All ISEE Middle Level Quantitative Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Distributive Property
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(b) is greater
(a) is greater
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) and (b) are equal
Apply the distributive and commutative properties to the expression in (a):
The two expressions are equivalent.
Example Question #2 : Distributive Property
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
(a) and (b) are equal
(a) is greater
(b) is greater
(b) is greater
Apply the distributive property to the expression in (a):
, so regardless of .
Therefore,
Example Question #3 : Distributive Property
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
(b) is greater
(a) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is greater
Apply the distributive property to the expression in (a):
Since , , and therefore, regardless of ,
Example Question #3 : How To Find The Distributive Property
Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
It is impossible to tell from the information given
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is greater
(a) is greater
It is impossible to tell from the information given
We show that there is at least one value of that makes the (a) greater and at least one that makes (b) greater:
Case 1:
(a)
(b)
(b) is greater here
Case 2:
(a)
(b)
(a) is greater here
Example Question #3 : Distributive Property
Which of the following is equivalent to ?
We can best solve this by factoring 4 from both terms, and distributing it out:
Example Question #4 : How To Find The Distributive Property
and are positive integers.
Which of the following is greater?
(A)
(b)
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(B) is greater
(A) and (B) are equal
(A) is greater
(A) and (B) are equal
(A) and (B) are equivalent variable expressions and are therefore equal regardless of the values of and .
Example Question #4 : Distributive Property
Simplify the below:
In order to simiplify we must first distribute the -2 only to what is inside the ( ):
Now, we must combine like terms:
This gives us the final answer:
Example Question #5 : Distributive Property
Simplify the below:
This does not simplify
We must use the distributive property in this case to multiply the 4 by both the 3x and 5.
Example Question #6 : How To Find The Distributive Property
and are positive numbers. Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
It is impossible to determine which quantity is the greater from the information given
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) is the greater quantity
(b) is the greater quantity
Since is positive, and , then, by the properties of inequality,
and
.
Example Question #6 : Distributive Property
is the additive inverse of . Which is the greater quantity?
(a)
(b)
(a) is the greater quantity
It is impossible to determine which is greater from the information given
(b) is the greater quantity
(a) and (b) are equal
(b) is the greater quantity
is the additive inverse of , so, by definition, .
.
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