 4p2
B) r(p) = −2(2p2 − 100p)
C) r(p) = −4(p2 − 50p)
D) r(p) = −4(p − 25)2 + 2,500

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Unit 4. Additional Topics in Math

16. Geometry
The SAT Math Test includes questions that assess your understanding of the key concepts in the
geometry of lines, angles, triangles, circles, and other geometric objects. Other questions may also
ask you to find the area, surface area, or volume of an abstract figure or a real-life object. You don’t
need to memorize a large collection of formulas, but you should be comfortable understanding and
using these formulas to solve various types of problems. Many of the geometry formulas are
provided in the reference information at the beginning of each section of the SAT Math Test, and
less commonly used formulas required to answer a question are given with the question.

To answer geometry questions on the SAT Math Test, you should recall the geometry definitions
learned prior to high school and know the essential concepts extended while learning geometry in
high school. You should also be familiar with basic geometric notation.

Here are some of the areas that may be the focus of some questions on the SAT Math Test.
Lines and angles:
• Lengths and midpoints
• Measures of angles
• Vertical angles
• Angle addition
• Straight angles and the sum of the angles about a point
• Properties of parallel lines and the angles formed when parallel lines are cut by a transversal
• Properties of perpendicular lines

Triangles and other polygons:

• Right triangles and the Pythagorean theorem
• Properties of equilateral and isosceles triangles
• Properties of 30°-60°-90° triangles and 45°-45°-90° triangles
• Congruent triangles and other congruent figures
• Similar triangles and other similar figures
• The triangle inequality
• Squares, rectangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, and other quadrilaterals
• Regular polygons

Circles
• Radius, diameter, and circumference
• Measure of central angles and inscribed angles
• Arc length, arc measure, and area of sectors
• Tangents and chords
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Area and volume

• Area of plane figures
• Volume of solids
• Surface area of solids

Example 1

In the figure above, line l is parallel to line m, segment BD is perpendicular to line m, and segment
AC and segment BD intersect at E. What is the length of segment AC?

Note some of the key concepts that were used in Example 1:

• Vertical angles have the same measure.
• When parallel lines are cut by a transversal, the alternate interior angles have the same measure.
• If two angles of a triangle are congruent to (have the same measure as) two angles of another
triangle, the two triangles are similar.
• The Pythagorean theorem: a2 + b2 = c2, where a and b are the lengths of the legs of a right
triangle and c is the length of the hypotenuse.
• If two triangles are similar, then all ratios of lengths of corresponding sides are equal.
• If point E lies on line segment AC, then AC = AE + EC.

Note that if two triangles or other polygons are similar or congruent, the order in which the vertices
are named does not necessarily indicate how the vertices correspond in the similarity or congruence.
Thus, it was stated explicitly in Example 1 that “△AED is similar to △CEB, with vertices A, E, and
D corresponding to vertices C, E, and B, respectively.”

You should also be familiar with the symbols for congruence and similarity.
• Triangle ABC is congruent to triangle DEF, with vertices A, B, and C corresponding to vertices D,
E, and F, respectively, and can be written as △ABC ≅ △DEF. Note that this statement, written

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with the symbol ≅, indicates that vertices A, B, and C correspond to vertices D, E, and F,
respectively.
• Triangle ABC is similar to triangle DEF, with vertices A, B, and C corresponding to vertices D, E,
and F, respectively, and can be written as △ABC ~ △DEF. Note that this statement, written with
the symbol ~, indicates that vertices A, B, and C correspond to vertices D, E, and F, respectively.

Example 2

In the figure above, a regular polygon with 9 sides has been divided into 9 congruent isosceles
triangles by line segments drawn from the center of the polygon to its vertices. What is the value of
x?

Note some of the key concepts that were used in Example 2:

• The sum of the measures of the angles about a point is 360°.
Corresponding angles of congruent triangles have the same measure.
The sum of the measure of the interior angles of any triangle is 180°.
In an isosceles triangle, the angles opposite the sides of equal length are of equal measure.

Example 3

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In the figure above, ∠AXB and ∠AYB are inscribed in the circle. Which of the following statements
is true?
A) The measure of ∠AXB is greater than the measure of ∠AYB.
B) The measure of ∠AXB is less than the measure of ∠AYB.
C) The measure of ∠AXB is equal to the measure of ∠AYB.
D) There is not enough information to determine the relationship between the measure of ∠AXB
and the measure of ∠AYB.

