287 core topics
+ 63 prerequisite topics taught
as needed · approximately 110 hours of instruction
including spaced review
· premium unlock $19.99
An adaptive diagnostic (up to
40 questions) places the student on the course's knowledge
graph - topics already known are credited, and instruction begins exactly
at the learning frontier. Every topic is taught with a worked-example
lesson and auto-graded practice; a topic is mastered at
75%+ and then maintained through spaced reviews on an
expanding schedule. Mixed checks follow every 6 lessons;
each unit ends with a 12-item quiz, and course-wide assessments appear at
25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% mastery. Prerequisite gaps below the course are detected and taught rather
than skipped, so completion certifies the whole tower, not just the top.
| Linear Equations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Linear Word Problems
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Linear Inequalities
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Systems of Equations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Systems: Word Problems
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Slope of a Line
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Equation of a Line
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Parallel & Perpendicular Slopes
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Interpreting Linear Models
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Absolute-Value Equations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Percent
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Percent Increase & Decrease
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Ratios & Proportions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Rates & Unit Rates
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Basic Probability
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Two-Way Tables
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Mean of a Data Set
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Median of a Data Set
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Scatterplots & Line of Best Fit
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Exponential Growth
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Solving Quadratics
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Parabola Vertex & Minimum
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Function Notation
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Composition of Functions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Expanding Polynomials
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Exponent Rules
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Rational Expressions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| The Discriminant
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Exponential Functions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Angle Relationships
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Area of a Triangle
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| The Pythagorean Theorem
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Similar Triangles
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Circle Area & Circumference
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Arc Length
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Right-Triangle Trig Ratios
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Solving with Trig Ratios
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Volume of Solids
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Distance in the Plane
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Adding Complex Numbers
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Multiplying Complex Numbers
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Powers of i
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Modulus of a Complex Number
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Literal Equations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Average Rate
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Compound Probability
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Range of a Data Set
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Quadratic Word Problems
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Arithmetic & Geometric Sequences
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Midpoint of a Segment
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice. |
| Linear Equations with Fractions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Systems: Combined Values
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Compound Inequalities
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Linear Modeling
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| x- and y-Intercepts
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| One, None, or Infinite Solutions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Systems with a Parameter
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Absolute-Value Inequalities
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Reading Linear Graphs
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Simple Interest
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Reverse Percent
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Dividing in a Ratio
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Unit Conversion
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Density & Rates
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Conditional Probability
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| How Changes Affect Statistics
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Comparing Spread
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Interpreting Scatterplots
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Weighted Averages
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Exponential Decay
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Vertex Form of a Parabola
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Sum & Product of Roots
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| The Remainder Theorem
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Simplifying Rational Expressions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Radical Equations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Exponential Equations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Inverse Functions
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Function Transformations
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Nonlinear Systems
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Doubling & Compound Growth
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Parallel Lines & Transversals
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Special Right Triangles
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Equation of a Circle
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Inscribed & Central Angles
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Area of Similar Figures
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Volume of Spheres & Cones
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Surface Area
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Midpoint of a Segment
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Trigonometric Identities
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Radians & Degrees
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Dividing Complex Numbers
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Modulus of a Complex Number
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Complex Roots of Quadratics
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Sums of Powers of i
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Successive Percent Changes
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| At-Least-One Probability
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Arithmetic Series
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Geometric Series
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Solving Right Triangles with Trig
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| Combined Work Rates
[H] |
Authentic Digital-SAT / ACT exam-style practice (advanced). |
| No-Solution Equations with a Parameter
[H] |
A linear equation has no solution when the x-terms match but the constants do not. |
| Identities: Infinitely Many Solutions
[H] |
Infinitely many solutions means both sides are the identical expression. |
| Blend & Mixture Systems
[H] |
Count equation plus value equation - solve the blend by elimination. |
| Perimeter Relations as Equations
[H] |
Translate the length-width relation, then solve the perimeter equation. |
| Budget Inequalities: Greatest Whole Number
[H] |
Subtract the fee, divide by the unit cost, and round DOWN. |
| Writing Absolute-Value Inequalities
[H] |
Within t of c means |x - c| <= t: center inside the bars, tolerance outside. |
| Distribute Both Sides, Fraction Answers
[H] |
Expand both sides fully, collect x, and accept a fractional answer. |
| Percent of a Percent
[H] |
Chain the percents: take the second percent of the first group, not of the total. |
| Matching Two Percents
[H] |
Set (a/100)m = (b/100)n and solve for the unknown amount. |
| Ratio Totals, Differences & Equalizing
[H] |
Find the value of one ratio part from the total, then answer the twist. |
| Hitting a Target Mean
[H] |
Work with totals: new total needed minus current total is the required score. |
| Removing a Value from a Mean
[H] |
Totals again: subtract the removed value from n x mean, divide by n - 1. |
| Mean vs Median under a Change
[H] |
The mean feels every change; the median only moves if the middle moves. |
| Interpreting a Margin of Error
[H] |
The margin of error brackets the population MEAN, not every individual. |
| Sampling, Assignment & Conclusions
[H] |
Random selection lets you generalize; random assignment lets you claim cause. |
| Two-Step Rate Conversions
[H] |
Convert the time unit and the distance unit one factor at a time. |
| Reading Exponential Models
[H] |
In a(b)^t, a is the start; b - 1 is the percent change per period. |
| Compounding a Percent Change
[H] |
Apply the growth factor once per period - never add the percents. |
| Linear or Exponential?
