SAT Algebra

Mrs. Marwa Issa

Definitions
Variable: An unknown quantity in an equation represented by a letter (usually from the end of the
alphabet), for example, x, y, or z.

Constant: An unchanging numerical quantity—either a number or a letter that represents a number (usually
from the beginning of the alphabet), for example, 5, 7.31, a, b, or k.

Term: An algebraic unit consisting of constants and variables multiplied together, such as 5x or 9x2.

Coefficient: In a term, the constant before the variable. In ax2, a is the coefficient. In 7x, 7 is the
coefficient.

Polynomial: An algebraic expression consisting of more than one term joined by addition or subtraction.
For example, x2 − 3x2 + 4x − 5 is a polynomial with four terms.

Binomial: A polynomial with exactly two terms, such as (x −5).

Quadratic: A quadratic expression is a polynomial with one variable whose largest exponent is a 2, for
example, x2 − 5x + 6 or y = x2 + 4.

Root: A root of a polynomial is a value of the variable that makes the polynomial equal to zero. More
generally, the roots of an equation are the values that make the equation true. Roots are also known as
zeros, solutions, and x-intercepts.

SOLVING EQUATIONS

Practice:
FACTORING AND DISTRIBUTING

3. If (11x)(50) + (50x)(29) = 4,000, then x =

(A) 2,000
(B) 200
(C) 20
(D) 2
(E) 0.2

17. If ab ≠ 0, =
(A) –3
(B) –2
(C) 0
(D) 1
(E) 3

36. If x ≠ −1, =
(A) 4x2
(B) x2
(C) 4x
(D) x
(E) 4

11. The use of a neighborhood car wash costs n dollars for a membership and p cents for each wash. If a
membership includes a bonus of 4 free washes, which of the following reflects the cost, in dollars, of
getting a membership at the car wash and washing a car q times, if q is greater than 4 ?

(A) 100n + pq − 4p
(B) n + 100pq − 25p
(C) n + pq −

(D) n + −

(E) n + − (D)

5. The price of an item in a store is p dollars. If the tax on the item is t%, what is the total cost in dollars of n
such items, including tax?
(A) npt
(B) npt + 1
(C)

(D) 100n(p + pt)

(E)

8. Vehicle A travels at x miles per hour for x hours. Vehicle B travels a miles per hour faster than Vehicle
A, and travels b hours longer than Vehicle A. Vehicle B travels how much farther than Vehicle A, in miles?
(A) x² – ab

(B) a² + b²
(C) ax + bx + ab
(D) x² + abx + ab
(E) 2x² + (a + b)x + ab

17. For any real number n, |5 − n| − |n − 5| =

20. If Company A builds a skateboards per week, and Company B builds b skateboards per day, then in m
weeks, Company A builds how many more skateboards than Company B ?
(A) 7bm
(B) m(a − 7b)
(C) 7(ma − mb)
(D) 7m(a − b)

(E)

23. If a > 3 and b < 3, then which of the following could be true?
I. a − b > 3
II. a + b < 3
III. |a + b| < 3
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and II only
 (D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III
30. For all real numbers, x3 < y3. Which of the following must be true?
I. x < y
II. x2 < y2
III. |x| < |y|
(A) I only

(B) III only

10. A duck travels from point A to point B. If the duck flies of the way, walks of the way, and swims
the remaining 10 kilometers of her trip, what is the total distance in kilometers traveled by the duck?
(A) 36
(B) 45
(C) 56
(D) 72
(E) 108
11. Matt has 4 more hats than Aaron and half as many hats as Michael. If the three together have 24 hats,
how many hats does Michael have?
(A) 7
(B) 9
(C) 12
(D) 14
(E) 18

17. A shipment of 3,200 items is divided into 2 portions so that the difference between the portions is one-
half of their average. What is the ratio of the smaller to the larger portion?
(A) 1 : 2
(B) 1 : 3
(C) 2 : 5
(D) 3 : 5
(E) 5 : 8

27. Three distinct positive integers have a sum of 15 and a product of 45. What is the largest of these
integers?
(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 5
(D) 9
(E) 15

INEQUALITIES

Practice

If the range of possible values for x is given by −5 < x < 8, find the range of possible values for each of the
following:

1. −x:
2. 4x:
3. x + 6:
4. (2 − x):

5. :
DIRECT AND INDIRECT VARIATION

17. If n varies directly as m, and n is 3 when m is 24, then what is the value of n when m is 11 ?
(A) 1.375
(B) 1.775
(C) 1.95
(D) 2.0
(E) 2.125

15. If a varies inversely as b, and a = 3 when b = 5, then what is the value of a when b = 7 ?
(A) 2.14
(B) 2.76
(C) 3.28
(D) 4.2
(E) 11.67

15. If a varies inversely as b, and a = 3 when b = 5, then what is the value of a when b = x ?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D) 3x
(E) 3x2

18. If n varies directly as m, and n = 5 when m = 4, then what is the value of n when m = 5 ?
(A) 4.0
(B) 4.75
(C) 5.5
(D) 6.25
(E) 7.75

24. If p varies directly as q, and p = 3 when q = 10, then what is the value of p when q = 1 ?
(A) 0.3
(B) 0.43
(C) 0.5
(D) 4.3
(E) 4.33
26. If y varies directly as x2, and y = 24 when x = 3.7, what is the value of y when x = 8.3 ?
(A) 170.67
(B) 120.77
(C) 83.23
(D) 64.00
(E) 53.83

WORK AND TRAVEL QUESTIONS

remember this:
distance = rate × time
When working with questions about work being done, remember
this:
work done = rate of work × time

