# PSAT Math: No Calculator

This practice test covers the first section of PSAT Math. For these questions there is no calculator allowed.

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 Question 1

### George takes 3 hours to mow a lawn. Jacob takes 6 hours to mow the same lawn. How long will it take if both of them mow 3 lawns together?

 A $3$ B $6$ C $9$ D $12$
Question 1 Explanation:

George takes 3 hrs/lawn, so his rate of work is $\frac{1}{3}$ lawn/hr.

Jacob takes 6 hrs/lawn, so his rate of work is $\frac{1}{6}$ lawn/hr.

If they work together, they will mow $\frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{1}{2}$ lawn/hr.

$\frac{1}{2}$ lawn – 1 hr

3 lawns $– x$ hrs DIRECT relation

$\dfrac{\frac{1}{2}}{3} = \dfrac{1}{x}$

$\dfrac{x}{2} = 3$

$x = 6$ hrs
 Question 2

### A new electric hybrid car has a gas mileage of 45 miles per gallon. The car has a gas tank that holds 16 gallons of gas. The car with a half-full tank is driven at 90 miles an hour. Which of the following functions $f$ models the amount of gas remaining in the tank after $t$ hours?

 A $f(t) = 8 − 2t$ B $f(t) = 8 + 2t$ C $f(t) = 16 − t$ D $f(t) = 16 − 2t$
Question 2 Explanation:
The correct answer is (A). The car starts off with 8 gallons of gas. Each hour ($t$), it loses 2 gallons of gas. This is represented by $f(t) = 8 − 2t$.
 Question 3
$3x + 2y = 6$

$7x + 4y = 9$

### Based on the system of equations above, what is the value of the product $xy$?

 A $−\dfrac{45}{2}$ B $−\dfrac{9}{2}$ C $−3$ D $\dfrac{15}{2}$
Question 3 Explanation:
Solution: The correct answer is (A). Solve the system of linear equations:

$3x + 2y = 6$
$7x + 4y = 9$

Multiply the first equation by 2 throughout:

$6x + 4y = 12$
$7x + 4y = 9$

Subtract the first equation from the second:

$x = −3$, $y = \dfrac{9 − 7x}{4} = \dfrac{9 + 21}{4}$ $= \dfrac{30}{4} = \dfrac{15}{2}$

The product is: $−3 \cdot \dfrac{15}{2} = −\dfrac{45}{2}$
 Question 4

### If the two roots of $6x^2 + 6x = 12$ are $r_1$ and $r_2$, what is the product $r_1 \cdot r_2$?

 A $−2$ B $−1$ C $1$ D $2$
Question 4 Explanation:
The correct answer is (A). Dividing the equation by 6 gives:

$x^2 + x − 2 = 0$

Factoring gives:

$(x - 1) (x + 2) = 0$

The roots are 1 and −2. The product of the roots is:

$1 \cdot −2 = −2$
 Question 5

### The function $f(x) = ax + 2 + c\,$ passes through the points (0, 4) and (−1, 2). What is the value of $a + c\,$?

 A $2$ B $4$ C $6$ D $8$
Question 5 Explanation:
The correct answer is (C). Plugging in the given points gives two equations:

$f(0) = c$, $4 = c$

$f(−1) = −a + a − a + c$, $2 = −a + c$

Substituting for $c$ gives:

$2 = −a + 4$, $a = 2$

$a + c = 2 + 4 = 6$
 Question 6

### If the solution to $\frac{\sqrt{2}}{x + \sqrt{2}} − \frac{\sqrt{2}}{x − \sqrt{2}} = 3$ is positive, what is the value of $x$?

 A $\dfrac{\sqrt{6}}{3}$ B $\dfrac{3\sqrt{6}}{2}$ C $\dfrac{3}{\sqrt{6}}$ D $\dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{3}$
Question 6 Explanation:
The correct answer is (A). Use the common denominator and simplify:

$\dfrac{\sqrt{2} \cdot (x − \sqrt{2})}{x^2 − 2}$ $− \dfrac{\sqrt{2} \cdot (x + \sqrt{2})}{x^2 − 2} = 3$

$\dfrac{x\sqrt{2} − 2}{x^2 − 2}$ $− \dfrac{x\sqrt{2} + 2}{x^2 − 2} = 3$

$− \dfrac{4}{x^2 − 2} = 3$

$−4 = 3x^2 − 6$

$3x^2 + 0x − 2 = 0$

$x^2 = \dfrac{2}{3}$

$x = \sqrt{\dfrac{2}{3}}$ $= \dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{3}} \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{3}}$ $= \dfrac{\sqrt{6}}{3}$
 Question 7

### Monday's high temperature was $x$°. Tuesday’s high temperature was $y$°. The high temperature on Wednesday was the absolute difference between Monday’s and Tuesday’s high temperatures. Which of the following represents the high temperature on Wednesday?