[H] |
Equal AMOUNTS per step are linear; equal FACTORS or percents are exponential. |
| One Real Solution: Solving for the Parameter
[H] |
Set the discriminant b^2 - 4ac equal to zero and solve for the constant. |
| Symmetric Functions of the Roots
[H] |
Build r^2 + s^2 and 1/r + 1/s from the root sum and product - no solving. |
| Function Notation Traps: f(2x) and Friends
[H] |
Find the x that makes the INPUT expression equal the requested value. |
| Composing with a Quadratic
[H] |
Evaluate the inner function first, then feed its output to the outer one. |
| Finding a Constant from a Zero
[H] |
A zero at x = k means p(k) = 0: substitute k and solve for the constant. |
| Exponent Rules in Structure Form
[H] |
Add exponents to multiply, subtract to divide, multiply for a power of a power. |
| Solving Simple Rational Equations
[H] |
Isolate the fraction, multiply both sides by the denominator, and solve. |
| Radical Equations & Extraneous Roots
[H] |
Square both sides, solve the quadratic, then CHECK - squaring invents roots. |
| Circle Equations: Completing the Square
[H] |
Halve each linear coefficient, square it, add to both sides, read off (h, k) and r. |
| Points on a Circle
[H] |
Substitute the known coordinate and solve the Pythagorean relationship. |
| Solving sin = cos Equations
[H] |
sin equals cos for acute angles exactly when the two angles sum to 90. |
| One Trig Ratio from Another
[H] |
Sketch the right triangle the given ratio describes; find the third side. |
| Angle of Elevation with Tangent
[H] |
Height = tan(angle) x horizontal distance; add the eye height if given. |
| Area of a Sector
[H] |
A sector is the fraction angle/360 of the full circle's area pi r^2. |
| Determinants with an Unknown Entry
[H] |
Set ad - bc equal to the given determinant and solve; scaling by k scales det by k^2. |
| Solving Simple Matrix Equations
[H] |
Matrix equations work entry by entry: subtract, then divide by the scalar. |
| Logarithm Quickies
[H] |
log_b(m) asks: b to what power gives m? Reciprocals give negative logs. |
| Adding & Subtracting Logarithms
[H] |
Log of a product adds; log of a quotient subtracts - then evaluate the power. |
| Two Plans: The Break-Even Number
[H] |
Set the two cost expressions equal; the solution is the break-even number of items. |
| Equations That Hide a Unit Conversion
[H] |
Convert so the rate and the total use the same units before solving. |
| Writing a System of Inequalities
[H] |
Each sentence of a constraint becomes one inequality with matching units. |
| Back-Solving from the Answer Choices
[H] |
When the choices are numbers, testing them can be faster than solving. |
| Discount and Fee Equations
[H] |
A percent off multiplies the list price by (100 - d)/100; undo it by dividing. |
| Counting the Whole Numbers a Constraint Allows
[H] |
Divide both bounds by the step, round the low end up and the high end down. |
| Scaling an Entire Equation
[H] |
If the target expression is a multiple of the given one, multiply the equation. |
| Systems in Context: Answer the Asked Quantity
[H] |
Solve the system, then compute the quantity the question actually names. |
| Systems That Never Agree
[H] |
Two linear models never agree when their rates match but their fees do not. |
| Systems That Are the Same Line
[H] |
Infinitely many solutions means one equation is a constant multiple of the other. |
| Reading a System's Solution from a Graph
[H] |
The solution of a system is the point where the two graphs cross. |
| Systems: Reading the Requested Expression
[H] |
Solve the system, then substitute into the expression the question names. |
| Predicted Change from a Slope
[H] |
The slope is the change in the output for each one-unit change in the input. |
| Interpreting a Line of Best Fit
[H] |
The intercept is the predicted output at input 0; the slope is the predicted change per unit. |
| Building a Linear Model from a Table
[H] |
Two rows give the slope; extend backward to the input value 0 for the intercept. |
| When Does the Model Reach a Value
[H] |
Set the model equal to the target value and solve for the input. |
| Recognizing a Perfect Square
[H] |
When the left side is a perfect square trinomial, take square roots instead of factoring. |
| Solving by Square Roots
[H] |
Isolate the squared factor, then take both square roots of each side. |
| Factoring When the Lead Coefficient Is Not 1
[H] |
Factor out any common factor first, then split the lead coefficient across two binomials. |
| Reading the Radicand of the Quadratic Formula
[H] |
In the quadratic formula the number under the radical is b^2 - 4ac. |
| Maximum Value of a Quadratic Model
[H] |
A downward parabola peaks at its vertex, whose input is -b/(2a). |
| A Parabola's Vertex from Its Intercepts
[H] |
