Matrices on Math 2/Conics + other tricky

Test Preparation SAT Subject Test Preparation
1

<p>Will you ever have to find anything more than the determinant? will i need to know systems of equations with matrices or inverses?</p>

<p>and for conics will i need to know anything more than finding the center? </p>

<p>and any other tricky topics worth reviewing?</p>

2

<p>For conics, just know how to complete the square/find center/identify what type it is.</p>

<p>For matrices, determinant on your calculator (doesn’t hurt to know how to get it out of 2x2 matrix though: ad-bc)</p>

<p>A good idea is to look over standard deviation since that isn’t covered too often. On the May test, there was a very strange one, something like:
A group of students took a test; the mean was 78 and the standard deviation was 2. Jim scored a 88, what percentile was he in? (I guess it said it had normal distribution too)
Answer choices were like:
<50
50-75
75-90
90-99</p>

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<p>I knew it was above 90, and luckily I guessed correctly that is was > 99.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.mycee.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bell-curve.png[/url]”>http://www.mycee.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/bell-curve.png&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Look at the bottom graph: You see almost everyone fits into 6 standard deviations of the mean. Thus being 5 std deviations above is way on the right side. (Like 99.99999th percentile)</p>

<p>If you don’t know too: standard deviation is a measure of how “spread” the data is.
Ex for test scores:
People scored: 90, 91, 92, 87, 90, 92: standard deviation is small, a little under 2</p>

<p>Another one: 57, 58, 90, 100, 89, 45: standard deviation is big, about 23</p>

3

<p>great thanks alot! i actually know the standard deviation one though cause i took stats this year. That is a normal curve called standardizing but i forget how you get the precentile on the calculator cause i usually use the z table. anyone know?</p>

<p>and do you have to know vectors? or complex probabilities that require stat like binompdf etc?</p>

4

<p>Ah, you should be fine with the standard deviation question then.</p>

<p>You should know vectors, although there isn’t very much to learn. I suppose just:
Addition, subtraction, multiplication by a scalar
I doubt you would even have to decompose one into x, y components or even need to know your dot product. (no cross product for sure! :stuck_out_tongue: )</p>

<p>I don’t even remember any probability q’s from May or the released test, so they were extremely easy or absent. I’m sure you will be able to do them if you were in AP Stat. and could handle the SAT I probability questions.</p>

5

<p>Great! how bout parametrics? and people weren’t kidding when they said barrons over prepares…</p>

<p>and how do you identify which conic is which? its been a while…</p>

6

<p>I’ve never seen anything about parametric equations in regards to the Math II test, I’m not sure if they would ever be on it or not.</p>

<p>For conics:
Given the equation:
1 squared variable: parabola</p>

<p>2 Squared variables:
-If they are different signs: Hyperbola
-If they are the same signs:
—If they have the same coefficients: circle
—Different coefficients: ellipse</p>

7

<p>No kidding Barrons over prepares. I know somebody who scored an 8 on the AIME who got a 680 on one of the Barrons practice tests, and an 800 on the real one.</p>

<p>But it helps to take them because it teaches time management and how to pace yourself.</p>

8

<p>yeah i ran out of time on qusetion 35… gah but got a 640 lolz… </p>

<p>and thanks alot OtherWindow!!! </p>

<p>anything on recursive sequences? lol… barrons wow.</p>