ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Algebraic Concepts

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ISEE Upper Level Quantitative

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Solution To An Equation

A company makes toy boats.  Their monthly fixed costs are $1500.  The variable costs are $50 per boat.  They sell boats for $75 a piece.  How many boats must be sold each month to break even?

Possible Answers:

75

100

60

50

Correct answer:

60

Explanation:

The break-even point is where the costs equal the revenues

Fixed Costs + Variable Costs = Revenues

1500 + 50x = 75x

Solving for x results in x = 60 boats sold each month to break even.

Example Question #2 : Equations

Sally sells cars for a living.  She has a monthly salary of $1,000 and a commission of $500 for each car sold.  How much money would she make if she sold seven cars in a month?

Possible Answers:

$4,500

$5,500

$4,000

$5,000

Correct answer:

$4,500

Explanation:

The commission she gets for selling seven cars is $500 * 7 = $3,500 and added to the salary of $1,000 yields $4,500 for the month.

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Solution To An Equation

Solve the following system of equations:  xy = 5 and 2x + y = 4. 

What is the sum of x and y?

Possible Answers:

6

1

5

9

Correct answer:

1

Explanation:

Add the two equations to get 3x = 9, so x = 3.  Substitute the value of x into one of the equations to find the value of y; therefore x = 3 and y = –2, so their sum is 1.

Example Question #1 : How To Find The Solution To An Equation

If x = 1/3 and y = 1/2, find the value of 2x + 3y.

Possible Answers:

6/5

1

13/6

2

Correct answer:

13/6

Explanation:

Substitute the values of x and y into the given expression:

2(1/3) + 3(1/2)

= 2/3 + 3/2

= 4/6 + 9/6

= 13/6

Example Question #1 : Equations

For what value(s) of \(\displaystyle x\) is the expression \(\displaystyle \frac{x^{2}-1}{x^{2}+9}\) undefined?

Possible Answers:

The expression is defined for all real values of \(\displaystyle x\)

The expression is undefined for \(\displaystyle x = -3\) and \(\displaystyle x=3\)

The expression is undefined for \(\displaystyle x= 1\)

The expression is undefined for \(\displaystyle x = -3\)

The expression is undefined for \(\displaystyle x= 1\) and \(\displaystyle x= -1\)

Correct answer:

The expression is defined for all real values of \(\displaystyle x\)

Explanation:

The expression is undefined for exactly those values of \(\displaystyle x\) which yield a denominator of 0 - that is, for which 

\(\displaystyle x^{2} +9 =0\)

However, for all real \(\displaystyle x\)

\(\displaystyle x^{2} \geq 0\) ,

and, subsequently,

\(\displaystyle x^{2} +9 \geq 9 >0\) 

meaning the denominator is always positive. Therefore, the expression is defined for all real values of \(\displaystyle x\).

Example Question #4 : How To Find The Solution To An Equation

Albert has thirteen bills in his wallet, each one a five-dollar bill or a ten-dollar bill. What is the fewest number of ten-dollar bills that he can have and have more than $100.

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 8\)

\(\displaystyle 11\)

\(\displaystyle 10\)

\(\displaystyle 9\)

\(\displaystyle 7\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 8\)

Explanation:

Let \(\displaystyle x\) be the number of ten-dollar bills Albert has; then he has \(\displaystyle 13-x\) five-dollar bills.

He then has \(\displaystyle 10x + 5(13-x)\) dollars in his wallet, which must be greater than $100. Set up and solve an inequality:

\(\displaystyle 10x + 5(13-x) > 100\)

\(\displaystyle 10x + 65-5x > 100\)

\(\displaystyle 5x > 35\)

\(\displaystyle x>7\)

Therefore, the lowest whole number of ten-dollar bills that Albert can have is eight.

Example Question #5 : How To Find The Solution To An Equation

Solve for \(\displaystyle x\):

\(\displaystyle x (x+ 5) = \left ( x+2\right )^{2}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x = 4 \textrm{ or }x=5\)

\(\displaystyle x = 4 \textrm{ or }x=9\)

\(\displaystyle x = 9\)

\(\displaystyle x = 5\)

\(\displaystyle x = 4\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x = 4\)

Explanation:

Expand both products, the left using distribution, the right using the binomial square pattern:

\(\displaystyle x (x+ 5) = \left ( x+2\right )^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle x \cdot x+x \cdot 5= x^{2} + 2 \cdot 2 \cdot x +2^{2}\right )\)

\(\displaystyle x^{2}+5 x = x^{2} + 4x +4\)

\(\displaystyle x^{2} +5 x-x^{2} = x^{2} + 4x +4 -x^{2}\)

\(\displaystyle 5 x= 4x +4\)

Note that the quadratic terms can be eliminated, yielding a linear equation.

\(\displaystyle 5 x-4x = 4x +4 -4x\)

\(\displaystyle x = 4\)

Example Question #1 : Equations

Solve for \(\displaystyle x\) :

\(\displaystyle 4x + 2(x-7) = 2 (3x -5)\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x = 6\)

\(\displaystyle x = 4\)

\(\displaystyle x =-4\)

\(\displaystyle x = 0\)

The equation has no solution.