The vertex sits halfway between the x-intercepts; substitute that input for its value. |
| How Many Real Solutions
[H] |
The sign of b^2 - 4ac decides two, one, or no real solutions. |
| Parameter Ranges from the Discriminant
[H] |
Translate the wanted number of solutions into an inequality in the discriminant. |
| Coefficients in a Product of Polynomials
[H] |
Collect only the products of terms whose degrees add to the degree you need. |
| Factoring by Structure
[H] |
A difference of squares or a perfect square trinomial factors from its square roots. |
| Combining Rational Expressions
[H] |
Rewrite each fraction over the common denominator, then collect the numerator. |
| Quotient Plus Remainder Form
[H] |
Divide, then match coefficients: the quotient times the divisor plus the remainder rebuilds the numerator. |
| Distinct Real Zeros from Factored Form
[H] |
Each distinct factor contributes its own real zeros; a repeated factor still counts once. |
| Radical Equations: Which Roots Survive
[H] |
Squaring can create roots that fail the original equation, so test every candidate. |
| Rational Equations and Excluded Values
[H] |
A value that makes a denominator zero can never be a solution, even if the algebra produces it. |
| Equations with Rational Exponents
[H] |
Raise both sides to the reciprocal power to undo a rational exponent. |
| Half-Life Models
[H] |
Each half-life multiplies the amount by 1/2, so count the number of half-lives. |
| Choosing the Model for a Given Rate
[H] |
A percent change per period becomes a growth factor of 1 plus or minus the rate. |
| Solving an Exponential Model for the Time
[H] |
Divide off the initial amount, write both sides with the same base, then equate exponents. |
| An Exponential Pattern in a Table
[H] |
In an exponential table consecutive outputs have a constant ratio, not a constant difference. |
| Converting a Rate to Another Period
[H] |
The base applies over the period in the exponent's denominator; other periods need that base raised to a power. |
| Reading a Function from a Table
[H] |
A table gives inputs and outputs; a composition uses one row's output as the next row's input. |
| Reading Values from a Graph
[H] |
f(a) is the height of the graph above a; solving f(x) = c reads the graph the other way. |
| Solving an Equation with a Composition
[H] |
Work from the outside in: undo the outer function first, then solve the inner equation. |
| Piecewise-Defined Functions
[H] |
Choose the branch whose condition the input satisfies, then use only that rule. |
| What f(a) = b Says in Context
[H] |
In f(a) = b the input a and the output b carry the units the problem assigns them. |
| Writing the Equation of a Transformed Graph
[H] |
Horizontal shifts go inside the function and act opposite to their sign; vertical changes go outside. |
| Where a Point Goes Under a Transformation
[H] |
Track the input that produces the same output: inside changes move x, outside changes move y. |
| Transforming the Parent Parabola
[H] |
Write the shifted parabola in vertex form, then expand to read b and c. |
| A Line and a Parabola
[H] |
Set the two expressions equal to get one quadratic whose roots are the x-coordinates. |
| When a Line Meets a Parabola Once
[H] |
Exactly one solution means the combined quadratic has discriminant zero. |
| A Line and a Circle
[H] |
Compare the distance from the center to the line with the radius. |
| Scaling a Rate Across Workers and Time
[H] |
Reduce to one machine for one hour, then multiply by the new number of machines and hours. |
| Workers Times Time Is Constant
[H] |
The total work in worker-hours is fixed, so more workers means proportionally fewer hours. |
| Fuel Economy, Distance and Cost
[H] |
Convert miles to gallons with the mileage rate, then gallons to dollars with the price. |
| Unit Price Across Related Units
[H] |
Rewrite the price as a price per single unit, then multiply by the number of those units. |
| Converting Squared Units
[H] |
A length factor of k between units becomes a factor of k squared between the areas. |
| Map Scale in Both Directions
[H] |
Multiply by the scale to go from map to ground and divide to go from ground to map. |
| Scale Drawings: Finding a Third Measurement
[H] |
Find the meters-per-centimeter scale from the matched pair, then apply it to the other measurement. |
| Proportional Relationships and the Constant of Proportionality
[H] |
In a proportional relationship y = kx, so k is y divided by x and stays the same for every pair. |
| Rates per Unit of Body Mass
[H] |
Multiply the per-kilogram rate by the mass for the daily amount, then divide by the number of doses or days. |
| Population Density
[H] |
Population density is population divided by area, so population is density times area. |
| Reversing a Discount and a Tax
[H] |