 A $|x + y|$ B $|xy|$ C $|y − x|$ D $\text{None}$
Question 7 Explanation:
The correct answer is (C). The difference in temperatures between Monday and Tuesday is $|x − y|$. This is not an answer choice. Note that $|x − y| = |y − x|$, since the difference is absolute.
 Question 8
$\dfrac{1}{2}x − \dfrac{1}{4}y = 5$

$14x − by = 140$

### In the system of linear equations above, $b$ is a constant. If the system has infinite solutions, what is the value of $b$?

 A $5$ B $7$ C $28$ D $56$
Question 8 Explanation:
The correct answer is (B). Multiplying the first equation by 28 gives:

$14x − 7y = 140$

$14x − by = 140$

Since the system has infinite solutions, the equations/lines are the same. So, $b = 7$.
 Question 9

### If $b$ is a fraction such that $\frac{1}{4} ≤ b ≤ \frac{3}{4}$, which of the following is a true statement?

 A $b ≥ b^2 ≥ b^{−1}$ B $b ≤ b^2 ≥ b^{−8}$ C $b ≥ b^2 ≥ b^{−1}$ D $b ≥ b^2 ≥ b^8$
Question 9 Explanation:
The correct answer is (D). Use the fact that multiplying a fraction by itself will make the result smaller each time. Thus $b$ will be greater than $b^n$ where $n > 1$. Using this fact, you can conclude that the correct choice is choice (D).

You can also plug in a value for $b$, say $\frac{1}{4}$ and test the inequalities. This may be an easy way to solve these kinds of problems. Number lines are very helpful to visualize abstract problems like this. In this problem, $b^8$, $b^2$, $b$ appear in this order in the number line. Mark them on a number line to help you visualize quickly. So, $b ≥ b^2 ≥ b^8$.
 Question 10

### At Sing & Dance, customers can rent singing and dancing rooms in increments of 1 minute with a minimum total of 30 minutes. The cost for renting the singing room is \$10 per minute and the cost for renting the dancing room is \$20 per minute. If the minimum total must be \$500, then which of the following choices indicate a possible combination of singing and dancing minutes that can be rented?  A$(15, 15)$B$(15, 16)$C$(15, 17)$D$(15, 18)$Question 10 Explanation: The correct answer is (D). Let$S$be the number of minutes rented from the song room and$D$be the number of minutes rented from the dance room. Minimum total is$30$minutes, so$S + D ≥ 30$. Minimum total cost of dancing$= 10S + 20D ≥ 500$. Plug in the choices. For$S = 15$and$D = 18$, both inequalities are satisfied.$S + D = 15 + 18= 33>30$and$10 \cdot 15 + 20 \cdot 18 = 510 > 500$.  Question 11 Two cubes with side lengths of$5$are placed adjacently as shown in the diagram below. What is the length of the interior diagonal of the newly formed rectangular prism?  A$5$B$5\sqrt{5}$C$5\sqrt{6}$D$6\sqrt{5}$Question 11 Explanation: The correct answer is (C). The length of the diagonal is the same as a rectangular prism with dimensions of$5 × 5 × 10$, which is$\sqrt{5^2 + 5^2 + 10^2}= \sqrt{150} = \sqrt{25 \cdot 6}= 5\sqrt{6}$.  Question 12 The length of a rectangle of$l$is three times its width$w$. If the length is increased by$5$units and width is increased by$2$units, the area of a rectangle is given by which of the following expression?  A$3w^2 + 11w + 10$B$3w^2 − 11w + 10$C$11w^2 + 3w + 10$D$11w^2 − 3w − 10$Question 12 Explanation: The correct answer is (A).$l = 3w$new area$= (l + 5)( w + 2)= (3w + 5)(w + 2)= 3w^2 + 6w + 5w + 10= 3w^2 + 11w + 10$ Question 13 The polynomial function that can be used to model the number of items sold at a store is$N(t) = 16t^3 − 2t^2 + 13$, where$t$is the month (Jan = 1, Dec = 12). The average price of the items each month and can be modeled as$P(t) = 2t + 4$. The function$R(t)$that can be used to model the revenue from these items is  A$R(t) = 32t^3 + 60t^2 − 8t + 52$B$R(t) = 32t^4 + 60t^3 − 8t^2 + 26t + 52$C$R(t) = 32t^4 + 60t^3 − 8t^2 + 26t$D$R(t) = 32t^4 + 8t^2 + 26t + 52$Question 13 Explanation: The correct answer is (B). Items sold each month$= N(t) = 16t^3 − 2t^2 + 13$Price of items each month$= P(t) = 2t + 4$. Revenue$= N(t) \cdot P(t) =(16t^3 − 2t^2 + 13) \cdot (2t + 4)= 32t^4 + 64t^3 − 4t^3 − 8t^2 + 26t + 52= 32t^4 + 60t^3 − 8t^2 + 26t + 52$ Question 14 ### Amanda pays her cell phone company 50 dollars a month, plus 1 dollar for every minute spoken and 50 cents for each text message sent. Andrea pays her cell phone company 25 dollars a month, plus 2 dollars for every minute spoken and 75 cents for each text message sent. If both speak for 100 minutes a month, and send 200 text messages a month, how much more money will Andrea spend than Amanda in 1 year? ### (Write down your answer.)  A$\text{Click}\text{here}\text{to}\text{see}\text{the}\text{correct}\text{answer.}$Question 14 Explanation: The correct answer is$\$1500$.

