You are on page 1of 6

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

Important Study Techniques Tips


Know the Core Curriculum (kursplan). It is the official publication of the Swedish Educational Department (Skolverket) that lists the topic that must be learned by the end of the course. Set a reasonable goal for yourself. What is expected from you? How are you going to reach your goal? Make a reasonable plan to achieve it. Avoid Last-Minute Study. Math must be studied continually. Devote at least half an hour a day for problem solving. Problem solving is the best way of learning mathematics. Ask questions. There is no wrong question. If you do not understand anything in the lecture, just ask! Math is the easiest subject if you understand it, otherwise it is difficult. Avoid missing your lectures. If you miss any lecture, you ought to find out from your friends and your teacher about the missed lecture. Missing lectures may make you insecure in asking questions. Avoid memorization! You have to understand mathematics to learn and master mathematics. Only by solving mathematical problem you can learn mathematics. You can not learn mathematics only by reading solved problems or memorizing them. Budget your Time. Avoid wasting your time with solving routine problems that you already know how to solve them. You have a limited time to study for a given subject. Take practice Exams under Exam Conditions. Most of my earlier test and their solutions are published in our home page. Use them to practice. Some National Tests and their solutions are also published. Use them to practice under exam conditions. The available solutions are most useful if used as a reference. Just reading the solutions may give you false hope and therefore can even be harmful. In taking practice exam do not spend too much time on any given problem.

Important Test-Taking Tips


Be well rested and come prepared on the test day. Do not forget pen, erasure, and calculator. You are not allowed to borrow anything from your friends during the test. You are allowed to use your cell (mobile) phone as a calculator. Your telephones must be turned off during the test. Avoid last minute study. Do not study the subject after 9.00 PM. Budget your time according to the grading weight of each problem. Do not spend too much time on any given problem, particularly, do not waste your time on any problem that is not weighted heavily in the test. Answer all questions. Do not omit any! Understand the problem. What is the problem after? Read the problem again if you do not understand it. Answer the Question That is Asked. Make your solutions clear, easy to read and understand.

behzad.massoumzadeh@huddinge.se Free to use for educational purposes. Not for sale.

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

Important Problem-Solving Strategies


Read and reread the whole problem carefully before trying to solve it. Have you understood the problem? Do you know what the problem is looking for? Is it possible to estimate it? Do you have sufficient data to solve the problem? Is there any extra data? If so, have you forgotten to use them? Or may be they are not necessary in solving the problem. If you can not answer the questions above go back to the problem and read it again. Draw a diagram. Write down what quantities are known or given (data), and then what you are asked to find. Organize the data, in a table, pattern, graphical illustration, in such a way that any possible pattern may be recognizable. Think about what principles of mathematics are applicable to the problem. Use them! Make a plan. This step is as important as understanding and solving the problem. Without a proper plan you may end up in nowhere. In making the plan to solve the problem you may consider the followings: Is the problem familiar? Have you seen a similar problem earlier? If so, possibly the similar strategies may be taken in solving the problem. Is there any pattern? Is it possible to simplify the problem and first solve the simpler version? Is it possible to divide the problem to many different parts and solve them separately before joining the solutions up at the end? In what order are going to solve the problem? Be creative! Science, mathematics and logic are developed and still developing on the shoulder of creativity and those who dare to be creative! Perform the plan. It is very important to be consistent, show your calculations clearly, and use correct mathematical language. It is very important that any reader could read and could follow your reasoning and calculation. Keep the track of units. Note that the equal sign requires that the units on both sides must be identical. Results. Are they reasonable? Are they acceptable? Do they make sense according to your own intuition and estimation? Are there any other solutions? May be the alternative solution is easier. Is there any other point of view? Sometimes you can outsmart the problem and find easier and unconventional methods of solving the problem.

behzad.massoumzadeh@huddinge.se Free to use for educational purposes. Not for sale.

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

Instructions Test period Tools The test

90 minutes Formula sheet, ruler and graphic calculator. For most items a single answer is not enough. It is also expected that you write down what you do that you explain/motivate your reasoning that you draw any necessary illustrations. After every item is given the maximum mark your solution can receive. [2/3] means that the item can give 2 g-points (Pass level) and 3 vg-points (Pass with distinction level). Items marked with give you a possibility to show MVG-quality (Pass with special distinction quality). This means that you use generalised methods, models and reasoning, that you analyse your results and account for a clear line of thought in a correct mathematical language. Problem 16 is a larger problem which may take up to 15 minutes to solve completely. It is important that you try to solve this problem. A description of what your teacher will consider when evaluating your work is attached to the problem. Try all of the problems. It can be relatively easy, even towards the end of the test, to receive some points for partial solutions. A positive evaluation can be given even for unfinished solutions.