Multiply by (100 - d)/100 and then by (100 + t)/100 going forward, and divide by those same factors going backwards. |
| Percentage Points Versus Percent Change
[H] |
A change in a percent is measured in percentage points; the percent change divides that gap by the starting percent. |
| The Percent Decrease That Undoes an Increase
[H] |
Undoing a percent change compares the change to the NEW amount, so the two percents differ. |
| Percents of a Total Read from a Table
[H] |
Divide the count by the total that the question names, then multiply by 100. |
| Percent Change Between Table Entries
[H] |
Percent change is the difference divided by the EARLIER value, times 100. |
| Percent Greater and Percent Less
[H] |
The quantity named after the word 'than' is the base, so switching direction changes the percent. |
| Unspecified Totals: Substitute a Convenient Value
[H] |
When no starting amount is given, let the starting amount be 100 and follow the changes. |
| The Mean With and Without an Outlier
[H] |
Work with totals: the mean of the remaining values is the total minus the removed value, divided by the new count. |
| Effect of an Outlier on Mean, Median and Range
[H] |
The mean and the range react to an extreme value; the median moves only if the middle position moves. |
| Shifting and Scaling a Data Set
[H] |
Adding the same amount to every value shifts the center but not the spread; multiplying scales both. |
| Quartiles and the Interquartile Range
[H] |
The interquartile range is the median of the upper half minus the median of the lower half. |
| Median from a Frequency Table
[H] |
Add the frequencies until the running total reaches the middle position, and read the value in that row. |
| Skew: Comparing the Mean and the Median
[H] |
A long tail pulls the mean toward it, so the mean sits on the tail side of the median. |
| Combining the Means of Two Groups
[H] |
Add the two group totals and divide by the combined count; the combined mean is pulled toward the larger group. |
| Shares Read from a Bar Graph
[H] |
Add the bars the question describes, then divide by the total of all the bars. |
| Residuals: Observed Minus Predicted
[H] |
A residual is the observed value minus the value the fitted line predicts at that x. |
| Interpreting the Slope of a Line of Best Fit
[H] |
The slope is the predicted change in the y quantity for a one-unit increase in the x quantity. |
| Interpreting the Intercept of a Fitted Model
[H] |
The constant term is the value the model predicts when the input variable equals zero. |
| Using a Fitted Model in Both Directions
[H] |
Substitute the input to predict an output, and solve the equation to recover an input from an output. |
| Counting Points About a Line of Best Fit
[H] |
A point above the fitted line was underestimated by the model; a point below it was overestimated. |
| Choosing the Type of Model for a Scatterplot
[H] |
Constant differences between successive values indicate a linear model; a constant ratio indicates an exponential model. |
| The Limits of Extrapolation
[H] |
A fitted model is evidence only across the range of the data that produced it. |
| Comparing Two Series Over Time
[H] |
Compare the two values year by year, or set the two models equal to find when the faster one passes the other. |
| Completing a Two-Way Table for a Probability
[H] |
Recover a missing cell from the row and column totals before computing any probability. |
| Which Total Goes in the Denominator
[H] |
A conditional probability divides by the total of the group named in the condition, not by the grand total. |
| Comparing Proportions Between Groups
[H] |
Divide each group's count by that group's own total before comparing, since the group sizes differ. |
| Estimating a Count in the Full Population
[H] |
Multiply the population size by the proportion observed in the random sample. |
| Recovering a Count from a Stated Probability
[H] |
Set the count over the total equal to the stated probability and solve for the unknown count. |
| Building the Interval from a Margin of Error
[H] |
The plausible values for the population mean run from the estimate minus the margin of error to the estimate plus it. |
| Comparing Two Estimates with Margins of Error
[H] |
Two estimates support a claim of a real difference only when their plausible intervals do not overlap. |
| What a Confidence Statement Does and Does Not Claim
[H] |
A confidence interval describes plausible values for a population parameter, not the spread of individuals. |
| Judging a Sampling Method
[H] |
Only a random sample of the population in question supports an estimate for that population. |
| Which Design Supports a Causal Conclusion
[H] |
Random assignment to groups supports a cause-and-effect claim; random selection from a population supports generalizing it. |
