SAT Math Notes

📐 Your SAT Math Blueprint: Don't rely on guesswork. Use this master companion guide to reverse-engineer tough SAT Math questions, memorize high-leverage formulas, and review core lesson strategies. Study the notes carefully, internalize the shortcuts, and show what you've learned on the practice quiz!

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Math Cheatsheet
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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() and distance()

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: Use mean(1,2,3,4,5) and median(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: $y = \frac{k}{x}$
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