Question ID 1.
84664a7c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 84664a7c
The front of a roller-coaster car is at the bottom of a hill and is 15 feet
above the ground. If the front of the roller-coaster car rises at a
constant rate of 8 feet per second, which of the following equations
gives the height h, in feet, of the front of the roller-coaster car s
seconds after it starts up the hill?
.
A
.
B
.
C
.
D
ID: 84664a7c Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that the front of the roller-coaster car starts rising when it’s 15
feet above the ground. This initial height of 15 feet can be represented by a constant term, 15, in
an equation. Each second, the front of the roller-coaster car rises 8 feet, which can be
represented by 8s. Thus, the equation gives
the height, in feet, of the front of the roller-coaster car s seconds after it starts up the hill.
Choices B and C are incorrect and may result from conceptual errors in creating a linear equation.
Choice D is incorrect and may result from switching the rate at which the roller-coaster car rises
with its initial height.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.2
06fc1726
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 06fc1726
If f is the function defined by ,
what is the value of ?
.
A
.
B
C. 3
D. 9
ID: 06fc1726 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. If , then .
Choice A is incorrect and may result from not multiplying x by 2 in the numerator. Choice B
is incorrect and may result from dividing 2x by 3 and then subtracting 1. Choice D is
incorrect and may result from evaluating only the numerator 2x – 1.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.3
6863c7ce
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 6863c7ce
The given equation represents the distance , in inches, where represents the number of seconds since
an object started moving. Which of the following is the best interpretation of in this context?
A. The object moved a total of inches.
B. The object moved a total of inches.
C. The object is moving at a rate of inches per second.
D. The object is moving at a rate of inches per second.
ID: 6863c7ce Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that in the equation , represents the distance, in inches,
and represents the number of seconds since an object started moving. In this equation, is
being multiplied by . This means that the object’s distance increases by inches each
second. Therefore, the best interpretation of in this context is that the object is moving at a
rate of inches per second.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.
Choice B is incorrect. This is the best interpretation of , rather than , in this
context. Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.4
bf36c815
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: bf36c815
The function g is defined by .
What is the value of ?
.
A
.
B
.
C
.
D
ID: bf36c815 Answer
Correct
Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The value of is found by substituting 0 for x in the function g. This
yields , which can be rewritten as .
Choice A is incorrect and may result from misinterpreting the equation as
instead of . Choice B is incorrect. This is the value of x, not . Choice C is
incorrect and may result from calculation errors.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.5
3f5375d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 3f5375d9
The line graphed in the xy-plane below models the total cost, in dollars, for a cab ride, y, in a
certain city during nonpeak hours based on the number of miles traveled, x.
According to the graph, what is the cost for each additional mile
traveled, in dollars, of a cab ride?
A. $2.00
B. $2.60
C. $3.00
D. $5.00
ID: 3f5375d9 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The cost of each additional mile traveled is represented by the slope of the
given line. The slope of the line can be calculated by identifying two points on the line and
then calculating the ratio of the change in y to the change in x between the two points. Using
the points and , the slope is equal to
, or 2. Therefore, the cost for each additional mile traveled of the cab ride is $2.00.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from calculating the slope of the line that passes
through the points and . However, does not lie on the line shown. Choice C is
incorrect. This is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph and represents the at fee
for a cab ride before the charge for any miles traveled
is added. Choice D is incorrect. This value represents the total cost of a 1-mile
cab ride. Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.6
13294295
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 13294295
The graph shown models the number of candy bars a certain machine wraps with a label in seconds.
According to the graph, what is the estimated number of candy bars the machine wraps with a label per
second? A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 13294295 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. For the graph shown, the x-axis represents time, in seconds, and the y-axis
represents the number of candy bars wrapped. The slope of a line in the xy-plane is the
change in for each -unit increase in . It follows that the slope of the graph shown represents
the estimated number of candy bars the machine wraps with a label per second. The slope, , of
a line in the xy-plane can be found using any two points,
and , on the line and the slope . The graph shown passes through
formula the
points and . Substituting these points for an , respectively, in the slope
d formula
yields , which is equivalent to , or . Therefore, the estimated number of
candy bars the machine wraps with a label per second is .
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or
calculation errors. Choice C is incorrect and may result from
conceptual or calculation errors. Choice D is incorrect and may
result from conceptual or calculation errors. Question Difficulty:
Easy
Question ID 1.7
12983c1e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 12983c1e
Some values of the linear function f are shown in the table above.
Which of the following defines f ?
.
A
.
B
.
C
.
D
ID: 12983c1e Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. Because f is a linear function of x, the equation , where m and
b are constants, can be used to define the relationship between x and f (x). In this equation, m
represents the
increase in the value of f (x) for every increase in the value of x by 1. From the table, it can be
determined that the value of f (x) increases by 8 for every increase in the value of x by 2. In
other words, for the function f the
value of m is , or 4. The value of b can be found by substituting the values of x and f (x) from any
row of the
table and the value of m into the equation and solving for b. For example, using ,
,
and yields . Solving for b yields . Therefore, the equation defining the function f
can be
written the form .
in
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. Any equation defining the linear function f must give
values of f (x) for corresponding values of x, as shown in each row of the table. According
to the table, if , .
