All SSAT Upper Level Math Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
Line P passes through the origin and point .
Line Q passes through the origin and point .
Line R passes through the origin and point .
Line S passes through the origin and point .
Which of these lines is parallel to the line of the equation ?
Line P
Line Q
Line S
None of the other responses is correct.
Line R
Line S
First, find the slope of the line of the equation by rewriting it in slope-intercept form:
The slope of this line is , so we are looking for a line which also has this slope.
Find the slopes of all four lines by using the slope formula . Since each line passes through the origin, this formula can be simplified to
using the other point.
Line P:
Line Q:
Line R:
Line S:
Line S has the desired slope and is the correct choice.
Example Question #2 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
You are given three lines as follows:
Line A includes points and .
Line B includes point and has -intercept .
Line C includes the origin and point .
Which lines are parallel?
Find the slope of all three lines using the slope formula :
Line A:
Line B:
Line C:
Lines A and C have the same slope; Line B has a different slope. Only Lines A and C are parallel.
Example Question #1 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
Line A has equation .
Line B has equation .
Which statement is true of the two lines?
Write each statement in slope-intercept form:
Line A:
The slope is .
Line B:
The slope is .
The lines have differing slopes, so they are neither identical nor parallel. The product of the slopes is , so they are not perpendicular. The correct response is that they are distinct lines that are neither parallel nor perpendicular.
Example Question #2 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
Figure NOT drawn to scale
In the above figure, . Evaluate .
Angles of degree measures and form a linear pair, making the angles supplementary - that is, their degree measures total 180. Therefore,
Solving for :
The angles of measures and form a pair of alternating interior angles of parallel lines, so, as a consequence of the Parallel Postulate, they are congruent, and
Substituting for :
Example Question #3 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
Figure NOT drawn to scale
In the above figure, . Express in terms of .
The two marked angles are same-side interior angles of two parallel lines formed by a transversal ; by the Parallel Postulate, the angles are supplementary - the sum of their measures is 180 degrees. Therefore,
Solve for by moving the other terms to the other side and simplifying:
Example Question #4 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
Figure NOT drawn to scale
In the above figure, . Express in terms of .
The two marked angles are corresponding angles of two parallel lines formed by a transversal, so the angles are congruent. Therefore,
Solving for by subtracting 28 from both sides:
Example Question #4 : How To Find Whether Lines Are Parallel
Figure NOT drawn to scale
In the above figure, . Evaluate .
The two marked angles are same-side exterior angles of two parallel lines formed by a transversal ,; by the Parallel Postulate, the angles are supplementary - the sum of their measures is 180 degrees. Therefore,