| Choosing the Setup Whose Units Cancel
[H] |
Arrange the given rates so every unwanted unit cancels and only the requested unit remains. |
| Concentration of a Mixture
[H] |
Track the amount of the dissolved substance and the total volume separately, then divide. |
| Diluting or Strengthening a Solution
[H] |
Adding water keeps the amount of substance fixed while the total grows; adding pure substance increases both. |
| Back-Solving from the Answer Choices
[H] |
When the choices are numbers and the condition is easy to test, test the choices instead of solving. |
| Estimating to Choose the Closest Value
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When the choices differ by powers of ten, round the numbers and compare orders of magnitude. |
| Transversal Angles Labeled with Expressions
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Equal angles give an equation; same-side interior angles give a sum of 180. |
| The Exterior Angle Relationship
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An exterior angle of a triangle equals the sum of the two remote interior angles. |
| Isosceles Triangle Angle Chains
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Equal sides face equal angles, and the three angles of a triangle total 180 degrees. |
| Triangle Angles Given as a Ratio
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Ratio parts of the 180 degree angle sum: divide 180 by the total number of parts. |
| Interior and Exterior Angles of a Regular Polygon
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Exterior angles of any polygon total 360 degrees; interior angles total 180(n - 2). |
| A Segment Parallel to a Side of a Triangle
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A line parallel to one side cuts off a smaller triangle similar to the whole. |
| Indirect Measurement with Similar Triangles
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Objects and their shadows at the same time form similar triangles, so height over shadow is constant. |
| Perimeter and Area Scale Factors
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Lengths and perimeters scale by k, while areas scale by k squared. |
| Which Criterion Proves Congruence
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SSS, SAS, ASA and AAS prove congruence; two sides with a non-included angle and three angles do not. |
| The Triangle Midsegment Relationship
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The segment joining two midpoints is parallel to the third side and half its length. |
| The Pythagorean Theorem in Applied Settings
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In a right triangle the two legs and the hypotenuse satisfy leg squared plus leg squared equals hypotenuse squared. |
| Diagonals of a Rectangular Box
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The diagonal of a box satisfies length squared plus width squared plus height squared equals diagonal squared. |
| 45-45-90 Triangles and Square Diagonals
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In a 45-45-90 triangle the hypotenuse is the leg times the square root of 2. |
| 30-60-90 Triangles in Applied Settings
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In a 30-60-90 triangle the sides are in the ratio 1 to the square root of 3 to 2. |
| Altitude and Area of an Equilateral Triangle
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An altitude splits an equilateral triangle into two 30-60-90 triangles, giving altitude s times root 3 over 2. |
| Area and Perimeter of Rectilinear Composites
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Add or subtract rectangles for the area; an L-shaped region has the same perimeter as its bounding rectangle. |
| Composites with Semicircular Regions
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Add the half-circle area or half-circumference to the straight parts, using the radius as half the given diameter. |
| Shaded Regions Built from Circles
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A shaded region is the containing area minus the removed area; four quarter circles of equal radius make one whole circle. |
| Solving for a Dimension from a Volume
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Substitute the known measures into V = pi r squared h and solve for the missing one. |
| Surface Area of Boxes and Cubes
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A box has surface area 2(lw + lh + wh); a cube of edge s has surface area 6s squared and volume s cubed. |
| How Scaling a Solid Changes Its Volume
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Multiplying every length by k multiplies the volume by k cubed. |
| How Scaling a Solid Changes Its Surface Area
