Math Cheatsheet
100%
These formulas are not provided on the actual SAT.
This sheet is for you to study and memorize before test day.
⠿ Fractions & Percents
Basics
- Fraction: $\text{fraction} = \frac{\text{part}}{\text{whole}}$
- Percent: $\text{percent} = \frac{\text{part}}{100}$
- Percent change: $\frac{|\text{old}-\text{new}|}{\text{old}} \times 100\%$
Percent Operations
- Increase by $p\%$: $\times\left(1+\frac{p}{100}\right)$
- Decrease by $p\%$: $\times\left(1-\frac{p}{100}\right)$
- Multiplier: $1 \pm \frac{p}{100}$
Interest Formulas
- Simple: $A = P(1+rt)$
- Compound annually: $A = P(1+r)^t$
- Compound $n$ times/year: $A = P\left(1+\frac{r}{n}\right)^{nt}$
Exponential Model
- $f(t) = A \cdot b^{t/p}$
$A$ = starting amount, $b$ = factor per period, $p$ = period length
⠿ Unit Conversions
Linear Units
- $10\text{ft} \times \frac{12\text{in}}{1\text{ft}} = 120\text{in}$
Square Units
- $10\text{ft}^2 \times \left(\frac{12\text{in}}{1\text{ft}}\right)^2 = 1440\text{in}^2$
Square the conversion factor for area!
Volume Units
- $10\text{ft}^3 \times \left(\frac{12\text{in}}{1\text{ft}}\right)^3 = 17280\text{in}^3$
Cube the conversion factor for volume!
⠿ Parabolas
Standard Form
- $f(x) = ax^2 + bx + c$
- Vertex: $\left(-\frac{b}{2a},\ f\left(-\frac{b}{2a}\right)\right)$
- Vertex $x$: $x = -\frac{b}{2a}$
- $y$-intercept: $c$
- $x$-intercepts: $\frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}$
Other Forms
- Factored: $f(x) = a(x-m)(x-n)$
- Vertex form: $f(x) = a(x-h)^2 + k$
Vieta's Formulas
- Sum of roots: $-\frac{b}{a}$
- Product of roots: $\frac{c}{a}$
Discriminant
- $D = b^2 - 4ac$
- Positive: 2 real solutions
- Zero: 1 real solution
- Negative: 0 real solutions
⠿ Graphing Lines
Slope Formula
- $m = \frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}$
- Horizontal line: $m = 0$
- Vertical line: undefined
Line Forms
- Standard: $Ax + By = C$
- $x$-intercept: $\frac{C}{A}$
- Slope-intercept: $y = mx + b$
- Point-slope: $y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)$
Distance & Midpoint
- $d = \sqrt{(x_2-x_1)^2 + (y_2-y_1)^2}$
- $M = \left(\frac{x_1+x_2}{2}, \frac{y_1+y_2}{2}\right)$
Desmos:midpoint()anddistance()
Parallel & Perpendicular
- Parallel: equal slopes
- Perpendicular slopes: $m_1 m_2 = -1$
⠿ Exponents & Roots
Exponent Rules
- $a^b \cdot a^c = a^{b+c}$
- $\frac{a^b}{a^c} = a^{b-c}$
- $(a^b)^c = a^{bc}$
- $a^{-b} = \frac{1}{a^b}$
Fractional Exponents
- $a^{b/c} = \sqrt[c]{a^b} = \left(\sqrt[c]{a}\right)^b$
⠿ Projectile Motion
For $h(t) = at^2 + bt + c$:
- Initial height: $h(0) = c$
- Time at max: $t = -\frac{b}{2a}$
- Max height: $h\left(-\frac{b}{2a}\right)$
Launch (at $t = 0$)
- Height $= c$ (the $y$-intercept)
Landing (positive $x$-intercept)
- Solve $h(t) = 0$
Use the positive solution when time is the context
⠿ Basic Trigonometry
SOH-CAH-TOA
right triangles only!
