PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis

2.1 Data Analysis

AVERAGE OR ARITHMETIC MEAN Media The average of four numbers is 15. If one of the numbers is 18,
what is the average of the remaining three numbers?
The average or arithmetic mean of a set of numbers can be calculated
at d 15 8tbtctd go
with the following formula:
15 1,8 17 btc btctd 60 18
ig.ws
()* ,- .)*/#$0
!"#$%&# =
# ,- .)*/#$0 5,1 atbtctd btgtd 432 14
16.66 16.7 at btctd 60
The weighted average is the average of two or more groups that do not Ms. Aguilar’s class, which has 20 students, scored an average
have the same number of elements. of 90 points on a test. Mr. Bowle’s class, which has 30 students,
scored an average of 80 points on the same test. What was the
301 TA 17 30 1830 19.40
111g combined average score, in points, for the two classes?
301 EP A 16
401 EF 19 17 0,3 16.013 190.4 17.5 9020580.30 84

20 y30
17,181194,1611511415

MEDIAN Mediana
The median of 1, 6, 8 and k is 5. What is the average of these
The median of a set of numbers is the value of the number located in four numbers?
the middle when the numbers are ordered increasingly or decreasingly.
3.5 6 5 1 8
When the number or values is odd, the median can be calculated using
K I 6 8 X Kt 446 14
the following formula: 4 6 10 4.75
# ,- .)*/#$0 + 1 8521 43 1 10 6
2#34%. 5#$* = 8 a
2 K
When the number of values is even, the median will be the average of
I 6
the two middle values. Divide the number of values by two to find the I 6 8 K X
first middle term. The second middle term will be the next consecutive 7
term. m3
1Odd 1,2030 4,5
11 Even 1 2.03.4.516 324 3.5
MODE If a set of numbers contains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 5, 4.
The mode of a set of numbers is the number that appears the most What is the mode of the set?
frequently. If all numbers occur equally, then the set does not have a I I
mode. 1.2.213 2 I
ii 2.2.3
11.2.2.313nomode 4
P
A set of numbers can have more than one mode and be multimodal. For
two modes, the set is called bimodal; for three modes, the set is called
trimodal.

DATA SPREAD Eh The range of a set of data is defined as the absolute difference

Data spread refers to how a set of data is distributed, focusing on how
far the values are from the mean or median. Outliers are values that are
much larger or smaller than the rest of the values in the set. They
generally affect the mean more than the median.
MM
between the least value and the greatest value in the set. If five
positive integers have an average of 10, what is the greatest
possible range of this set?

Measures of spread:
• Range: The difference between the highest and lowest values in a
data set.
• Standard deviation: The average distance of each element from the
mean. The more spread out the data is on a graph, the larger the
standard deviation.

ii.iiiiii.si
This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 5
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.1 Data Analysis
CORRELATION
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE CORRELATION
• Positive correlation: If one variable increases, the other variable has a tendency to also increase (direct variation).
• Negative correlation: If one variable increases, the other variable has a tendency to decrease (inverse variation).
• No correlation: If one variable increases, the other variable does not tend to either increase or decrease.

STRONG AND WEAK CORRELATION

• Strong correlation: If one variable increases or decreases, there is a higher chance of the second variable increasing or decreasing.
In a graph, the points tend to form a line at an angle.
• Weak correlation: If one variable increases or decreases, there is a lower chance of a relationship between the variables. In a
graph, the points tend to spread or form a very flat or vertical line.

DATA INFERENCE AND SURVEY INTERPRETATION

• Population parameter: A numerical value that describes a characteristic of a population (for example, the percentage of
registered voters who would vote for a certain candidate). We often do not know the value of this parameter, and
statistics are used to estimate it based on a sample from the population.
• Selection of a sample: In order for a sample to be representative, subjects must be selected at random, and a significant
part of the total population must be considered.
• Margins of error: The value of the margin of error is affected by the variability of the data (the larger the standard deviation,
the larger the margin of error; the smaller the standard deviation, the smaller the margin of error) and the sample size
(increasing the size of the random sample provides more information and typically reduces the margin of error). Also, the
margin of error applies to the estimated value of the population parameter only, but it does not inform the estimated value
for an individual.
• Generalization:

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 6
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.2 Rates and ratios
RATES A water pump for a dredging project can remove 180 gallons
Rate expresses a measure, quantity or frequency between two elements. of water per minute, but it can only work for 2.5 consecutive
The formula for rate is given by the units in a problem. For example, if hours, at which time it requires 20 minutes of maintenance
the unit used is kilograms per second: before it can be brought back online. While it is offline, a
smaller pump is used in its place, which can pump 80 gallons
&'()$* ,- ./0,1*"(2 per minute. Using this system, what is the least amount of time
!"#$ =
&'()$* ,- 2$3,452 it would take to pump 35,800 gallons of water?