However, substituting into the equation given in choice A gives , or , not 13.
Similarly, substituting into the equation given in choice B gives , or , not
13.
Lastly, substituting into the equation given in choice D gives , or , not 13.
Therefore, the equations in choices A, B, and D cannot define f.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.8
f79fffba
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: f79fffba
The function is defined by . What is the value of
? A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: f79fffba Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
of
Choice A is correct. The value can be found by substituting for in the equation defining .
Substituting for in yields , or . Therefore, the
value of is .
Choice B is incorrect. This is the value of , not .
Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation
errors. Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual or
calculation errors.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.9
3462d850
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 3462d850
Marisol drove 3 hours from City A to City B. The equation below estimates the distance d, in
miles, Marisol traveled after driving for t hours.
Which of the following does 45 represent in the equation?
A. Marisol took 45 trips from City A to City B.
B. The distance between City A and City B is 45 miles.
C. Marisol drove at an average speed of about 45 miles per hour.
D. It took Marisol 45 hours to drive from City A to City B.
ID: 3462d850 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that d is the distance, in miles, Marisol traveled after
driving for t hours. Therefore, 45 represents the distance in miles traveled per hour,
which is the speed she drove in miles per hour.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from misidentifying speed as the number of trips.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from misidentifying speed as the total distance. Choice
D is incorrect and may result from misidentifying the speed as the time, in hours.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.10
255996a6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 255996a6
In the equation above, T represents Brittanyʼs total take-home
pay, in dollars, for her first week of work, where h represents the
number of hours she worked that week and 1,000 represents a sign-
on bonus. If Brittanyʼs total take-home pay was $1,576, for how
many hours was Brittany paid for her first week of work?
A. 16
B. 32
C. 55
D. 88
ID: 255996a6 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. Since Brittany’s total take-home pay was $1,576, the value 1,576 can be
substituted for T in the given equation to give . Subtracting
1,000 from both sides of this equation gives . Dividing both sides of this equation by 18
gives . Therefore, Brittany was paid
for 32 hours for her first week of work.
Choice A is incorrect. This is half the number of hours Brittany was paid for. Choice C is
incorrect and may result from dividing 1,000 by 18. Choice D is incorrect and may result from
dividing 1,576 by 18.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.11
a1696f3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: a1696f3e
The function is defined as , where a is a constant. If
, what is the value of a ?
.
A
.
B
.
C
.
D
ID: a1696f3e Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. Substituting 4 for x in g(x) = 5x + a gives g(4) = 5(4) + a. Since g(4) = 31, the
equation g(4) = 5(4) + a simplifies to 31 = 20 + a. It follows that a = 11.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may result from arithmetic errors.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.12
13909d78
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 13909d78
The function is defined by the equation . What is the value of when
? A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 13909d78 Answer
Correct
Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. Substituting for in the given equation yields , or
. Therefore, the value of when is .
Choice A is incorrect. This is the when .
value of
Choice B is incorrect. This is the when .
value of
Choice C is incorrect. This is the when .
value of
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.13
de6fe450
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: de6fe450
On January 1, 2015, a cityʼs minimum hourly wage was $9.25. It will
increase by $0.50 on the first day of the year for the next 5 years.
Which of the following functions best models the minimum hourly
wage, in dollars, x years after January 1, 2015, where
?
.
A
.
B
.
C
.
D
ID: de6fe450 Answer
Correct
Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that the city’s minimum hourly wage will increase by $0.50 on the
first day of the year for the 5 years after January 1, 2015. Therefore, the total increase, in
dollars, in the minimum hourly wage x years after January 1, 2015, is represented by .
Since the minimum hourly wage on January 1, 2015, was
$9.25, it follows that the minimum hourly wage, in dollars, x years after January 1, 2015, is
represented by . Therefore, the function best models this
situation.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. In choice A, the function models a situation where the
minimum hourly wage is $9.25 on January 1, 2015, but decreases by $0.50 on the first day of the
year for the next 5 years. The functions in choices B and D both model a situation where the
minimum hourly wage is increasing by $9.25 on the first day of the year for the 5 years after
January 1, 2015.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.14
cee5b352
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: cee5b352
The length, , of a white whale was when it was born and increased an
average of per month for the first months after it was born. Which equation best represents
this situation, where is the number of months after the whale was born and is the length, in ,
of the whale?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: cee5b352 Answer
Correct
Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. It's given that the length of the whale was when it was born and
that its length increased an average of per month for the first months after it was
born. Since represents the number of months after the whale was born, the total increase in
the whale's length, in , is times , or . The length of the whale , in , can be found
by adding the whale's length at birth, , to the total increase in length, .
Therefore, the equation that best represents this situation is .
