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## MTEL General Curriculum Mathematics Practice

 Question 1

#### In which table below is y a function of x?

 A Hint: If x=3, y can have two different values, so it's not a function. B Hint: If x=3, y can have two different values, so it's not a function. C Hint: If x=1, y can have different values, so it's not a function. D Hint: Each value of x always corresponds to the same value of y.
Question 1 Explanation:
Topic: Understand the definition of function and various representations of functions (e.g., input/output machines, tables, graphs, mapping diagrams, formulas) (Objective 0021).
 Question 2

#### 7.5 meters

Hint:
Here is a picture, note that the large and small right triangles are similar:

One way to do the problem is to note that there is a dilation (scale) factor of 5 on the shadows, so there must be that factor on the heights too. Another way is to note that the shadows are twice as long as the heights.

Hint:
Draw a picture.

Hint:
Draw a picture.

#### 45 meters

Hint:
Draw a picture.
Question 2 Explanation:
Topic: Apply geometric transformations (e.g., translations, rotations, reflections, dilations); relate them to similarity, ; and use these concepts to solve problems (Objective 0024) . Fits in other places too.
 Question 3

#### A sales companies pays its representatives $2 for each item sold, plus 40% of the price of the item. The rest of the money that the representatives collect goes to the company. All transactions are in cash, and all items cost$4 or more.   If the price of an item in dollars is p, which expression represents the amount of money the company collects when the item is sold?

 A $$\large \dfrac{3}{5}p-2$$Hint: The company gets 3/5=60% of the price, minus the $2 per item. B $$\large \dfrac{3}{5}\left( p-2 \right)$$Hint: This is sensible, but not what the problem states. C $$\large \dfrac{2}{5}p+2$$Hint: The company pays the extra$2; it doesn't collect it. D $$\large \dfrac{2}{5}p-2$$Hint: This has the company getting 2/5 = 40% of the price of each item, but that's what the representative gets.
Question 3 Explanation:
Topic: Use algebra to solve word problems involving fractions, ratios, proportions, and percents (Objective 0020).
 Question 4

#### Intercept = 0.4 cm, Slope = 125 cm/page

Hint:
This would mean that each page of the book was 125 cm thick.

#### Intercept =0.4 cm, Slope = $$\dfrac{1}{125}$$cm/page

Hint:
The intercept is how thick the book would be with no pages in it. The slope is how much 1 extra page adds to the thickness of the book.

#### Intercept = 125 cm, Slope = 0.4 cm

Hint:
This would mean that with no pages in the book, it would be 125 cm thick.

#### Intercept = $$\dfrac{1}{125}$$cm, Slope = 0.4 pages/cm

Hint:
This would mean that each new page of the book made it 0.4 cm thicker.
Question 4 Explanation:
Topic: Interpret the meaning of the slope and the intercepts of a linear equation that models a real-world situation (Objective 0022).
 Question 5

#### A biology class requires a lab fee, which is a whole number of dollars, and the same amount for all students. On Monday the instructor collected $70 in fees, on Tuesday she collected$126, and on Wednesday she collected $266. What is the largest possible amount the fee could be? ####$2

Hint:
A possible fee, but not the largest possible fee. Check the other choices to see which are factors of all three numbers.

#### $7 Hint: A possible fee, but not the largest possible fee. Check the other choices to see which are factors of all three numbers. ####$14

Hint:
This is the greatest common factor of 70, 126, and 266.