Rates provide conversion factors that can be used to solve the problem.
For example, if the exercise states that a rocket burns fuel at a rate of 15
kilograms per second, two conversion factors can be identified:

!" $%&'()*+, ! ,-.'/0

! ,-.'/0
or !" $%&'()*+,

RATIOS Bronze is an alloy consisting of copper and tin. If 50 kg of a

A ratio is a mathematical relationship between two quantities bronze alloy of 20% tin and 80% copper is mixed with 70kg of
expressed as the quotient of those quantities. a bronze alloy of 5% tin and 95% copper, what fraction, by
weight, of the combined alloy is tin?
Ratios can be:
• Part-to-whole: They compare a part to the whole. For
example, the number of female students in a class compared
to the total number of students in the class. These can also be
expressed as percentages of the whole.
• Part-to-part: They compare one part to another part. For
example, the number of female students in a class compared At the Andromeda Book Store, the ratio of self-help titles to
to the number of male students in the class. fiction titles is 3:10, and the ratio of biography titles to fiction
titles is 2:7. What is the ratio of biography titles to self-help
Probabilities can also be expressed as ratios, where a subset of equally titles?
likely events is compared to a larger set of equally likely events.

UNIT CONVERSIONS Niko is 27 inches shorter than his father, who is 5 feet 10 inches
A conversion factor is a fraction in which the numerator and the tall. How tall is Niko? Express your answer in feet (1 foot = 12
denominator are equal. For example, 1 mile equals 1.609 kilometers: inches).

1 (/0$
6,47$*2/,4 -"3#,* (.( #, (/):
1.609 ./0,($#$*2

1.609 ./0,($#$*2
6,47$*2/,4 -"3#,* ((/ #, .():
1 (/0$ If a factory can manufacture b computer screens in n days at a
cost c dollars per screen, then which of the following
When using conversion factors, units must cancel properly to yield the represents the total cost, in dollars, of the computer screens
unit needed in each case. that can be manufactured, at that rate, in m days?
1.+
a. /
1+/
b. .
+.
c. 1/
1.
d. +/

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 7
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.3 Percentages and Proportions
PERCENTAGES
What percent of 150 is 93?
• TRANSLATING PERCENT PROBLEMS: Translation key for word
problems:
o “is” means equal ( = )
o “of” means multiplication ( * ) On the day it was issued, one share of a stock in Consolidated
o “what” means an unknown ( x ) Energy was priced at $50. If the share price increased by 120%
o “per” means division ( / ) in its first five years and by 150% in its next five years, what was
o “percent” means division by 100 ( /100) the share price, in dollars, after 10 years?
• COMMUTATIVE LAW OF PERCENTAGES: x% of y = y% of x. For
example, it is easier to calculate 25% of 80 than 80% of 25.
• CHANGING BY PERCENTAGES:
o To increase a number by a%, multiply by (100 + a)% or by
(1 + a%). If a population of bacteria increases from 80 cells to 220 cells,
o To decrease a number by a%, multiply by (100 – a)% or by what is the percent increase in this population?
(1 – a%).
• PERCENT CHANGE: To find a percent change, use the following
formula:
)*%$+ $-./%0 − 20$30*%& $-./%0
%"#$%&' = ∗ 566
20$30*%& $-./%0 How many liters of a 40% saline solution must be added to 4
liters of a 10% saline solution to make a 20% saline solution?

PROPORTIONS AND SCALING

! "&#
If a, b and c are real numbers such that = , which of the
"%# !
• PROPORTIONS:
following must also be true?
o A proportion is a statement that two ratios are equal.
$ " a. 9' + ;' − < ' = 0
= b. 9' − ;' − < ' = 0
7 8
o Law of cross-multiplication: In any proportion, the cross- c. 9' − ;' + < ' = 0
products must be equal. d. 9' + ;' + < ' = 0
! #
If " = $ , then $8 = 7"
o Law of cross-swapping: Cross-swapping can be done in any
proportion.
! # $ # ! "
If " = $ , then " = ! and # = $

• SCALING: Scaling represents the relationship between a On a scale blueprint, the drawing of a rectangular patio has
measurement on a model and the corresponding measurement dimensions 5 cm by 7.5 cm. If the longer side of the actual patio
on the actual object. measures 21 feet, what is the area, in square feet, of the actual
• RULE OF THREE: The Rule of Three is a Mathematical Rule that patio?
allows you solve problems using proportions. Knowing three
values and the relationship between them allows to calculate the
value of a fourth unknown value. For direct proportions, direct
Rule of Three is used. For inversed proportions, Inverse Rule of
Three is used.

DIRECT RULE OF THREE INVERSE RULE OF THREE

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 8
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.4 Probabilities
CONDITIONAL PROBABILITIES
A B C C Inc. Total
A conditional probability is the probability that something is true given Test 1 10 11 2 1 1 25
that something else is also true. Test 2 12 8 3 0 2 25
Test 3 7 12 6 0 0 25
Test 4 10 9 3 0 3 25
Solving conditional probability problems often require finding
Total 39 40 14 1 6 100
population fractions, where the numerator of the fraction is the
required population and the denominator of the fraction is the total The letter grades on four tests for Ms. Hartman’s 25 students
universe being considered. (including incomplete grades marked “Inc.”) are tabulated
above. Five students in the class received an A on both test 3
and test 4. If one of the students who received an A on either
test 3 or 4 is chosen at random, what is the probability that
he or she received an A on test 4?