Choice A is incorrect and may result from
conceptual errors. Choice B is incorrect and may
result from conceptual errors. Choice C is
incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.15
81390d6c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 81390d6c
The function is defined by . What is the value of
? A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 81390d6c Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. Substituting for in the given function yields , or
. Therefore, the value of is .
Choice A is incorrect. This is the value of
. Choice C is incorrect. This is the value of
. Choice D is incorrect. This is the
value of . Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.16
2eef7e61
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 2eef7e61
The graph of the function f is a line in the xy-plane. If the line has
slope and , which of the following defines f?
.
A
.
B
.
C
.
D
ID: 2eef7e61 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The equation for the function f in the xy-plane can be represented by , where
m is the slope and b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. Since it’s given that the line has a slope of
, it
follows that in , which yields . It’s given that . This implies that
the graph of the function f in the xy-plane passes through the point . Thus, the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept
of the graph is 3, so in , which yields . Therefore, the
equation defines the function f.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from a sign error for the y-intercept. Choice C is incorrect
and may result from using the denominator of the given slope as m in , in addition to
a sign error for the y- intercept. Choice D is incorrect and may result from using the
Question ID 1.17
2eef7e61
denominator of the given slope as m in
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.18
0ea7ef01
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 0ea7ef01
Oxygen gas is placed inside a tank with a constant volume . The graph shows the estimated temperature
, in kelvins, of the oxygen gas when its pressure is atmospheres.
What is the estimated temperature, in kelvins, of the oxygen gas when its pressure is
atmospheres? A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 0ea7ef01 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. For the graph shown, the x-axis represents pressure, in atmospheres,
and the y-axis represents temperature, in kelvins. Therefore, the estimated temperature, in
kelvins, of the oxygen gas when its pressure is atmospheres is represented by the y-
coordinate of the point on the graph that has an x- coordinate of . The point on the graph
with an x-coordinate of has a y-coordinate of approximately
. Therefore, the estimated temperature, in kelvins, of the oxygen gas when its pressure is
Question ID 1.19
atmospheres is .
0ea7ef01
Choice A is incorrect. This is the pressure, in atmospheres, not the estimated temperature, in
kelvins, of the oxygen gas when its pressure is atmospheres.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual or
calculation errors. Choice D is incorrect and may result from
conceptual or calculation errors. Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.18
1ecaa9c0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 1ecaa9c0
Robert rented a truck to transport materials he purchased from a
hardware store. He was charged an initial fee of $20.00 plus an
additional $0.70 per mile driven. If the truck was driven 38 miles,
what was the total amount Robert was charged?
A. $46.60
B. $52.90
C. $66.90
D. $86.50
ID: 1ecaa9c0 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. It’s given that Robert was charged an initial fee of $20.00 to rent the truck
plus an additional $0.70 per mile driven. Let m represent the number of miles the truck was
driven. Since the rental charge is $0.70 per mile driven, represents the amount Robert
was charged for m miles driven. Let c
equal the total amount, in dollars, Robert was charged to rent the truck. The total amount can
be represented by the equation . It’s given that the truck was driven 38 miles, thus .
Substituting 38
into the equation gives . Multiplying gives . Adding
these values gives , so the total amount Robert was charged is $46.60.
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and may result from setting up the equation incorrectly or
from making calculation errors.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.19
8643d906
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: 8643d906
The population of snow leopards in a certain area can be
modeled by the function P defined above, where is the
population t years after 1990. Of the following, which is the best
interpretation of the equation
?
A. The snow leopard population in this area is predicted to be 30 in the year 2020.
B. The snow leopard population in this area is predicted to be 30 in the year 2030.
C. The snow leopard population in this area is predicted to be 550 in the year 2020.
D. The snow leopard population in this area is predicted to be 550 in the year 2030.
ID: 8643d906 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. It’s given that represents the population of snow leopards t years after
1990. corresponds to and . It follows that corresponds to 30 years after
1990, or 2020. Thus, the best interpretation of is that the snow leopard population in
this area is predicted
to be 550 in the year 2020.
Choices A and B are incorrect and may result from reversing the interpretations of t and .
Choice D is incorrect and may result from determining that 30 years after 1990 is 2030, not
2020.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 1.2
0
a8e6bd75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Algebra Linear functions
ID: a8e6bd75
Which of the following is the graph of the equation
in the xy-plane?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: a8e6bd75 Answer
Correct
Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. In the xy-plane, the graph of the equation , where m and b are
constants, is a line with slope m and y-intercept . Therefore, the graph of in the xy-
plane is a line with slope 2 and a y-intercept . Having a slope of 2 means that for each
increase in x by 1, the value of y increases by
2. Only the graph in choice D has a slope of 2 and crosses the y-axis at . Therefore, the
graph shown in choice D must be the correct answer.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. The graph of in the xy-plane is a line with slope 2 and a y-
intercept at . The graph in choice A crosses the y-axis at the point , not , and
it has a slope
of , not 2. The graph in choice B crosses the y-axis at ; however, the slope of this line
is , not 2. The graph in choice C has a slope of 2; however, the graph crosses the y-axis at
, not .
Question Difficulty: Easy
