Heart of algebra

No Calculator section:
1. If (x-1)/3 = k, and k = 3, what is the value of x?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 9
D) 10

2. On Sunday afternoon, Armand sent m text messages each hour for 5 hours and Tyrone sent p text
messages each hour for 4 hours. Which of the following represents the total number of messages sent by
Armand and Tyrone on Saturday afternoon?
A) 9mp
B) 20mp
C) 5m + 4p
D) 4m + 5p

3. 3x + 4y = -23
2y - x = -19
What is the solution to the system of equations above?
A) (-5,-2)
B) (3,-8)
C) (4,-6)
D) (9,-6)

4.

The graph of line k is shown in the xy-plane above. Which of the following is an equation of a line that is
perpendicular to line k?
A) y = −2x + 1
B) y = -1/2 x + 2
C) y = 1/2 x + 3
D) y = 2x + 4
5. What is the solution set for x if − 2= (10 + 19) ?
A) {1}
B) {1, 15}
C) {15}
D) {-1, 15}

6. When a scientist dives in salt water to a depth of 9 feet below the surface, the pressure due to the
atmosphere and surrounding water is 18.7 pounds per square inch. As the scientist descends, the pressure
increases linearly. At a depth of 14 feet, the pressure is 20.9 pounds per square inch. If the pressure
increases at a constant rate as the scientist's depth below the surface increases, which of the following
linear models best describes the pressure, p, in pounds per square inch at a depth of d feet below the
surface?
A) P = 0.44d + 0.77
B) P = 0.44d + 14.74
C) P =2.2d - 1.1
D) P =2.2d – 9.9

7. A company's manager estimated that the cost C, in dollars, of producing n items is C = 7n + 350. The
company sells each item for $12. The company makes a profit when total income from selling a quantity
of items is greater than the total costs of producing that quantity of items. Which of the following
inequalities gives all possible values of n for which the manager estimates that the company will make a
profit?
A) n < 70
B) n < 84
C) n > 70
D) n > 84

8. Which of the following lines is not perpendicular to the line with equation 2y + 5x = -11?
A) 5y = 2x + 3/2
B) y = -5/2x + 6
C) 10y – 5 = 4x
D) -5y = -2x -4

9. Which of the following correctly represents the number of solution/s of the inequality below?
x2 - 2x + 1 ≤ 0
A) No solutions
B) Infinitely many solutions
C) 1 solution only
D) 2 solutions only

10. If a and b are both even numbers, which of the following could be an odd integer?
A) (a + b)2
B) a2 + b2
C) (a + 1)2 + (b + 1)2
D) (a + 1) / (b + 1)
11. Vendors at a craft fair pay $45 to rent a table for the day. Benjamin rents a table at the craft fair and
sells 888 ounce jars of jam for $7.95 per jar. If it costs Benjamin $2.75 to make each container of jam,
which of the following equations best models his profit, p, from one day at the craft fair if he sells n jars
of jam?
A) p = 5.20n
B) p = 7.95n
C) p = 5.20n
D) p = 7.95n

12. For what value of n is |n - 1| + 1 equal to 0?

A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) There is no such value of n

13. A voter registration drive was held in Town Y. The number of voters, V, registered T days after the
drive began can be estimated by the equation V = 3,450 + 65T. What is the best interpretation of the
number 65 in this equation?
A) The number of registered voters at the beginning of the registration drive
B) The number of registered voters at the end of the registration drive
C) The total number of voters registered during the drive
D) The number of voters registered each day during the drive

14. If 2(x - 3) = 14, what is x2 - 6x + 9?

A) 7
B) 14
C) 49
D) 108

Calculator section:

1. A number is given as 987562153ab where a and b are digits. Which values of a and b, such that
a + b = 11 and a < b, would result in 987562153ab being divisible by 4?
A) a = 0 , b = 8
B) a = 3 , b = 8
C) a = 7 , b = 8
D) a = 5 , b = 6
2.
2
− 5 = −6
What is the sum of the reciprocals of the solutions to the equation above?
A) −5
B) − 6
5

5
C)
6
D) 5

3. A food truck owner has determined that her maximum revenue occurs when she sells 950 sandwiches
per month. For every sandwich above or below 950 that she sells, her revenue decreases by $0.10. Which
of the following could be the number of sandwiches sold in a month if the owner's revenue decreased $45
from the maximum? Round the answer to the nearest whole number.
A) s = 905 or s = 995
B) s = 946 or s = 955
C) s = 500 or s = 1,400
D) s = 500 or s = 950

4. A distributor ships DVDs to several stores. The shipping boxes contain several DVDs (in their cases)
plus a layer of padding at each end of the box. The DVD cases and layers of padding can be arranged
neatly inside each box. Each DVD case is 14 mm (millimeters) thick, each layer of padding is 10mm
thick, and the length of the interior of the box is 132mm. If d represents the number of DVDs that the
distributor can fit into one box with two layers of padding, which of the following inequalities best
models the situation?
A) 10d + 14 ≤ 132
B) 14d + 20 ≤ 132
C) 20d + 14 ≤ 132
D) 14d + 10 ≤ 132

