Bluebook SAT Test SAT Word Problems Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A car travels from City A to City B at 60 mph and returns at 40 mph. What is the average speed, in mph, for the entire round trip?
- 48 (Correct answer)
- 50
- 52
- 54
Correct answer: 48
Average speed = 2(60)(40)/(60 + 40) = 4800/100 = 48 mph using the harmonic mean for equal distances.
Question 2: A tank is 3/4 full. After 24 gallons are removed, it is 1/2 full. What is the total capacity of the tank in gallons?
- 72
- 80
- 96 (Correct answer)
- 108
Correct answer: 96
(3/4)C − 24 = (1/2)C → (1/4)C = 24 → C = 96 gallons.
Question 3: A salesperson earns a base salary of $2,000 per month plus 5% commission on all sales. If she earned $3,500 last month, what were her total sales?
- $28,000
- $30,000 (Correct answer)
- $32,000
- $35,000
Correct answer: $30,000
Commission = $3,500 − $2,000 = $1,500. Sales = $1,500 / 0.05 = $30,000.
Question 4: The ratio of boys to girls in a class is 3:5. If there are 40 students total, how many more girls than boys are in the class?
- 8
- 10 (Correct answer)
- 12
- 15
Correct answer: 10
Boys = (3/8)(40) = 15; Girls = (5/8)(40) = 25. Difference = 25 − 15 = 10.
Question 5: A rectangular garden has a perimeter of 56 meters. The length is 4 meters more than the width. What is the area of the garden in square meters?
- 168
- 176
- 180
- 192 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 192
l + w = 28 and l = w + 4 → w = 12, l = 16. Area = 12 × 16 = 192 sq meters.
Question 6: A store bought 200 items at $5 each. It sold 160 at $9 each and the remaining 40 at a 50% discount off $9. What was the store's total profit?
- $540
- $580
- $620 (Correct answer)
- $660
Correct answer: $620
Cost = $1,000. Revenue = 160×$9 + 40×$4.50 = $1,440 + $180 = $1,620. Profit = $1,620 − $1,000 = $620.
Question 7: Three friends split a restaurant bill. Alice pays twice as much as Bob, and Carol pays $5 more than Bob. If the total bill is $65, how much does Alice pay?
- $20
- $24
- $25
- $30 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $30
Bob = b; Alice = 2b; Carol = b + 5. Total: 4b + 5 = 65 → b = 15. Alice = $30.
Bluebook SAT Test SAT Word Problems Practice 3
A car travels from City A to City B at 60 mph and returns at 40 mph.
What is the average speed, in mph, for the entire round trip?