11. A factory contains a series of water tanks, all of the same size. If Pump 1 can fill 12 of these tanks in a
12-hour shift, and Pump 2 can fill 11 tanks in the same time, then how many tanks can the two pumps fill,
working together, in 1 hour?
(A) 0.13
(B) 0.35
(C) 1.92
(D) 2.88
(E) 3.33

12. A projectile travels 227 feet in one second. If there are 5,280 feet in 1 mile, then which of the following
best approximates the projectile’s speed in miles per hour?
(A) 155
(B) 170
(C) 194
(D) 252
(E) 333

18. A train travels from Langston to Hughesville and back in 5.5 hours. If the two towns are 200 miles
apart, what is the average speed of the train in miles per hour?
(A) 36.36
(B) 72.73
(C) 109.09
(D) 110.10
(E) 120.21

25. Jules can make m muffins in s minutes. Alice can make n muffins in t minutes. Which of the following
gives the number of muffins that Jules and Alice can make together in 30 minutes?

(A)

(B)

(C) 30(mt + ns)

(D)

(E)

Average Speed

15. Roberto travels from his home to the beach, driving at 30 miles per hour. He returns along the same
route at 50 miles per hour. If the distance from Roberto’s house to the beach is 10 miles, then what is
Roberto’s average speed for the round-trip in miles per hour?
(A) 32.5
(B) 37.5
(C) 40.0
(D) 42.5
(E) 45.0 (c)

19. Alexandra jogs from her house to the lake at 12 miles per hour and jogs back by the same route at 9
miles per hour. If the path from her house to the lake is 6 miles long, what is her average speed in miles
per hour for the round-trip?
(A) 11.3
(B) 11.0
(C) 10.5
(D) 10.3
(E) 10.1

24. A truck travels 50 miles from Town S to Town T in 50 minutes, and then immediately drives 40 miles
from Town T to Town U in 40 minutes. What is the truck’s average speed in miles per hour, from Town S
to Town U ?
(A) 1
(B) 10
(C) 45
(D) 60
(E) 90

33. Ben travels a certain distance at 25 miles per hour and returns across the same distance at 50 miles
per hour. What is his average speed in miles per hour for the round-trip?
(A) 37.5
(B) 33.3
(C) 32.0
(D) 29.5
(E) It cannot be determined from the information given.

SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS
6. If 4n − 8m = 6, and −5n + 4m = 3, then n =

7. If x and y are real numbers such that 3x + 4y = 10 and 2x − 4y = 5, then what is the value of x ?

8. If 12a − 3b = 131 and 5a − 10b = 61, then what is the value of a + b ?

34. If the above statements are true, what is one possible value of abc ?
(A) 5.0
(B) 8.33
(C) 9.28
(D) 18.54
(E) 25.0

26. If a + 3b = 6, and 4a − 3b = 14, a =

31. If 2x − 7y = 12 and −8x + 3y = 2, which of the following is the value of x − y ?

34. If all of the above statements are true, what is one possible value of abc ?
(A) 3.75
(B) 2.25
(C) 2.0
(D) 1.5
(E) 0.25

37. If xyz = 4 and y2z = 5, what is the value of ?

FOIL

Practice using FOIL on the following binomial multiplications.

1. (x − 2)(x + 11) =
2. (b + 5)(b + 7) =
3. (x − 3)(x − 9) =
4. (2x − 5)(x + 1) =
5. (n2 + 5)(n − 3) =
6. (3a + 5)(2a − 7) =
7. (x − 3)(x − 6) =
8. (c − 2)(c + 9) =
9. (d + 5)(d − 1) =

FACTORING QUADRATICS

Solve the following equations by factoring the quadratic polynomials. Write down all of the roots of
each equation (values of the variable that make the equations true). The
1. a2 − 3a + 2 = 0
2. d2 + 8d + 7 = 0
3. x2 + 4x− 21 = 0
4. 3x2 + 9x − 30 = 0
5. 2x2 + 40x + 198 = 0
6. p2 + 10p = 39
7. c2 + 9c + 20 = 0
8. s2 + 4s − 12 = 0
9. x2 − 3x − 4 = 0
10. n4 − 3n2 − 10 = 0

Special Quadratic Identities

36. If a + b = 7, and a2 + b2 = 37, then what is the value of ab ?

17. If n − m = −3 and n2 − m2 = 24, then which of the following is the sum of n and m ?
(A) −8
(B) −6
(C) −4
(D) 6
(E) 8

19. If x + y = 3 and x2 + y2 = 8, then xy =

24. If the sum of two nonzero integers is 9 and the sum of their squares is 36, then what is the product of
the two integers?
(A) 9.0
(B) 13.5
(C) 18.0
(D) 22.5
(E) 45.0
It’s possible to tell quickly, without going all the way through the quadratic formula, how many roots an
equation has. The part of the quadratic formula under the radical, b2 − 4ac, is called the discriminant.
The value of the discriminant gives you the following information about a quadratic equation:
If b2 − 4ac > 0, then the equation has two distinct real roots.
If b2 − 4ac = 0, then the equation has one distinct real root and is a perfect square. Actually, it has two
identical real roots, which ETS will call a “double root.”
If b2 − 4ac < 0, then the equation has no real roots. Both of its roots are imaginary.

For equations with real roots, 􀉹nd the exact value of those roots using the quadratic formula.
1. x2 − 7x + 5 = 0
2. 3a2 − 3a + 7 = 0
3. s2 − 6s + 4 = 0
4. x2 − 2 = 0
5. n2 + 5n + 6.25 = 0