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ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Variables and Exponents

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

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All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents

Simplify:

$5x^{2} y ^{2}+7 + 6x^{2}y^{2} + 11 xy$

Possible Answers:

$11x^{2}y^{2}+ 11 xy +7$

$22x^{3}y^{3}+7$

$29x^{3}y^{3}$

The expression cannot be simplified further

$30x^{2}y^{2}+ 11 xy +7$

Correct answer:

$11x^{2}y^{2}+ 11 xy +7$

Explanation:

Group and combine like terms $5x^{2} y ^{2},6x^{2}y^{2}$ :

$5x^{2} y ^{2}+7 + 6x^{2}y^{2} + 11 xy$

$= 5x^{2} y ^{2}+ 6x^{2}y^{2}+ 11 xy +7$

$=\left ( 5+ 6 \right )x^{2}y^{2}+ 11 xy +7$

$=11x^{2}y^{2}+ 11 xy +7$

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Example Question #2 : Variables And Exponents

x > 0, y < 0

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) $(x + y)^{2}$

(b) $x^{2}+ y^{2}$

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) and (b) are equal.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

(b) is greater.

Explanation:

$(x + y)^{2} = x^{2}+2xy + y^{2}$

Since and have different signs,

xy<0 , and, subsequently,

2xy < 0

Therefore,

$(x + y)^{2} = x^{2}+2xy + y^{2} < x^{2} + y^{2}$

This makes (b) the greater quantity.

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Example Question #3 : Variables And Exponents

Assume that and are not both zero. Which is the greater quantity?

(a) $\frac{(x+y)^{2} + (x - y)^{2}}{x^{2}+y^{2}}$

(b) 4xy

Possible Answers:

(a) and (b) are equal.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

Explanation:

Simplify the expression in (a):

$\frac{(x+y)^{2} + (x - y)^{2}}{x^{2}+y^{2}}$

$=\frac{(x^{2}+2xy + y^{2})+ (x^{2}-2xy + y^{2})}{x^{2}+y^{2}}$

$=\frac{ x^{2}+x^{2} +2xy -2xy+ y^{2}+ y^{2}}{x^{2}+y^{2}}$

$=\frac{ 2x^{2} +2 y^{2}}{x^{2}+y^{2}} =\frac{ 2(x^{2}+y^{2})}{x^{2}+y^{2}} = 2$

Therefore, whether (a) or (b) is greater depends on the values of and , neither of which are known.

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Example Question #3 : How To Add Exponential Variables

x > 0

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) $x^{2} + 3x$

(b)

Possible Answers:

(a) and (b) are equal

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) is greater

(b) is greater

Correct answer:

It is impossible to tell from the information given

Explanation:

We give at least one positive value of for which (a) is greater and at least one positive value of for which (b) is greater.

Case 1: x = 2

(a) $x^{2} + 3x = 2^{2} + 3 \cdot 2 = 4 + 6 = 10$

(b) $4x = 4 \cdot 2 = 8$

Case 2: $x = \frac{1}{2}$

(a) $x^{2} + 3x = \left ( \frac{1}{2} \right ) ^{2} + 3 \cdot \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{4} + \frac{3}{2} = \frac{7}{4}= 1 \frac{3}{4}$

(b) $4x = 4 \cdot \frac{1}{2} = 2$

Therefore, either (a) or (b) can be greater.

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Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents

Assume all variables to be nonzero.

Simplify: $\left (12x^{5}y ^{4}z^{3} \right )^{0} + \left (3x^{5}y ^{4}z^{3} \right )^{0}$

Possible Answers:

$15x^{10}y ^{8}z^{6}$

None of the answer choices are correct.

$15x^{5}y ^{4}z^{3}$

$36x^{5}y ^{4}z^{3}$

$36x^{10}y ^{8}z^{6}$

Correct answer:

None of the answer choices are correct.

Explanation:

Any nonzero expression raised to the power of 0 is equal to 1. Therefore,

$\left (12x^{5}y ^{4}z^{3} \right )^{0} + \left (3x^{5}y ^{4}z^{3} \right )^{0} = 1 + 1 = 2$ .

None of the given expressions are correct.