#### $70 Hint: Not a factor of 126 or 266, so couldn't be correct. Question 5 Explanation: Topic: Use GCF in real-world context (Objective 0018)  Question 6 #### Given that 10 cm is approximately equal to 4 inches, which of the following expressions models a way to find out approximately how many inches are equivalent to 350 cm?  A $$\large 350\times \left( \dfrac{10}{4} \right)$$Hint: The final result should be smaller than 350, and this answer is bigger. B $$\large 350\times \left( \dfrac{4}{10} \right)$$Hint: Dimensional analysis can help here: $$350 \text{cm} \times \dfrac{4 \text{in}}{10 \text{cm}}$$. The cm's cancel and the answer is in inches. C $$\large (10-4) \times 350$$Hint: This answer doesn't make much sense. Try with a simpler example (e.g. 20 cm not 350 cm) to make sure that your logic makes sense. D $$\large (350-10) \times 4$$Hint: This answer doesn't make much sense. Try with a simpler example (e.g. 20 cm not 350 cm) to make sure that your logic makes sense. Question 6 Explanation: Topic: Applying fractions to word problems (Objective 0017) This problem is similar to one on the official sample test for that objective, but it might fit better into unit conversion and dimensional analysis (Objective 0023: Measurement)  Question 7 #### Which of the following is equal to eleven billion four hundred thousand?  A $$\large 11,400,000$$Hint: That's eleven million four hundred thousand. B $$\large11,000,400,000$$ C $$\large11,000,000,400,000$$Hint: That's eleven trillion four hundred thousand (although with British conventions; this answer is correct, but in the US, it isn't). D $$\large 11,400,000,000$$Hint: That's eleven billion four hundred million Question 7 Explanation: Topic: Place Value (Objective 0016)  Question 8 #### Use the graph below to answer the question that follows. #### If the polygon shown above is reflected about the y axis and then rotated 90 degrees clockwise about the origin, which of the following graphs is the result?  A Hint: Try following the point (1,4) to see where it goes after each transformation. B C Hint: Make sure you're reflecting in the correct axis. D Hint: Make sure you're rotating the correct direction. Question 8 Explanation: Topic: Analyze and apply geometric transformations (e.g., translations, rotations, reflections, dilations); relate them to concepts of symmetry, similarity, and congruence; and use these concepts to solve problems (Objective 0024).  Question 9 #### The histogram below shows the number of pairs of footware owned by a group of college students. #### Which of the following statements can be inferred from the graph above? #### The median number of pairs of footware owned is between 50 and 60 pairs. Hint: The same number of data points are less than the median as are greater than the median -- but on this histogram, clearly more than half the students own less than 50 pairs of shoes, so the median is less than 50. #### The mode of the number of pairs of footware owned is 20. Hint: The mode is the most common number of pairs of footwear owned. We can't tell it from this histogram because each bar represents 10 different numbers-- perhaps 8 students each own each number from 10 to 19, but 40 students own exactly 6 pairs of shoes.... or perhaps not.... #### The mean number of pairs of footware owned is less than the median number of pairs of footware owned. Hint: This is a right skewed distribution, and so the mean is bigger than the median -- the few large values on the right pull up the mean, but have little effect on the median. #### The median number of pairs of footware owned is between 10 and 20. Hint: There are approximately 230 students represented in this survey, and the 41st through 120th lowest values are between 10 and 20 -- thus the middle value is in that range. Question 9 Explanation: Topics: Analyze and interpret various graphic and data representations, and use measures of central tendency (e.g., mean, median, mode) and spread to describe and interpret real-world data (Objective 0025).  Question 10 #### Use the problem below to answer the question that follows: #### T shirts are on sale for 20% off. Tasha paid$8.73 for a shirt.  What is the regular price of the shirt? There is no tax on clothing purchases under $175. #### Let p represent the regular price of these t-shirt. Which of the following equations is correct?  A $$\large 0.8p=\8.73$$Hint: 80% of the regular price =$8.73. B $$\large \8.73+0.2*\8.73=p$$Hint: The 20% off was off of the ORIGINAL price, not off the $8.73 (a lot of people make this mistake). Plus this is the same equation as in choice c. C $$\large 1.2*\8.73=p$$Hint: The 20% off was off of the ORIGINAL price, not off the$8.73 (a lot of people make this mistake). Plus this is the same equation as in choice b. D $$\large p-0.2*\8.73=p$$Hint: Subtract p from both sides of this equation, and you have -.2 x 8.73 =0.
Question 10 Explanation:
Topics: Use algebra to solve word problems involving percents and identify variables, and derive algebraic expressions that represent real-world situations (Objective 0020).
There are 10 questions to complete.

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