Spotlight: Algebra I

Joe Bloggs 2.0 Systems of Equations

Remember that making careless mistakes (being a Joe When you have two or more equations, the solution
Bloggs 2.0) is very common on algebra questions. (x, y) represents the point where the graphs intersect.
Plug-In and Backsolve can help you avoid Joe Bloggs To solve systems, either solve for one variable in
mistakes, but so will being methodical. terms of the other and substitute it into the second
equation (the “substitution” method) or manipulate
Make sure to follow PEMDAS on this question: the equations so that one variable is eliminated when
you add the equations together (the “stack” method).
7
13
8x + 2 − 5(x − 2)
3x x − y = −10
1 1
Which of the following is equivalent to the x+ y =7
2 4
expression above?
€ If (x, y) represents the solution to the system of
A) 1 equations above, what is the value of x ?
B) 4 €
A) −1
C) 12 B) 3
x+4 C) 6
D) D) 16
x

€Fractions and Exponents Drill (30 minutes)

If PLUG-IN or BACKSOLVE can be used, give them
To make sure you’re lightning-fast with fractions and a try! Overall, watch out for careless Joe Bloggs
exponents, review cards #330-367 in the Study Buddy! errors! They cost you easy, valuable points on
questions you should be getting right!
Remember, to add fractions you need a common
denominator first. So… 1
2 9 14 27 41 !
+ = + = If x + 8 = 0, then x =
3 7 21 21 21 !

To practice exponents, try the following question: A) –2

€ B) –4
10 C) –8
D) –16
Which of the following is equivalent to (x3 ) 5
when x > 1 ?
3
I. (x 5 )3
II. (x3 )(x 5 ) € If 4n + 5 = 6, what is the value of 8n + 9 ?
€
III. x3 + x 5
A) 10
A) €
I only
B) II only B) 11
€
C) I and
€ II only C) 12
D) II and III only
D) 13
1/29/16 © Ivy TestTakers Review, Inc.
1
 4 10

10 − k = 3 If −2t − 5 < 13 , which of the following is a

k−5 =8 possible value of t ?

A) 3
What is the value of k that satisfies both €
equations above? B) 4
€ C) 5
A) −13
D) 6
B) −3
C) 7 11
D) 13
In a group of 80 children, there are 22 more girls
than boys. How many girls are there?
5
A) 29
Half of the sum of two numbers is 9. If one of the
numbers is 4, then the product of the two B) 36
numbers is C) 51
A) 18 D) 58
B) 20
12
C) 36
D) 56 2a + 2b + 4c = 23
a + b + 4c = 16
6
Based on the two equations above, what is the
18 value of a + b?
(a ) €
= ab
(a 3 )(a 2 ) A) 7
B) 12
€
In the equation above, 𝑎 ≠ 0. What is the value
of b? C) 14
€ D) 39
A) 3
B) 6 13
C) 12
If the sum of 4 consecutive numbers is p, then in
D) 13 terms of p, what is the least of these numbers?

8 p
A)
4
5x + y = 14
p−2
3x − 2 y = 37 B)
2
€
Based on the system of equations above, what is p−2
C)
the value of x ? 4
€ €
A) −11 p−6
D)
4
B) 5
€
C) 8
D) 23 €

1/29/16 © Ivy TestTakers Review, Inc.

2
 14 17

If a 2 = b2 , then which of the following must 6 y − x −12 = 0

be true? 3 y − 2x + 21 = 0

I. a=b If (x, y) is the solution to the system of equations

€
II. a 2 − b2 = 0 above, what is the value of y ?
III. a−b=0 €
A) 5
A) I only€ B) 16
€
B) II only C) 18
€
C) I and III only D) 23
D) I, II, and III
18
15
If x is a positive integer, which of the following is
!
If 𝑥 ≠ 0, and = 7, then 4x =
!! NOT equal to (9 ! )! ?
!
A) A) 3!!
!"
! B) 81 !
B)
! C) (9 ! )(9 ! )
C) 7 D) (3!! )(9 ! )
D) 28

16
19
⎛ h2 ⎞
w = m⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ Dia collects a certain number of water samples
⎝h+3⎠ for a science project. Simon collects 5 more
samples than Dia. Andrew collects half as many
A factory produces widgets according to the samples as Simon. If a total of 100 samples were
equation above, where w is the number of collected, how many samples did Dia collect?
widgets€produced when m machines are running
for h hours. Which of the following equations A) 21
gives the number of machines in terms of the B) 37
other variables?
C) 42
⎛ h ⎞ 2
D) 45
A) m = w⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
⎝h+3⎠
21
⎛h⎞
B) m = w⎜ ⎟
⎝3 ⎠ Adam, Priya, and Shawn are splitting the work
€ on a research paper. Adam writes a quarter of the
⎛h+3⎞ pages, Priya writes 7 less than half of the pages,
C) m = w⎜ 2 ⎟
⎝ h ⎠ and Shawn wrote the rest. If together Adam and
€ Priya wrote 2 more than half of the pages, how
⎛3 ⎞ many pages long is the research paper?
D) m = w⎜ ⎟
⎝h⎠
€ A) 10
B) 20
€ C) 36
D) 72

1/29/16 © Ivy TestTakers Review, Inc.

3
 23 28

25 ! R−B
5 P=
5! R
Which of the following is equivalent to the The equation above is used to calculate the number
expression above? of points P a player earns in a certain game, where
R represents
€ the value of the player’s die rolls and
A) 25 B represents the number of advantages bought,
B) 125 where B > 0. Which of the following equations
gives the R in terms of P and B?
C) 5 !
D) 5 !!! B
A) R =
1− P
P −1
B) R=
25 −B
€
If p – 3q = 17 and 3p – q = –5, then 3p – 3q = −B
C) R =
P
A) 36 €
D) R = BP
B) 16
C) 12 €
€29
D) 9
If 2!"# − 2!"" 2!"# − 2!"" = 2 ! , then x =

26 A) 2
B) 100
3x + 7
C) 700
x+2
D) 1,200
If x ≠ −2 , which of the following is equivalent to
the expression above?
€
30
10
€ A)
2
V = 9(5s + 4)2
13
B)
2 The value V of a certain crop is estimated using
€ the equation above, where s represents the
C) 2x + 5 number€of seeds planted. Which of the following
1 equations gives the number of seeds planted in
€ D) 3 + terms of V?
x+2
€
!!!"
A) s =
!"
€27
!!!"
If fg = 5, sf = 1, and sg = 45, and s > 0, then sfg = B) s =
!"

A) 5
!
B) 9 C) s = 4 – 5
!
C) 15
! !
D) 225 D) s = –4
!

1/29/16 © Ivy TestTakers Review, Inc.

4