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Example Question #4 : Variables And Exponents

Simplify:

$\left (\frac{x^{3}}{2y^{4}} \right ) ^{-3}$

Possible Answers:

$\frac{8 y^{12} }{x^{9} }$

$\frac{1}{2y}$

$\frac{8 y^{7} }{x^{6} }$

$\frac{8x^{9} }{ y^{12}}$

$\frac{8x^{6} }{ y^{7}}$

Correct answer:

$\frac{8 y^{12} }{x^{9} }$

Explanation:

$\left (\frac{x^{3}}{2y^{4}} \right ) ^{-3} = \left (\frac{2y^{4}}{x^{3}} \right ) ^{3} = \frac{2^{3} \left (y^{4}\right ) ^{3} }{\left (x^{3} \right )^{3}}= \frac{8 y^{4 \cdot 3} }{x^{3\cdot 3} }= \frac{8 y^{12} }{x^{9} }$

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Example Question #4 : Variables And Exponents

y>1

Which is greater?

(a) $y ^{-2}$

(b) $y^{2}$

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater

It is impossible to tell from the information given

(a) and (b) are equal

(b) is greater

Correct answer:

(b) is greater

Explanation:

If y > 1 , then $y ^{2}> 1^{2} = 1$ and $y ^{-2}= \frac{1}{y ^{2}} < \frac{1}{1} = 1$

$y ^{2}> 1> y ^{-2}$ , so by transitivity, $y ^{2}> y ^{-2}$ , and (b) is greater

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Example Question #5 : Variables And Exponents

Expand: $(x + 1)^{10}$

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) The coefficient of $x^{3}$

(b) The coefficient of $x^{7}$

Possible Answers:

(a) is greater.

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

The two quantities are equal.

(b) is greater.

Correct answer:

The two quantities are equal.

Explanation:

By the Binomial Theorem, if $(x + 1)^{n}$ is expanded, the coefficient of $x^{r}$ is

$_{n}\textrm{C} _{r} = \frac{n!}{(n-r)!r!}$ .

(a) Substitute n = 10, r = 3 : The coerfficient of $x^{3}$ is

$_{10}\textrm{C} _{3} = \frac{10!}{(10-3)!3!} = \frac{10!}{7!3!}$ .

(b) Substitute n = 10, r = 7 : The coerfficient of $x^{7}$ is

$_{10}\textrm{C} _{7} = \frac{10!}{(10-7)!7!} = \frac{10!}{3!7!} = \frac{10!}{7!3!}$ .

The two are equal.

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Example Question #2 : How To Find The Exponent Of Variables

Which is greater?

(a) $\left (-2 \right )^{-3}$

(b) $\left ( \frac{1}{2} \right ) ^{3}$

Possible Answers:

It is impossible to tell from the information given.

(a) is greater.

(b) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(b) is greater.

Explanation:

$\left (-2 \right )^{-3} = \left ( -\frac{1}{2} \right )^{3}$

A negative number to an odd power is negative, so the expression in (a) is negative. The expression in (b) is positive since the base is positive. (b) is greater.

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Example Question #4 : How To Find The Exponent Of Variables

x>0

Which is the greater quantity?

(a) $(x + 5)^{3}- (x - 5)^{3}$

(b) 250

Possible Answers:

It is impossble to tell from the information given.

(b) is greater.

(a) is greater.

(a) and (b) are equal.

Correct answer:

(a) is greater.

Explanation:

Simplify the expression in (a):

$(x + 5)^{3}- (x - 5)^{3}$

$=(x^{3}+ 3 \cdot x^{2} \cdot 5 + 3 \cdot x \cdot 5^{2}+ 5^{3}) -(x^{3}- 3 \cdotx^{2} \cdot 5 + 3 \cdot x \cdot 5^{2}- 5^{3})$

$=(x^{3}+15 x^{2}+75 x + 125) - (x^{3}-15 x^{2}+75 x- 125)$

$=x^{3}-x^{3}+15 x^{2}+15 x^{2}+75 x-75 x + 125+125$

$=30 x^{2} + 250$

Since x>0 ,

$(x + 5)^{3}- (x - 5)^{3}=30 x^{2} + 250 > 250$ ,

making (a) greater.

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All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources

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ISEE Upper Level Quantitative : Variables and Exponents

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

All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #2 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #3 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #3 : How To Add Exponential Variables

Example Question #1 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #4 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #4 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #5 : Variables And Exponents

Example Question #2 : How To Find The Exponent Of Variables

Example Question #4 : How To Find The Exponent Of Variables

All ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Resources

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