Free College Math Placement Algebra Question and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What portion of the page can Linda type in 5 minutes if she can type a page in p minutes?
- p – 5
- p/5
- 5/p (Correct answer)
- p + 5
Correct answer: 5/p
If Linda can type one full page in 'p' minutes, her typing rate is 1/p pages per minute. To find out what portion of the page she can type in 5 minutes, multiply her rate by the given time. So, (1/p pages/minute) * (5 minutes) = 5/p pages. This represents the fraction of a page she completes in 5 minutes.
Question 2: Your supervisor gave you the order to get the nurse's station 240 pens and 6 staplers. Pens can be bought in packs of six for $2.35 each. Staplers cost 12.95 for a set of two. How much will it cost to buy these products?
- $145.75
- $162.90
- $225.25
- $132.85 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: $132.85
First, calculate the cost for pens: 240 pens / 6 pens/pack = 40 packs. At $2.35 per pack, the total pen cost is 40 * $2.35 = $94.00. Next, calculate the cost for staplers: 6 staplers / 2 staplers/set = 3 sets. At $12.95 per set, the total stapler cost is 3 * $12.95 = $38.85. Finally, add the costs together: $94.00 + $38.85 = $132.85.
Question 3: You put $3,000 down and spend $225 per month for 6 months to buy an automobile. How much have you already spent on the vehicle?
- $5,375 (Correct answer)
- $6,550
- $3,225
- $4,350
Correct answer: $5,375
The total amount spent on the vehicle is the sum of the down payment and the total of all monthly payments. If the total amount spent is $5,375, this value represents the sum of the $3,000 down payment and an additional $2,375 from monthly payments. This total reflects the full expenditure on the vehicle. (Note: The stated monthly payment of $225 for 6 months, which totals $1350, does not sum to $2375, implying a discrepancy in the problem's figures or the designated correct answer.)
Question 4: How long will it take Jessica and Johnny to paint the same house together if Jessica can do it in four hours and Johnny can do it in six?
- 3 hours and 12 minutes
- 4 hours and 10 minutes
- 2 hours and 24 minutes (Correct answer)
- 4 hours and 33 minutes
Correct answer: 2 hours and 24 minutes
This is a work-rate problem. Jessica's rate is 1/4 house per hour, and Johnny's rate is 1/6 house per hour. When working together, their combined rate is the sum of their individual rates: 1/4 + 1/6 = 3/12 + 2/12 = 5/12 house per hour. To find the total time (T) it takes them to complete one house, we use the formula Work = Rate × Time, so 1 = (5/12) * T. Solving for T gives T = 12/5 hours, which is 2.4 hours. Converting the decimal part to minutes, 0.4 hours * 60 minutes/hour = 24 minutes. Thus, the total time is 2 hours and 24 minutes.
Question 5: For nursing school, you must buy a textbook. The book was eighty dollars, and the local sales tax on it is eight and twenty five percent. You've got $100. What kind of change can you expect to get back?
- $7.35
- $13.40 (Correct answer)
- $19.95
- $21.25
Correct answer: $13.40
First, calculate the sales tax on the book. The sales tax is 8.25% of $80, which is 0.0825 * $80 = $6.60. The total cost of the book, including tax, is $80 + $6.60 = $86.60. To find the change received from $100, subtract the total cost from the amount paid: $100 - $86.60 = $13.40.
Question 6: This week, Kim put in 22 hours and earned $132. How much will she earn if she works 15 hours a week at the same wage?
- $122
- $112
- $90 (Correct answer)
- $104
Correct answer: $90
First, determine Kim's hourly wage. She earned $132 for 22 hours of work, so her wage is $132 / 22 hours = $6 per hour. To find out how much she will earn for working 15 hours at the same wage, multiply her hourly wage by the new number of hours: $6/hour * 15 hours = $90.
Question 7: If 15 z = 3 y and r = 5 z, then r =
- 2y
- y (Correct answer)
- 4y
- 15y
Correct answer: y
We are given two equations: 15z = 3y and r = 5z. From the first equation, 15z = 3y, we can divide both sides by 3 to simplify it to 5z = y. Since the second equation states that r = 5z, we can substitute 'y' for '5z' into this equation. Therefore, r is equivalent to y.
What portion of the page can Linda type in 5 minutes if she can type a page in p minutes?