Correct answer:

The equation has no solution.

Explanation:

\(\displaystyle 4x + 2(x-7) = 2 (3x -5)\)

\(\displaystyle 4x + 2 \cdot x-2 \cdot7 = 2 \cdot 3x -2 \cdot5\)

\(\displaystyle 4x + 2 x-14 = 6x -10\)

\(\displaystyle \left (4 + 2 \right )x-14 = 6x -10\)

\(\displaystyle 6x-14 = 6x -10\)

\(\displaystyle 6x-6x-14 = 6x -6x -10\)

\(\displaystyle -14 = -10\)

This identically false statement alerts us to the fact that the original equation has no solution.

Example Question #2 : Equations

\(\displaystyle (2x-7)(x + 4) = 27\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x =17 \textrm{ or } x =23\)

\(\displaystyle x =-4 \textrm{ or } x =3\frac{1}{2}\)

\(\displaystyle x =-3\frac{1}{2} \textrm{ or } x =4\)

\(\displaystyle x = -5\frac{1}{2} \textrm{ or } x = 5\)

\(\displaystyle x = 5\textrm{ or } x = 5\frac{1}{2}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x = -5\frac{1}{2} \textrm{ or } x = 5\)

Explanation:

First, rewrite the quadratic equation in standard form by FOILing out the product on the left, then collecting all of the terms on the left side:

\(\displaystyle (2x-7)(x + 4) = 27\)

\(\displaystyle 2x \cdot x+ 2x \cdot 4 -7\cdot x -7\cdot 4 = 27\)

\(\displaystyle 2x^{2}+ 8x -7 x -28 = 27\)

\(\displaystyle 2x^{2}+ x -28 = 27\)

\(\displaystyle 2x^{2}+ x -28-27 = 27-27\)

\(\displaystyle 2x^{2}+ x- 55 = 0\)

Use the \(\displaystyle ac\) method to split the middle term into two terms; we want the coefficients to have a sum of 1 and a product of \(\displaystyle 2 (-55) = -110\). These numbers are \(\displaystyle -10,11\), so we do the following:

\(\displaystyle 2x^{2}-10x+ 11x- 55 = 0\)

\(\displaystyle 2x\left (x- 5 \right) + 11 \left ( x- 5 \right) = 0\)

\(\displaystyle \left (2x+ 11 \right) \left ( x- 5 \right) = 0\)

Set each expression equal to 0 and solve:

\(\displaystyle 2x + 11 = 0\)

\(\displaystyle 2x = -11\)

\(\displaystyle x = -5\frac{1}{2}\)

or 

\(\displaystyle x-5= 0\)

\(\displaystyle x = 5\)

The solution set is \(\displaystyle \left \{ -5 \frac{1}{2}, 5\right \}\).

Example Question #2 : Equations

Solve for \(\displaystyle x\):

\(\displaystyle x\left (3x+7 \right ) =20\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle x=-5 \textrm{ or }x = 1\frac{1}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=-1\frac{2}{3} \textrm{ or }x = 4\)

\(\displaystyle x=-1\frac{1}{3} \textrm{ or }x = 5\)

\(\displaystyle x=-4 \textrm{ or }x = 1\frac{2}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle x=4 \frac{1}{3} \textrm{ or } x = 20\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle x=-4 \textrm{ or }x = 1\frac{2}{3}\)

Explanation:

First, rewrite the quadratic equation in standard form by distributing the \(\displaystyle x\) through the product on the left, then collecting all of the terms on the left side:

\(\displaystyle x\left (3x+7 \right ) =20\)

\(\displaystyle x\left \cdot \; 3x+x\left \cdot\; 7 =20\)

\(\displaystyle 3x ^{2}+7x =20\)

\(\displaystyle 3x ^{2}+7x -20=20 -20\)

\(\displaystyle 3x ^{2}+7x -20=0\)

Use the \(\displaystyle ac\) method to factor the quadratic expression \(\displaystyle 3x ^{2}+7x -20\); we are looking to split the linear term by finding two integers whose sum is 7 and whose product is \(\displaystyle 3 (-20) = -60\). These integers are \(\displaystyle -5,12\), so:

\(\displaystyle \left (3x ^{2}-5x \right ) + \left ( 12x -20 \right ) =0\)

\(\displaystyle x \left (3x-5 \right ) +4 \left ( 3x -5 \right ) =0\)

\(\displaystyle \left (x +4 \right )\left (3x-5 \right )=0\)

Set each expression equal to 0 and solve:

\(\displaystyle x+4 = 0\)

\(\displaystyle x=-4\)

or

\(\displaystyle 3x-5=0\)

\(\displaystyle 3x=5\)

\(\displaystyle x = \frac{5}{3} = 1\frac{2}{3}\)

The solution set is \(\displaystyle \left \{ -4, 1\frac{2}{3}\right \}\).

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