Mark limits

The test gives totally at the most ___ points, out of which ____ vg-points and 1 MVG-pints. To pass the test you must have at least ____ points and to get the test character Pass with distinction (VG) you must have at least ____ points out of which at least ________ points on Pass with distinction level. Excellence (MVG) requires _________ points out of which at least ______ points and excellent quality presentation of the solutions . Have fun! Class-School: NVC06 Sjdalsgymnasiet

Name: ________________________

behzad.massoumzadeh@huddinge.se Free to use for educational purposes. Not for sale.

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

In each case, show how you arrived at your answer by clearly indicating all of the necessary steps, formula substitutions, diagrams, graphs, charts, etc.

Part I: You are not allowed to use calculator in this part. Write your answer to the first part on a separate paper. Only after the submission of your solutions to the part one you may be allowed to use your calculator. You may start working with part II before submission of your solutions to part I.
1. Solve the following equations: a. 8( x 3) = 36 7 x 1 t + 9 = 2t 3 b. 2 2. Simplify the following expressions to their simplest possible form: 38 x12 a. 4x5 (a 4)(a + 4) + 5 b. 3. Calculate the value of each expression below: 4.5 10 5 210 7 a. (1/0) (1/0)

(1/0) (1/0)

)(

(1/0) (1/0) (1/0)

b. c. d. e.

(210 )
200

4.5 10 3 10 7

7 5

25 125 10100 1095

100

(0/2) (0/1) (1/0)

4. If a = 5 and b = 1 find the value of the expression a 2b b 3 .

5. If the base of a triangle is represented by x + 5 and its height is represented by 4 x , which one of the following expressions represents the area of the triangle? (0/1) 2 2 5x + 5 4x + 5 4x + 5x (a) (b) 2 x 2 + 10 x (c) (d) 2 2 2 2 3 6. What is the sum of , and ? (0/1) 7a 5a 5 6 31 6 (a) (b) (c) (d) 2 12a 35a 35a 35a 7. If 5a = 3t + 2b , then m is equal to 2b + 5a 2b 5a (a) t = (b) t = 3 3

5a 2b (c) t = 3

(0/1) 3b 2a (d) t = 5

behzad.massoumzadeh@huddinge.se Free to use for educational purposes. Not for sale.

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

8. What is the sum of (a)

5 35a 2

2 3 , and ? 7a 5a 6 (b) 12a

(0/1) (c)

31 35a

(d)

6 35a

9. According to the 2000 census, the population of New York State was approximately 18 900 000 . How is this number expressed in scientific notation? (1/0) (a) 1890 104 (b) 18.9 106 (c) 1.89 107 (d) 0.189 108

10. The expression (a) 8 7

63 + 175 is equivalent to
(b)

(0/1) (d) none

238

(c) 34 7

11. If two times an integer, x , is increased by 5 , the result is always grater than 16 and less than 29 . a. What is the smallest value of x ? (0/2) (0/2) b. What is the largest value of x ? c. What are the possible values of x ? (0/2)

behzad.massoumzadeh@huddinge.se Free to use for educational purposes. Not for sale.

Test yourself MaA Mathematical Reasoning Ch1-3

Part II
You may use your calculator in this part. Note that you should submit your solutions to the part I. 12. The number of bacteria double every 25 minutes. The bacteria population was 5.12 106 at 3:00 PM. How many bacteria, expressed in thousands, were present at 10:00 AM on the same day? (2/1) 13. The distance from Earth to the imaginary planet Zota is 1.74 10 7 miles . If a spaceship is capable of traveling at an average rate of 1450 miles per hour, what is the approximate number of days the spaceship will take to reach Zota? (a) 50 d (b) 1200 d (c) 500 d (d) 8333 d

14. Over a 12-month period, the price of stock A increased according to the equation y = 7.5 x + 180 , and the price of stock B fell according to the equation y = 328 11x . In each equation, y is the average price of the stock in dollars, during month x , where x = 1 represents January. (a) Use an algebraic method to find the month during which the average monthly prices of the two stocks were the same. What was the average price of each stock during this time? [2/2] (b) Use a graphic calculator to confirm your answer by creating either a graph or a table. [1/1] 15. Of the 210 juniors attending a high school, 120 are enrolled in chemistry and 30 are enrolled in art. If a total of 100 juniors are enrolled in only one of the two courses, find the number of juniors who are not enrolled in either course. (0/3/) 16. According to proposal submitted by President George Bush on 24 of September 2008, American Congress is encouraged approve a relief of 700 Billion dollars taxpayers money to rescue the financial sector. Estimate how much 700 Billion dollars is, by calculating how much you would receive daily for the rest of your life, if you receive it today. Make the necessary assumptions. (2/4/)

behzad.massoumzadeh@huddinge.se Free to use for educational purposes. Not for sale.

You might also like