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Essential SAT Math Formulas to Memorize?

I'm currently prepping for the SAT and, as we all know, the math section requires knowledge of some formulas. What are the most important formulas that I should definitely have memorized before test day? Any advice would be great, thanks!

5 months ago

While the SAT provides some formulas on the reference sheet during the test, it's a good idea to have the most essential formulas memorized for quick recall. Here are some important ones you should focus on:

1. Slope-intercept form: y = mx + b, where m represents the slope and b represents the y-intercept of a line.

2. Point-slope form: y - y1 = m(x - x1), where m represents the slope and (x1, y1) is a point on the line.

3. Average: (Sum of terms) / (Number of terms).

4. Distance Formula: √((x2 - x1)^2 + (y2 - y1)^2), the distance between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) in the coordinate plane.

5. Midpoint Formula: ((x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2), to find the midpoint between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2).

6. Pythagorean Theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2, for right triangles with legs of length a and b, and hypotenuse of length c.

7. Special right triangles: For a 45-45-90 triangle, the legs are equal in length (let's call it x) and the hypotenuse is x√2. For a 30-60-90 triangle, the shortest leg is x, the hypotenuse is 2x, and the longer leg is x√3.

8. Quadratic Formula: x = (-b ± √(b^2 - 4ac)) / (2a), to find the solutions for a quadratic equation in the form of ax^2 + bx + c = 0.

9. Circle formula: (x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2, where (h, k) is the center of the circle and r is the radius.

10. Area formulas:

- Rectangle: A = lw (length x width)

- Triangle: A = (1/2)bh (base x height)

- Circle: A = πr^2 (π times the radius squared)

These formulas will come in handy as you solve various math problems on the SAT. Don't just memorize them, but also practice using them in different types of problems to familiarize yourself with their applications. Good luck with your SAT prep!

5 months ago

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