- $\sin = \frac{\text{opp}}{\text{hyp}}$
- $\cos = \frac{\text{adj}}{\text{hyp}}$
- $\tan = \frac{\text{opp}}{\text{adj}}$
Right Triangles
- $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$
- Pythagorean triples: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17, 7-24-25
Special Right Triangles
- $45°\text{-}45°\text{-}90°$: $x : x : x\sqrt{2}$
- $30°\text{-}60°\text{-}90°$: $x : x\sqrt{3} : 2x$
Complementary Angles
- $\sin(x) = \cos(90° - x)$
Conversion
- $360° = 2\pi \text{ radians}$
⠿ Data & Probability
Statistics
- Mean: $\text{mean} = \frac{\text{sum of items}}{\text{number of items}}$
- Weighted mean: $\frac{\sum x_i n_i}{\sum n_i}$
- Median: middle number after sorting
- Range: $\text{range} = \max - \min$
Probability
- $P = \frac{\text{favorable outcomes}}{\text{total possible outcomes}}$
- $P(A \mid B) = \frac{\text{outcomes in both } A \text{ and } B}{\text{outcomes in } B}$
- Complement: $P(\text{not } A) = 1 - P(A)$
Desmos tip: Usemean(1,2,3,4,5)andmedian(1,2,3,4,5)
⠿ Systems of Equations
For $Ax + By = C$:
- Slope: $-\frac{A}{B}$
- $y$-intercept: $\frac{C}{B}$
Number of Solutions
For two standard-form lines:
- $A_1x + B_1y = C_1$
- $A_2x + B_2y = C_2$
- One solution: $\frac{A_1}{A_2} \neq \frac{B_1}{B_2}$
- Infinite solutions: $\frac{A_1}{A_2} = \frac{B_1}{B_2} = \frac{C_1}{C_2}$
- No solutions: $\frac{A_1}{A_2} = \frac{B_1}{B_2} \neq \frac{C_1}{C_2}$
⠿ Angles & Triangles
Angle Facts
- Vertical angles are congruent
- Linear pair: add to $180°$
- Circle: add to $360°$
Parallel Lines + Transversal
- All acute angles are congruent
- All obtuse angles are congruent
Triangles
- Angles sum to $180°$
- Exterior angle = sum of remote interior angles
- Similar figures: matching side lengths scale by $k$
- Area scale: $k^2$
Circles
- Radius $\perp$ tangent line
- Central angle $= 2\times$ inscribed angle
- A diameter subtends a right angle
⠿ Circles & Factoring
Circle Equation
- $(x-h)^2 + (y-k)^2 = r^2$
- Center: $(h, k)$
- Radius: $r$
Expanded Circle
$x^2 + y^2 + Ax + By + C = 0$
- Center: $\left(-\frac{A}{2}, -\frac{B}{2}\right)$
- $r^2$: $\left(\frac{A}{2}\right)^2 + \left(\frac{B}{2}\right)^2 - C$
Arcs & Sectors
- Circumference: $C = 2\pi r = \pi d$
- Area: $A = \pi r^2$
- Arc length: $s = \frac{\theta}{360°} \cdot 2\pi r$
- Sector area: $A = \frac{\theta}{360°} \cdot \pi r^2$
Factoring Patterns
- Difference of squares: $a^2 - b^2 = (a+b)(a-b)$
- Perfect square: $a^2 + 2ab + b^2 = (a+b)^2$
- Perfect square: $a^2 - 2ab + b^2 = (a-b)^2$
Completing the Square
- $x^2 + bx + \left(\frac{b}{2}\right)^2 = \left(x + \frac{b}{2}\right)^2$
⠿ Area & Volume
Areas
- Semicircle area: $A = \frac{1}{2}\pi r^2$
Volumes
- Rectangular prism: $V = lwh$
- Cube: $V = s^3$
- Cylinder: $V = \pi r^2 h$
- Cone: $V = \frac{1}{3}\pi r^2 h$
- Sphere: $V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$