If the incomplete grades are excluded from the statistics for

each test in the table above, for which of the tests was the
median grade higher than b?
a. None of the tests
b. Test 2 only
c. Tests 1 and 2 only
d. It cannot be determined from the given information.

ARRANGEMENTS
A cafeteria has a lunch special consisting of soup or salad; a
• ARRANGEMENTS: Arrangements are used to determine how many sandwich; coffee, tea, or a non-alcoholic beverage; and a
arrangements of something are possible. For items of different dessert. If the menu lists 2 soups, 3 salads, 6 sandwiches, and
categories, the number of options in each category are multiplied. 10 desserts, how many different lunches can one choose?
• FACTORIALS: The factorial of n is the number of ways in which the
n elements of a group can be ordered. It is expressed as n!, where
n! = 1 * 2 * … * (n – 2) * (n – 1) * n.

In how many ways can 4 letters be combined?

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 9
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.5 Tables and graphs
TABLES
! ! "!
Plot the graph for !(#) = #!"!.
Tables are useful when analyzing information that falls into non-
overlapping categories.

Tables can be useful for analyzing functions because they help to

plot graphs and identify important patterns. For any equation
expressing y in terms of x, a table of ordered pairs can be created.

VENN DIAGRAMS In a poll of 250 college students, 137 said that they attended at
Venn diagrams are useful when analyzing information that falls into least one athletic event in the past year, and 115 said that they
overlapping categories. attended at least one career services event in the past year. If
82 of these students attended both an athletic event and a
career services event in the past year, how many students
attended neither an athletic event nor a career services event
in the past year?

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 10
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.5 Tables and graphs
SCATTERPLOTS
Scatterplots are graphs of ordered pairs of data. They can show
relationships between variables that don’t vary in a highly predictable
way.
A line of best fit is a line that englobes these points optimally, showing
the basic relationship between the variables. To draw a line of best fit,
you must roughly estimate that there are the same number of points
above and below the line.
The scatterplot to the left shows 40 readings for particulate
matter (a pollutant) concentration, in micrograms per cubic
meter, in a metropolitan area over 9 years. Based on the line
of best fit shown as a solid line, which is closest to the average
yearly decrease in particulate matter concentration?
a. 0.32 mcg/m3 per year
b. 0.64 mcg/m3 per year
c. 3.2 mcg/m3 per year
d. 6.4 mcg/m3 per year

According to the line of best fit to the data to the left, which
of the following is closest to the percent decrease in average
particulate matter concentration for 2007 to 2012?
a. 9%
b. 18%
c. 36%
d. 60%

PIE GRAPHS
Maria is constructing a pie graph to represent the expenses
A pie chart is a circular statistical graph that is divided into slices to for her project. Here, expenses fall into three categories:
illustrate numerical proportion. marketing, design, and development. She knows that the
marketing expenses are $12,000 and the design expenses are
When analyzing graphs, the following formula is essential: $30,000, but the development expenses could range
&'() /.0(..1 34 )ℎ. 1.5),( anywhere from $30,000 to $48,000. Based on this
= information, which of the following could be the measure of
*ℎ,-. 360
the central angle of the sector representing marketing
expenses.
a. 45°
b. 54°
c. 62°
d. 65°

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 11
without the express written consent of its authors.
 PART II: Problem Solving and Data Analysis
2.5 Tables and graphs
OTHER GRAPHS

Bar graphs: They compare numeric values of any type and can be either horizontal or vertical. One axis represents the categories
being compared and the other axis represents the value of each category.

Histograms: They are a specific type of bar graph that illustrated the distribution of numeric data across categories.

Line graphs: They show how related data changes over a period of time.

Maps: They usually show a geographical area.

BOXPLOTS
A sample of 10 boxes of raisins has these weights in grams:
A boxplot is a standardized way of displaying the distribution of data
based on a five-number summary: 25, 28, 29, 29, 30, 34, 35, 35, 37, 38
• Minimum
• First quartile (Q1): The middle number between Make a box plot of the data.
the smallest number and the median.
• Median: The middle value of the data set. Note that
the median does not need to be in the middle of
the box.
• Third quartile (Q3): The middle number between
the largest number and the median.
• Maximum

To draw a boxplot, follow these steps:

• Order the data from smallest to largest.
• Find the median.
• Find the quartiles.
• Complete the five-number summary by finding the min and
max.

This document has been created for educational purposes only and meant to be used exclusively by
SCORE – Test Prep and College Counseling. This document may not be distributed or reproduced 12
without the express written consent of its authors.