by Talal Ali Jan

cracking the
SAT
MATH – HEART OF ALGEBRA
#05

TUTORIA (previously called Brightlink Prep - SAT) Ph: + 92 323 409 6656 info@tutoriapakistan.com
397 – A1, Gulberg 3, Lahore, Pakistan Ph: +92 324 6447150 talal@tutoriapakistan.com
Tutoriapakistan.com
Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

Heart of Algebra
In this manual, you will learn how to use algebra to analyze, solve, and create linear equations and inequalities,
solve systems of equations, and apply these methods to real world situations.

The concepts covered in this section are:

• Algebraic Expressions
• Linear Equations
• Inequalities
• Absolute Value
• Functions
• Interpreting Equations
• Graphing Equations and Inequalities

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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

Algebraic Expressions & Equations

Part 1

Part 1 Practice; Algebraic Expressions

For questions 1-7, solve for x

1. Simplify (4 – y) – 2(2y – 3)

$ $
2. !−1= 8

3. 4 ! − 6 + 7 = 19

$
4. (! + 5) − 7 = −8

1123(425)
5. =7
463

676 8(364)
6. =6
964

Linear Equation
Part 2

Example 1

8 429
What is the value of x + 2 if = 10 ?
3

A. 1
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6

Example 2
564
If = −1, then which of the following expresses all the possible values of x?
461

A. x: x = -1
B. x: x = 0
C. x: x ≠ 1
D. x: No real numbers

Example 3

3 !+2 !
What are all the possible values of x if 6
− 2 = 1?

A. x: x = 2
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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

B. x: x = -2, 2
C. x: x = 1
D. x: All real numbers

Example 4

3 + 10x – 5 = (a + 1)(x) - 2

In the equation above, a is a constant. For what values of a does the equation have infinitely many
solutions?

A. 2
B. 7
C. 9
D. 10

Part 2 Practice: Linear Equations

1. T = 0.25q + 87
Manon's statistics professor puts a bonus question on every test, which adds 0.25 points to a
student's overall grade at the end of the term. The above equation gives Manon's current overall
grade, T, after taking into account q extra credit questions answered correctly. What does the 87
mean in this equation?

A. Manon must get an 87 or above to pass

B. Manon's average is an 87 before adding the extra credit.
C. After adding in her extra credit, Manon's average is an 87
D. Manon's professor gave 87 opportunities for extra credit this term.

2. 5.5B + 4R = 28
The above equation is true if Amit buys B pounds of blueberries and R pounds of raspberries at a
farm where blueberries cost $5.50 per pound and raspberries cost $4.00 per pound. According to
the equation, how much does Amit spend in total on both types of berries?

A. $9.50
B. $22
C. $28
D. $56

3. S = 40,000 + 500c
Caden started a new job selling dental chairs. He earns a base salary plus a commission for every
chair he sells. The equation above gives Caden's annual salary, S, in dollars, after selling c dental
chairs. Based on the equation above, what is Caden's base salary?

A. 39500
B. 40000
C. 40500
D. 50000

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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

4. 0.2B + 0.1S = C
Rhia is using the above equation to investigate the carbon footprint, C, in kilograms of carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions, for her morning commute, during which S miles are by subway and B
miles are by bus. How many kilograms of CO2 per mile does the bus portion contribute to Rhia's
carbon footprint?

5. V = 2.5(6.4−t)
Salma is filling her water jugs with spring water at the supermarket. The above equation gives the
empty space in her jugs, V, in US gallons, after t minutes at a constant fill rate. How many
minutes will it take to fill the jugs?

Inequalities
Part 3

An inequality is a mathematical statement comparing two unequal quantities. Inequalities can be

represented with these symbols:

Inequality Symbols
> greater than
< less than
≥ greater than or equal to
≤ less than or equal to

Part 3 Practice: Inequalities

1. What happens when you divide both sides of an inequality by a negative number?

For questions 2-3, write an inequality that corresponds to that diagram

2.

3.

4. 4c+5 < 4c+3

Which of the following best describes the solutions to the inequality shown above?