- Hemisphere: $V = \frac{2}{3}\pi r^3$
Surface Area
- Rectangular prism: $SA = 2(lw + lh + wh)$
- Cube: $SA = 6s^2$
- Cylinder: $SA = 2\pi r^2 + 2\pi rh$
- Sphere: $SA = 4\pi r^2$
Scaling
- Lengths: $\times k$
- Areas: $\times k^2$
- Volumes: $\times k^3$
⠿ Function Notation & Transformations
Transformations
- $f(x) + k$: shifts up/down by $k$
- $f(x-h)$: shifts left/right by $h$
- $f(-x)$: reflects over the $y$-axis
- $-f(x)$: reflects over the $x$-axis
- $a \cdot f(x)$: vertical stretch/compress by $a$
- $f(bx)$: horizontal stretch/compress by $\frac{1}{b}$
Composition
- $f(g(x))$: apply $g$ first, then $f$
⠿ Absolute Value
Definition
- $|x| = x$ if $x \geq 0$
- $|x| = -x$ if $x < 0$
Solving Equations
- $|x| = a \Rightarrow x = a$ or $x = -a$ (when $a \geq 0$)
- $|x| = -a$ when $a < 0$
Graphing
- V-shape; vertex at $(h, k)$ for $y = |x-h| + k$
Inequalities
- $|x| < a \Rightarrow -a < x < a$
- $|x| > a \Rightarrow x < -a$ or $x > a$
⠿ Rational Expressions
Simplifying
- Factor numerator & denominator, cancel common factors
Adding / Subtracting
- Rewrite with a common denominator first
Excluded Values
- Denominator $\neq 0$ — exclude those $x$ values
⠿ Sequences
Arithmetic
- $a_n = a_1 + (n-1)d$, where $d$ = common difference
Geometric
- $a_n = a_1 \cdot r^{n-1}$, where $r$ = common ratio
⠿ Polynomials
Remainder Theorem
- $f(a)$ = remainder when dividing $f(x)$ by $(x-a)$
Factor Theorem
- $(x-a)$ is a factor of $f(x)$ iff $f(a) = 0$
Zero Product Property
- If $ab = 0$, then $a = 0$ or $b = 0$
⠿ Complex Numbers
Basics
- $i = \sqrt{-1}$
- $i^2 = -1$
Operations
- $(a+bi) \pm (c+di) = (a \pm c) + (b \pm d)i$
- $(a+bi)(c+di) = (ac-bd) + (ad+bc)i$
⠿ Inequalities
Compound Inequalities
- $a < x < b$ means both $a < x$ and $x < b$
Flipping the Sign
- Multiplying/dividing by a negative flips the inequality direction
⠿ Rates & Ratios
Unit Rate
- $\text{rate} = \frac{\text{quantity}}{\text{unit}}$
Dimensional Analysis
- Multiply by conversion factors to cancel units
Variation
- Direct: $y = kx$
- Inverse: $y = \frac{k}{x}$
SAT Reference Sheet
70%
$A = \pi r^2$
$C = 2\pi r$
$C = 2\pi r$
$A = \ell w$
$A = \frac{1}{2}bh$
$c^2 = a^2 + b^2$
Special Right Triangles
$V = \ell wh$
$V = \pi r^2 h$
$V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$
$V = \frac{1}{3}\pi r^2 h$
$V = \frac{1}{3}\ell wh$
The number of degrees of arc in a circle is 360.
The number of radians of arc in a circle is $2\pi$.
The sum of the measures in degrees of the angles of a triangle is 180.
The number of radians of arc in a circle is $2\pi$.
The sum of the measures in degrees of the angles of a triangle is 180.
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Free Test 2
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SAT Math Practice Test
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