Note the key concept that was used in Example 3:

• The measure of an angle inscribed in a circle is equal to half the measure of its intercepted arc.

You also should know these related concepts:

• The measure of a central angle in a circle is equal to the measure of its intercepted arc.
• An arc is measured in degrees, while arc length is measured in linear units.

You should also be familiar with notation for arcs and circles on the SAT:

Example 4

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Example 5

Note some of the key concepts that were used in Example 5:

• Properties of trapezoids and parallelograms
• Area of a 45°-45°-90° triangle

Some questions on the SAT Math Test may ask you to find the area, surface area, or volume of an
object, possibly in a real-life context.

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Example 6

17. Coordinate Geometry

Questions on the SAT Math Test may ask you to use the coordinate plane and equations of lines and
circles to describe figures. You may be asked to create the equation of a circle given the figure or
use the structure of a given equation to determine a property of a figure in the coordinate plane. You
should know that the graph of (x−a)2 +(y−b)2 =r2 in the xy-plane is a circle with center (a,b) and
radius r.

Example 7
x2 + (y + 1)2 = 4
The graph of the given equation in the xy-plane is a circle. If the center of this circle is translated 1
unit up and the radius is increased by 1, which of the following is an equation of the resulting
circle?
A) x2 + y2 = 5
B) x2 + y2 = 9
C) x2 + (y + 2)2 = 5
D) x2 + (y + 2)2 = 9
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Example 8
x2 + 8x + y2 − 6y = 24
The graph of the equation above in the xy-plane is a circle. What is the radius of the circle?

18. Trigonometry and Radians

Example 9

In the figure above, right triangle PQR is similar to right triangle XYZ, with vertices P, Q, and R
corresponding to vertices X, Y, and Z, respectively.
If cos R = 0.263, what is the value of cos Z?

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Note that since an acute angle of a right triangle has measure between 0° and 90°, exclusive, right
triangles can be used only to find values of trigonometric functions for angles with measures
between 0° and 90°, exclusive. The definitions of sine, cosine, and tangent can be extended to all
values. This is done using radian measure and the unit circle.

The circle above has radius 1 and is centered at the origin, O. An angle in the coordinate plane is
said to be in standard position if it meets these two conditions: (1) its vertex lies at the origin and
(2) one of its sides lies along the positive x-axis. Since ∠AOB above, formed by segments OA and
OB, meets both these conditions, it is said to be in standard position. As segment OB, also called
the terminal side of ∠AOB, rotates counterclockwise about the circle, while OA is anchored along
the x-axis, the radian measure of ∠AOB is defined to be the length s of the arc that ∠AOB
intercepts on the unit circle. In other words, the measure of ∠AOB is s radians.

When an acute ∠AOB is in standard position within the unit circle, the x-coordinate of point B is
cos(∠AOB), and the y-coordinate of point B is sin(∠AOB). When ∠AOB is greater than 90 degrees
(or π/2 radians), and point B extends beyond the boundaries of the positive x-axis and positive y-
axis, the values of cos(∠AOB) and sin(∠AOB) may be negative depending on the coordinates of
point B. For any ∠AOB, place ∠AOB in standard position within the circle of radius 1 centered at
the origin, with side OA along the positive x-axis and terminal side OB intersecting the circle at

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point B. Then the cosine of ∠AOB is the x-coordinate of B, and the sine of ∠AOB is the y-

coordinate of B. The tangent of ∠AOB is the sine of ∠AOB divided by the cosine of ∠AOB.
Also note that since a rotation of 2π about point O brings you back to the same point on the unit
circle, sin(s + 2π ) = sin(s), cos(s + 2π ) = cos(s), and tan(s + 2π ) = tan(s), for any radian measure s.
Let angle DEF be a central angle in a circle of radius r, as shown in the following figure.

Example 10

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Example 11

19. Complex Numbers

The SAT Math Test includes questions on the arithmetic of complex numbers.

Addition and subtraction of complex numbers are performed by adding their real and complex
parts. For example,

• (−3 − 2i) + (4 − i) = (−3 + 4) + (−2i + (−i)) = 1 − 3i

• (−3 − 2i) − (4 − i) = (−3 − 4) + (−2i − (−i)) = −7 − i

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Example 12

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