Math help!

<p>This is from a practice PSAT from the Collegeboard. I was exhausted when I was taking this practice test because of school and stuff so I think I could have done a lot better but who knows? Anyway, I have multiple math questions. If you can explain and solve only one, please do :)</p>

<p>I wouldnt' be asking so many quesitons if there was a solutions part to this practice test but there isn't :(.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The members of a school club are ordering T-shirts. There is a one-time charge of $150 for artwork on the T-shirts and a $10 charge for each T-shirt ordered. If x represents the number of T-shirts ordered, which of the following represents the total cost, in dollars, per T-shirts?
A. 10+150x
B. x+15
C. 10x+150x
D. (10+150x)/x
E. (10x+150)/x
Answer: E (I tried to use real easy numbers to plug in and this usually works but for this case it didn't:( )</p></li>
<li><p>How many positive integers less than 1000 do not have 7 as a digit? (I hate this type of problem)
A. 700
B. 728
C. 736
D. 770
E. 819
Answer: B</p></li>
<li><p>Points A, B, and X do not all lie on the same line. Point X is 5 units from A and 3 units from B. How many other points in the same plane as A,B, and X are also 5 units from A and 3 units from B?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Four
E. More than four
Answer:B</p></li>
<li><p>What is the smallest integer whose square root is greater than 2?
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
E. 9
Answer: C</p></li>
<li><p>If there are m minutes in h hours, what is m in terms of h?
A. 60/h
B. h/60
C. 60+h
D. 60h
E. 3600h
Answer: D</p></li>
<li><p>For all integers x and y that are greater than 1, xy> x+y
.... Of the following values for x and y, which shows that the statement above is not true?
A. X=0, Y=2
B. X=1, Y=1
C. X=2, Y=2
D. X=3, Y=1
E. X=4, Y=3
Answer: C</p></li>
<li><p>In the xy plane, the line with equation ax+by=1 where a and b are constants intersects the y=axis where y=2. What is the value of b?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks!!!</p>

<p>Hm…I’m not really in the mood to think, either, but I know that #4 is C because if you type in (radical symbol)3, and then hit enter, you would get 1.73, which is less than 2. The square root of 4 is exactly 2. If you type in (radical symbol)5, then hit enter, you would get 2.23, which is greater than 2. </p>

<h1>5-Let m equal 120 and h equal two. 60h=120, which is D.</h1>

<p>

</p>

<p>I hope my explanations made sense. I have to admit some of these took me a while to prove (explain).</p>

<p>@xxeliza…
Ooh! Stupid me! I was thinking that the square root had to be an integer! Thanks</p>

<p>@Ronaldoffan…
WOW! Thanks a lot! Thanks for the very descriptive explanations/solutions… I have one question tho for number 6. What troubled me most was that half of the options could also fit… at least according to me. Take A for example: Isn’t (0)(2) not > (0+2)? Or B: Isn’t (1)(1) not > (1+1)?</p>

<p>That’s what confused me for that problem…</p>

<p>To answer your question for number 6, </p>

<p>It’s true that (0)(2) is not greater than (0+2), but 0 is not greater than 1! So (A) does not disprove the statement.</p>

<p>Similarly, 1 is not greater than 1. So (B) does not disprove the statement.</p>

<p>Some comments on the solutions presented:</p>

<p>In Eliza’s solution for number 5, a specific number is being plugged in for h. Thus all 5 answer choices must be checked. It is possible for more than one to come out to the correct answer.</p>

<p>In number (1), picking numbers can be used as well.</p>

<p>Ronald mentions permutations and combinations in his solution to (2), but this question has nothing to do with permutations or combinations. It only uses the counting principle.</p>

<p>Yeah. I didn’t know what the topic pertaining to that question was called. Silly me. XP</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>There are times (between few to very few) when plugging numbers in represents a sound and fast answer. There is almost always a better approach, and the one that works the best is paying close attention to the question and the answers and … use reasoning as opposed to mechanically or blindly plugging numbers because it works sometimes. </p>

<p>In this case, look at “per T-shirts” and think what it means in an equation. That points to an answer in the format ----/x. Only D or E fits. Does D make ANY sense since it multiplies the one-time fixed charge by the number of shirts? Not at all. The answer is thus E. </p>

<p>Fwiw, the answer E follows exactly the narrative:</p>

<p>(10x+150)/x
If I pay 10 per shirt (x) and pay 150 for ONE-time charge, I have my total price. If I divide by x, I have my price per shirt.</p>