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Multiplying every length by k multiplies every area by k squared, so a volume ratio k cubed gives an area ratio k squared. |
| Volume with a Unit Conversion
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Converting a volume cubes the length conversion factor: 1 cubic yard is 27 cubic feet and 1 cubic foot is 1728 cubic inches. |
| Two Solids of Equal Volume
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A cone is one third of the cylinder with the same base and height, so equal volumes force a height ratio of 3 to 1. |
| Arc Length Run Backwards
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Arc length is the central angle over 360 times the circumference, so any one of the three can be found from the other two. |
| Perimeter of a Sector or Ring Region
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The perimeter of a sector is its arc plus the two straight radii, not the arc alone. |
| The Circle Through the Ends of a Diameter
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The center of a circle is the midpoint of any diameter and the radius is half the diameter's length. |
| Circles Tangent to an Axis
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A circle is tangent to the x-axis when its radius equals the distance from its center to that axis. |
| Proportional Reasoning with Arcs and Sectors
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An arc or sector is the same fraction of the circle as its central angle is of 360 degrees. |
| Finding a Side from a Given Trig Ratio
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A trig ratio identifies which two sides are compared, so one known side scales the whole triangle. |
| Sine and Cosine of Complementary Angles
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For complementary angles the sine of one equals the cosine of the other. |
| Wires and Ramps at 30, 45 and 60 Degrees
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A 45 degree right triangle has equal legs; a 30 or 60 degree right triangle has sides in the ratio 1 to root 3 to 2. |
| Area of a Right Triangle from a Trig Ratio
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Find both legs from the ratio and the hypotenuse, then take half their product. |
| Arc Length in Radian Measure
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In radian measure the arc length equals the radius times the angle. |
| Sector Area in Radian Measure
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A sector of angle theta radians in a circle of radius r has area one half r squared theta. |
| An Unknown Coordinate from a Distance
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Square the distance formula: the horizontal and vertical differences must satisfy the Pythagorean relationship. |
| Missing Endpoints and Missing Vertices
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A midpoint averages the endpoints, so an endpoint is twice the midpoint minus the known endpoint. |
| Perpendicular Bisectors in the Plane
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The perpendicular bisector passes through the midpoint with slope the negative reciprocal of the segment's slope. |
| Lines Through a Point, Parallel or Perpendicular
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Parallel lines share a slope; perpendicular slopes multiply to negative one. |
| Areas of Figures Given by Coordinates
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Use a horizontal or vertical side as the base; the height is the perpendicular distance to the opposite vertex. |
| Back-Solving from the Answer Choices
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Testing the answer choices is often faster than solving, and it automatically rejects extraneous solutions. |
| Substituting a Convenient Value
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To compare algebraic expressions, evaluate each at one convenient number and keep only the match. |
| Estimating to Eliminate Choices
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When the choices differ by a factor of three or more, a rough estimate identifies the answer without exact computation. |
| Answering Without Solving for Everything
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When a question asks for a combination such as x + y, combine the equations instead of solving for each variable. |
| Answering the Quantity the Question Asks For
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Solve for the variable, then compute the expression the question actually requests. |
| Catching the Unit Change in the Last Line
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Check the unit the answer must be in: an area conversion uses the square of the length factor. |