Ch 23: SAT Math: Numbers and Operations
About This Chapter
SAT Math: Numbers and Operations
You'll find questions related to many numbers and operations concepts on your SAT. Our video lessons help you review for the following topic areas:
- Working with whole numbers
- Solving word problems
- Reading number lines
- Using fractions
- Working with radicals
- Finding prime factorizations
- Working with decimals and scientific notation
- Finding the greatest common factor
- Working with proportions and ratios
- Defining and using mathematical and arithmetic sequences
- Using percents
- Finding least common multiples
- Calculating an arithmetic series
- Understanding mathematical sets: elements, unions and intersections
- Using logic and critical thinking in math
Work your way through the short, video lessons. Then take the quizzes for self-assessment. Go back and revisit any necessary topics. You'll know when you're ready for your SAT.
SAT Math Objectives
You'll complete 58 questions in the math section of the SAT. The following topics appear on the SAT and address numbers and operations concepts:
- Rational numbers
- Sets (elements, intersections and unions)
- Word problems (including ratio, percent and proportion)
- Techniques for counting
- Integer properties (including odd, even, prime and divisibility)
- Elementary number theory
- Series and sequences
Your review with our engaging video lessons will help you master the topics listed above. These topics compose 20% to 25% of the SAT math test. Make sure that you complete the quick quizzes to find out any areas that might need more attention.
You won't need to memorize formulas for the test, because your booklet contains those necessary for problem completion. You may want to use a calculator on some of the questions. Check the SAT student site for the details about approved models.
Your math score will range on a scale from 200-800. If you earn around a 500, you'll know that you've scored around the national average.

1. Radicands and Radical Expressions
It's easy to see that funky radical symbol and panic just a little bit. There are so many rules that go along with it, it's hard to keep up with them all. This lesson will help by describing what you should do when you are faced with a square root.

2. Roots and Powers of Algebraic Expressions
In this lesson, you'll learn about some common mistakes that students make when working with roots and powers of algebraic expressions on the SAT and how to make sure you don't fall into the same trap.

3. Simplifying Square Roots of Powers in Radical Expressions
Simplifying radical expressions that contain powers can be tricky. There are a few simple rules that will help you perform these simplifications with ease. This lesson will teach you how.

4. Simplify Square Roots of Quotients
The quotient rule can be used to simplify square roots of quotients. This lesson will define the quotient rule and show you how it is used to simplify square roots.

5. Solving Radical Equations: Steps and Examples
Solving radical equations is not any more difficult than solving other algebraic equations. This lesson will show you how to solve equations containing a square root and give some real-world examples.

6. Scientific Notation: Definition and Examples
Scientific notation is a special way of writing numbers so they are easier to work with. This lesson will define scientific notations and show some examples of how to convert numbers from standard notation to scientific notation and back.

7. How to Find the Greatest Common Factor
If the factors of a number are the different numbers that you can multiply together to get that original number, then the greatest common factor of two numbers is just the biggest one that both have in common. See some examples of what I'm talking about here!

8. How to Find the Prime Factorization of a Number
The prime factorization of a number involves breaking that number down to its smallest parts. This lesson will show you two different ways to discover the prime factorization of any number.

9. How to Find the Least Common Multiple
The least common multiple of two numbers is the smallest number that can be divided evenly by your two original numbers. See some examples of what I'm talking about here!

10. Percents: Definition, Application & Examples
Maybe you know that 95% is an A and 75% is a C. But what do those percents really mean? In this lesson, we'll learn about percents, including how to convert them to fractions and decimals.

11. Solve Problems Using Percents
Percents are your friend. Think of all the cool things percents do for you. They save you money, and they tell you how well you are doing in school. Learn how you can solve problems with percents in this video lesson.

12. How to Add, Subtract and Multiply Complex Numbers
Knowing that complex numbers exist is the first step. But that knowledge alone won't help you do much with them. Learn the basics of complex number addition, subtraction and multiplication here!

13. How to Divide Complex Numbers
While adding, subtracting and multiplying complex numbers is pretty straightforward, dividing them can be pretty tricky. It comes down to the process of multiplying by the complex conjugate. Learn about what that is, and how to do it, here.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the SAT Prep: Practice & Study Guide course
- SAT: About the Test
- SAT Writing: About the Writing Section
- SAT Writing: Text & Argument Analysis
- SAT Writing: Word Choice & Expression
- SAT Writing: Standard English Grammar
- SAT Writing: Writing & Language Test Practice
- SAT Writing: The Essay Portion
- SAT Writing: Planning and Writing Your Essay
- SAT Writing: Parts of an Essay
- SAT Writing: Sentence Clarity and Structure
- SAT Writing: Essay Writing Skills
- SAT Writing: How to Write An Argument
- SAT Writing: Supporting Your Writing
- SAT Writing: Revising Your Writing
- SAT Reading: About the Reading Section
- SAT Reading: Reading Passages
- SAT Reading: Understanding Reading Passages
- SAT Reading: Interpreting & Analyzing Text
- SAT Reading: Literary Terms
- SAT Reading: US Documents & Speeches
- SAT Vocabulary Practice
- SAT Math: About the Math Section
- SAT Math: Exponents
- SAT Math: Equations and Expressions
- SAT Math: Rational Equations and Expressions
- SAT Math: Inequalities
- SAT Math: Functions
- SAT Math: Quadratic Equations
- SAT Math: Ratios, Rates & Proportional Relationships
- SAT Math: Unit Rate & Measurement Conversions
- SAT Math: Geometry and Measurement
- SAT Math: Triangles & Trigonometric Ratios
- SAT Math: Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability
- SAT Flashcards