5.
T = 1200 − 0.06c
A print shop copies and prints documents in large volume for its customers. For a particular copy
machine, the equation above gives the amount of toner, T, in grams, left after making c copies. How many
grams of toner are used per copy?
6. The lines f and g are graphed in the xy-plane. Line g can be written as the equation y = ax + b, where a
and b are constants. Which of the following equations represents line f?
A) y = ax − by
B) y = -ax + b
C) -y = ax + b
D) x = ay + b

7. Li Qiang is listening to a symphony that has 2 movements. The first movement has 3 beats per measure
and the second movement has 4 beats per measure. The symphony has 446 measures. In an attempt to
count the beats, Li Qiang counts at least x of the beats in the first movement and exactly b beats in the
second movement. Let x be the number of beats in the first movement and b be the number of beats in the
second movement. Which of the following inequalities must be true?
A) + ≤ 446
3 4
B) + ≥ 446
3 4
C) 3x + 4b ≤ 446
D) 3x + 4b ≥ 446

8. A food truck sells salads for $6.50 each and drinks for $2.00 each. The food truck’s revenue from
selling a total of 209 salads and drinks in one day was $836.50. How many salads were sold that day?
A) 77
B) 93
C) 99
D) 105

9. y < -x + A
y>x+B
In the xy-plane if (0, 0) is a solution to the system of inequalities above, which of the following
relationships between A and B must be true?
A) A > B
B) B > A
C) |A| > |B|
D) A = -B
10. Steve and Brian are taking a cross-country road trip. They have agreed to split the cost of gas evenly.
The price of gas is $4 per gallon. If the minivan, when traveling at a constant rate of 60 mph, is able to
travel x miles on one gallon, which of the following expressions represents the dollar amount that each
pays for a trip covering 150 miles in which the minivan is traveling at a constant rate of 60 mph?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 8
D) 10

11. If 7 orchids cost d dollars, then how many dollars will 10 orchids cost at the same rate?
A) 70d

B)

C)

D)
12. Brian spent ¼ of his paycheck to repair his car, and then paid the registration and insurance, which
each cost ¼ of his paycheck. If Brian had $0 before he was paid, and he now has $231 left, what was the
amount of his paycheck?
A) $2772
B) $1622
C) $924
D) $870

13. A new release DVD rental costs d dollars for 1 day and $5.00 for each additional day. The first two
days of standard release rental costs $3.00 less than the first day of a new release rental, and $2.25 for
each day thereafter. Carl rented two new releases and one standard release for five days and it cost him
$61.75. What is the value of d?
A) $5.25
B) $4.50
C) $5.25
D) $6.00

14. Mariko can knit 5 rows of a scarf in x minutes. If there are 100 rows in each foot of the scarf, how
many hours, in terms of x and y, will it take Mariko to finish a scarf that is y feet long?
A)

B)

C) 1200 xy

D)
15. Last month Josephine worked 7 less hours than Maria. If they worked a combined total of 137 hours,
how many hours did Maria work that month?

16. For the equation √ −5= + 3, the value of m is -3. What is the solution set for the equation?
A) {-3, 3}
B) {-2}
C) {-2, -7}
D) {3, 6}

17. The number of bonus points, B(p), that a credit card holder receives is given by the function B(p) = 4p
+ 7, where p represents the number of purchases made. If the number of purchases is increased by 3, by
how much does the number of bonus points increase?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 12
D) 19

18. A dental hygiene company is creating a new 24-ounce tube of toothpaste by combining its most
popular toothpastes, Cavity Crusher and Bad Breath Obliterator. Cavity Crusher contains 0.25% of
sodium fluoride as its active ingredient, and Bad Breath Obliterator contains 0.30% of triclosan as its
active ingredient for a total of 0.069 ounces of active ingredients in both toothpastes. Solving which of the
following systems of equations yields the number of ounces of Cavity Crusher, c, and the number of
ounces of Bad Breath Obliterator, b, that are in the new toothpaste?
A) c + b = 0.069 C) c + b = 24
0.25c + 0.3b = 24 0.025c + 0.03b = 0.069

B) c + b = 24 D) c + b = 24
0.0025c + 0.003b = 0.069 0.25c + 0.3b = 0.06

19. The number of soil samples, s, that Sonal needs for an experiment must be greater than 6 but less than
or equal to 13. Which of the following represents an acceptable number of soil samples for Sonal's
experiment?
A) 6 < s < 13
B) 6 ≤ s < 13
C) 6 < s ≤ 13
D 6 ≤ s ≤ 13
20. How many solutions exist to the equation |x| = |2x - 1| ?
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3

21. Nails are sold in 8-ounce and 20-ounce boxes. If 50 boxes of nails were sold and the total weight of
the nails sold was less than 600 ounces, what is the greatest possible number of 20-ounce boxes that could
have been sold?
A) 33
B) 25
C) 17
D) 16

22. Sai is ordering new shelving units for his store. Each unit is 7 feet in length and extends from floor to
ceiling. Sai's store has 119 feet of wall lengths that includes 21 feet of windows along the walls. If the
shelving units cannot be placed in front of the windows, which of the following inequalities includes all
possible values of r, the number of shelving units that Sai could use?

