Hey guys, it's your fellow junior again. I've been struggling a bit with prepping for college admission tests and I was wondering if anyone could advise on what common math formulas I should absolutely know? Anything would be appreciated, cheers!
Hello! It's important to have a strong foundation in math when preparing for college admission tests such as the SAT. Let's look at some of the critical math formulas and concepts that you should absolutely have under your belt:
1. Quadratic formula: If you come across a quadratic equation (ax^2 + bx + c = 0), the quadratic formula [-b±sqrt(b² - 4ac)]/2a allows you to find the solution.
2. Pythagorean Theorem: Used in geometry problems, this theorem (a^2 + b^2 = c^2) relates the lengths of the sides of a right triangle.
3. SOH-CAH-TOA: This is an acronym to remember the trigonometric ratios in right triangles. 'SOH' stands for Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse, 'CAH' stands for Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse, and 'TOA' stands for Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent.
4. Area formulas: Be familiar with the formulas to find the area of basic shapes including squares, rectangles, triangles, and circles.
5. Volume formulas: Be ready to calculate the volume of three-dimensional shapes like cylinders, cubes, and spheres.
6. Laws of Exponents: These are crucial for simplifying algebraic expressions.
7. Slope-Intercept Form of a Line: This formula (y = mx + b) allows you to find the slope (m) and the y-intercept (b) of a line.
Keep in mind that knowing these formulas alone wouldn't be sufficient. It's equally important to practice applying them to different types of problems. The more you practice, the more comfortable you'll be in using these formulas on the actual test. Good luck with your prep!
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