A. All real numbers

B. c<1/2
C. c>1/4
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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

D. no solution

5. If 9 ≥ 4x+1, which inequality represents the possible range of values of 12x+3?

A. 12x+3≥17
B. 12x+3≤17
C. 12x+3≥27
D. 12x+3≤27

6. 6 = −s+77
Given the above equation, what is the value of 1+5(77-S)?

A. -739
B. -29
C. 31
D. 741

7. If 16-7w = w+14-6w, what is the value of w-1?

A. W-1=-2
B. W-1=0
C. W-1=1
D. W-1=-3

1 9 3
8. IF + > = s - , what is the value of s?
9 8 5

A. s-3/4
B. s = 25/12
C. s = -25/12
D. s = -3/4

9. If 12d – 3c ≤ 45, what is c in terms of d?

10. If -13≤ −2@ − 3 ≤ 1, then which of the following describes all the possible values of z?
A. -5 ≤ @ ≤ 2
B. -2 ≤ @ ≤ 5
C. 2 ≤ @ ≤ 5
D. -5 ≤ @ ≤ −2

3B 8B
11. If (
2
)( 3 ) ≤ 1,which of the following inequalities must be true?
1
A. d ≤
5
1
B. d ≤
9
1 1
C. - ≤d≤
5 5
1 1
D. - ≤ d ≤
9 9

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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

Absolute Values
Part 4

The absolute value of a number is its distance away from zero on a number line, To represent the
absolute value of a quantity, you write two vertical bars around the quantity.

EXAMPLE

|-5| = 5

Example

If |x| ≤ 3, then what values are possible for x?

Part 4 Practice: Absolute Value

1. |7-6| =

2. |-3| =

3. |2-7| =

For questions 4-7, find all possible values of a.

4. |a-3| = 2

5. -|a-5| = -2

8C
6. | |=10
3

|EC69|
7. +5 = 9
3

For questions 8-10, solve for b.

8. -|b-3| < -5

9. |b-11| ≥ 7

10. |-3b + 5| ≤ 23

System of equation & Inequalities

Part 5

1. Ricardo has two types of assignments for his class. The number of mini assignments, m, he
has is 1 fewer than twice the number of long assignments, l, he has. If he has 46 assignments
in total, which of the following systems of equations can be used to correctly solve
for m and l?

A. m = 2l−1
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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

m+l = 46

B. m = 2l−1
m = l+46

C. l = 2m−1
m+l = 46

D. l = 2m−1
m = l+46

2. One Saturday, a butcher sells a total of b pounds of beef at $6.00 per pound. She also sells
some pork for $7.00. On Sunday, she sells B pounds of beef again, but at the sale price
of $4per pound. She also sells some pork for $5. Given that she made the same revenue of d
dollars each day, which of the following systems of equations can be used to find out how
many pounds of beef, b she sold each day?

A. d = 4b + 7
d = 6b + 5

B. d = 6b + 7
d = 4b + 5

C. b = 4d + 7
b = 6d + 5

D. b = 6d + 7
b = 4d + 5

3. A piece of glass with an initial temperature of 99∘C is cooled at a rate of 3.5 ∘C, per minute.
Concurrently, a piece of copper with an initial temperature of 0∘C, is heated at 2.5∘C per
minute. Which of the following systems of equations can be used to solve for the
temperature T, in degrees Celsius, and the time M in minutes, when the glass and copper
reach the same temperatures?

A. T = 99 + 3.5m
T = 2.5m

B. T = 99 - 3.5m
T = 2.5m

C. T = 99 + 2.5m
T = 3.5m

D. T = 99 - 2.5m
T = 3.5m

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Cracking the SAT – Manual #5 Math – Heart of Algebra

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 Cracking the SAT Getting Up To Speed #1

com

TUTORIA (previously called Brightlink Prep - SAT) Ph: + 92 323 409 6656 info@tutoriapakistan.com
397 – A1, Gulberg 3, Lahore, Pakistan Ph: + 92 324 6447150 talal@tutoriapakistan.com
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