A) r ≤

B) r ≥
C) r ≤ 119 - 21 + 7r
D) r ≥ 119 + 21 - 7r

23. Dogs need 8.5 to 17 ounces of water each day for every 10 pounds of their weight. Everett has two
dogs-Ringo is a 35-pound black lab mix, and Elvis is a 55-pound beagle. Which of the following ranges
represents the approximate total number of ounces of water, w, that Elvis and Ringo need in a week?
A) 77 ≤ w ≤ 153
B) 109 ≤ w ≤ 218
C) 536 ≤ w ≤ 1,071
D) 765 ≤ w ≤ 1,530

24. Melanie puts $1,100 in an investment account that she expects will make 5% interest compounded for
each three-month period. However, after a year she realizes she was wrong about the interest rate and she
has $44 less than she expected. Assuming the interest rate the account earns is constant, which of the
following equations expresses the total amount of money, x, she will have after t years using the actual
rate?
A) x = 1,100(1.04)4t C) x = 1,100(1.04)t/3
4t - 50
B) x = 1,100(1.05) D) x = 1,100(1.035)4t
25. A biology class at Central High School predicted that a local population of animals will double in size
every 12 years. The population at the beginning of 2014 was estimated to be 50 animals. If P represents
the population n years after 2014, then which of the following equations represents the class’s model of
the population over time?
A) P = 12 + 50n
B) P = 50 + 12n
C) P = 50(2)n
D) P = 50(2)n /12

26. The toll rates for crossing a bridge are $6.50 for a car and $10 for a truck. During a two-hour period, a
total of 187 cars and trucks crossed the bridge, and the total collected in tolls was $1,338. Solving which
of the following systems of equations yields the number of cars, x, and the number of trucks, y, that
crossed the bridge during the two hours?
A) x + y = 1338
6.5x + 10y = 187

B) x + y = 187
6.5x + 10y = 1338*2

C) x + y = 187
6.5x + 10y = 669

D) x + y = 187
6.5x + 10y = 1338

27.
x2 + y2 = 153
y = -4x
If (x,y) is a solution to the system of equations above, what is the value of x2 ?
A) -51
B) 3
C) 9
D) 144

28. If f(x) = (x + 2) / (x - 2) for all integers except x = 2, which of the following has the greatest value?
A) f(-1)
B) f(1)
C) f(3)
D) f(4)

29. If pqr = 1 , rst = 0 , and spr = 0, which of the following must be zero?
A) p
B) q
C) r
D) s
30. -20 , -16 , -12 , -8 ....

In the sequence above, each term after the first is 4 greater than the preceding term. Which of
the following could not be a term in the sequence?
A) 0
B) 200
C) 440
D) 762

31. For how many integer values of n will the value of the expression 4n + 7 be an integer greater
than 1 and less than 200?
A) 48
B) 49
C) 50
D) 51

32. 3x + y = 19, and x + 3y = 1. Find the value of 2x + 2y ?

A) 20
B) 18
C) 11
D)10

33. x and y are integers. x + y < 11 and x > 6. What is the smallest possible value of x - y?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 4
D) -2

34. If 8x + 5x + 2x + 4x = 114, the 5x + 3 =

A) 12
B) 25
C) 33
D) 47

35. A teacher donates to a local charity. Each year, she donates three times the amount donated the
previous year. If the teacher donated $2 the first year, how much did she donate during the fifth year?
A) $158
B) $164
C) $162
D) $144

36. Expand the following expression: (4 + 2)( 2

− 2)
A) 4x 3 − 4
B) 4 3 + 4 − 4
C) 3 + 2 2 − 8 − 4
D)4x 3 + 2 2 − 8 − 4
37. On Saturday afternoon, Armand sent m text messages each hour for 5 hours, and Tyrone sent p text
messages each hour for 4 hours. Which of the following represents the total number of messages sent by
Armand and Tyrone on Saturday afternoon?
A) 9mp
B) 20mp
C) 5m + 4p
D) 4m +5p

38. If a is a nonzero integer and b is not an integer, which of the following could be an integer?
A) a + b
B) a – b
C) ab
D) 2a - b

39. If the lengths of the sides of a certain triangle are a, b and c, which of the following statements could
be true?
A) c = b + a
B) c = b – a
C) c = 2a + b
D) c + 3 = a + b + 2

40. If a is a negative odd number and b is a positive even number, which of the following must be even
and positive?
A) a + b
B) -ab
C) ab
D) b/a

41. The daily cost of running a certain air conditioner is 12 cents per hour for the first 8 hours, and 10
cents per hour for each additional hour over 8 hours. Which of the following expressions represents the
cost, in dollars, of running this air conditioner for h hours each day, for 90 days, if 8 < h < 24?
A) 90(0.12) + 9(h – 8)
B) 90(0.12)h + h – 8
C) 90(0.12)h + 9(h – 8)
D) 90(0.12)(8) + 9(h – 8)