Identifying Relevant Information - SSAT Upper Level Quantitative

1. Identify the relevant quantities: "A recipe uses $\frac{3}{4}$ cup sugar per batch. How much for $6$ batches?"

   Use $\frac{3}{4}$ and $6$. Total sugar scales the per-batch amount by the number of batches via multiplication.

2. Identify the relevant information: "A triangle has base $10$ and height $6$. Its perimeter is $24$. What is its area?"

   Use base $10$ and height $6$; ignore $24$. Area uses half the product of base and height, while perimeter does not factor into this formula.

3. Which information is relevant for area of a rectangle: length $9$, width $5$, and diagonal $\,\sqrt{106}$?

   Length $9$ and width $5$ only. Area formula requires only length and width; diagonal is unnecessary for this computation.

4. Identify the relevant percent information: "A price increases from $80$ to $100$. Find percent increase."

   Use original $80$ and change $100-80$. Percent increase divides the difference by the original price, using these specific values.

5. What does "no more than $x$" mean when deciding relevant inequality information?

   It means $\le x$. This phrase sets an upper bound, including $x$ and all lesser values in inequalities.

6. Which quantities are relevant: "The mean of $5$ numbers is $12$. What is their sum?"

   Use mean $12$ and count $5$. The sum is the product of the mean and the number of values, focusing on these quantities.

7. Identify the relevant inequality: "A number is at most $20$." Which symbol is relevant?

   $\le$. 'At most' implies the value is less than or equal to 20, selecting the appropriate inequality symbol.

8. What is the first step for identifying relevant information in a word problem?

   Identify the question being asked (the target unknown). Determining the specific unknown guides the selection of pertinent data and operations required to solve the problem.

9. Identify the relevant quantities: "A tank holds $50$ L and currently has $18$ L. How many liters to fill?"

   Use $50$ and $18$. Filling the tank involves subtracting the current amount from the capacity to find the needed volume.

10. Identify the relevant information: "You buy $3$ notebooks at $2$ dollars each and a pen for $5$. What is notebook cost?"

    Use $3$ and $2$; ignore $5$. Total notebook cost is the product of quantity and price per notebook, excluding the pen's cost.

11. Which words usually signal multiplication in a word problem?

    Words like "each," "per," "times," and "product.". These terms imply repeated addition or scaling of quantities to compute a product.

12. Identify the relevant inequality: "A number is greater than $-3$." Which symbol is relevant?

    $>$. 'Greater than' excludes the value itself, requiring the strict inequality symbol.

13. Identify the relevant quantities: "A box has $12$ red and $8$ blue marbles. How many marbles total?"

    Use $12$ and $8$. The total requires adding the quantities of red and blue marbles, as they are the components of the whole.

14. Identify the needed formula information: "Find the average of $7$, $9$, and $14$." What must you use?

    Use the sum and divide by the count $3$. The average formula involves summing the values and dividing by their quantity.

15. Identify the extraneous number: "A rectangle has length $10$ and width $4$. Its perimeter is $28$. What is its area?"

    $28$ is extraneous. Area uses length times width, while perimeter is irrelevant for this calculation.

16. What does "at least $x$" mean when deciding relevant inequality information?

    It means $\ge x$. This phrase establishes a lower bound, including $x$ and all greater values in inequalities.

17. Which words usually signal that you must subtract quantities in a word problem?

    Words like "difference," "less," "remain," and "decrease.". These terms suggest removing one quantity from another to determine the resulting difference.

18. Identify the relevant rate information: "A car travels $120$ miles in $3$ hours. What is the speed?"

    Use $120$ miles and $3$ hours. Speed is calculated by dividing distance by time, making these the essential values for the rate.

19. Which words usually signal that you must add quantities in a word problem?

    Words like "total," "sum," "combined," and "in all.". These terms indicate the need to combine quantities to find an overall amount in the context of the problem.

20. Identify the relevant information: "A class has $18$ boys and $12$ girls. $5$ students are absent. How many students in class?"

    Use $18$ and $12$; ignore $5$. Total students is the sum of boys and girls, independent of absences for class size.

21. Which words usually signal division in a word problem?

    Words like "per," "rate," "quotient," and "shared equally.". These terms indicate partitioning a total into equal parts or finding a rate.

22. Identify the relevant information: "A shirt costs $20$ plus $6$ tax. You pay with $50$. What is the change?"

    Use $20$, $6$, and $50$. Change is found by adding cost and tax, then subtracting from payment, requiring all three values.

23. What does the word "of" usually indicate in expressions such as "$\frac{1}{3}$ of $x$"?

    Multiplication. The word 'of' in fractional contexts represents multiplying the fraction by the variable or quantity.

24. Identify the extraneous number: "A book has $300$ pages. You read $45$ pages Monday and $30$ Tuesday. What is $45+30$?"

    $300$ is extraneous. The total pages read is simply the sum asked, unrelated to the book's total pages.

25. What should you do with numbers or facts that do not affect the question asked?

    Treat them as extraneous and ignore them. Extraneous details can distract from the core problem, so focusing only on essential information improves efficiency and accuracy.

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