Both speak for $100$ minutes and send $200$ texts, in addition to the base monthly payment.

Amanda: $50 + 1(100) + 0.5(200) = 50 + 100 + 100 = 250$ dollars per month.

$250 \cdot 12 = 3000$ per year

Betty: $25 + 2(100) + 0.75(200) = 25 + 200 + 150 = 375$ dollars per month

$375 \cdot 12 = 4500$ per year

The difference between their yearly costs is:

$\$4500 − \$3000 = \$1500$ Question 15 ### A cab driver charges \$5 for the first 0.75 miles, \$8 for the subsequent 0.25 miles, and \$2 for each additional mile. How many miles can you travel in the cab if you paid $\50? ### (Write down your answer.)  A$\text{Click}\text{here}\text{to}\text{see}\text{the}\text{correct}\text{answer.}$Question 15 Explanation: The correct answer is$19.5$.$\$5$ for the first $0.75$ miles, $\$8$for the next$0.25$miles,$\$2$ each additional mile. How many miles can you travel for $\$50$? Let$m$be the miles traveled for$\$50$.
$m$ miles can be broken down, based on each fare segment. This must to add up to $m$ miles.

$m = 0.75 + 0.25 + (m − 1)$

The first mile is included in the $m$.

Now apply the fares to each segment.

$5 + 8 + (m − 1) \cdot 2 = 50$

$13 + 2m − 2 = 50$

$2m = 39$

$m = 19.5$ miles
 Question 16

In the diagram shown above, $AE$ has a length of $3$. $AD$ has a length of $9$. $AB$ and $CD$ are parallel. What is the ratio of the area of triangle $CED$ to triangle $AEB$?

Write down your answer and then click below to see if you are correct.

 A $\text{Click}$ $\text{here}$ $\text{to}$ $\text{see}$ $\text{the}$ $\text{correct}$ $\text{answer.}$
Question 16 Explanation:
The correct answer is $4$.

$AE = 3$ and $ED = 6$. Also, since $AB$ and $CD$ are parallel, $∠ABE = ∠ECD$ and $∠EAB = ∠ECD$. This means that triangles $ABE$ and $ECD$ are similar by AA similarity. This means that the side lengths of the larger triangle are twice the smaller triangle. Hence, the area of the larger triangle is $2^2 = 4$ times the area of the smaller triangle.
 Question 17

### What is the absolute value of the sum of the solutions to the polynomial shown below?

$x^2 + 6x + 9 = 0$

 A $\text{Click}$ $\text{here}$ $\text{to}$ $\text{see}$ $\text{the}$ $\text{correct}$ $\text{answer.}$
Question 17 Explanation:
The correct answer is $3$.

The polynomial $x^2 + 6x + 9$ can be factored into:

$(x+3)(x+3)$

$(x+3)^2$

The solution to this is $x = −3$. Since there is only one solution to the polynomial, the answer is the absolute value of $−3$.

$|−3| = 3$
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