PSAT Math : Completing Incomplete Tables

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Completing Incomplete Tables

A teacher at a high school conducted a survey of freshman and found that \(\displaystyle 93\) students had a curfew and \(\displaystyle 51\) of those students were also honor roll students. There were \(\displaystyle 17\) students that did not have a curfew, but were on the honor roll. Last, they found that \(\displaystyle 21\) students did not have a curfew nor were on the honor roll. Given this information, how many students were not on the honor roll? 

 

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 72\)

\(\displaystyle 76\)

\(\displaystyle 21\)

\(\displaystyle 38\)

\(\displaystyle 63\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 63\)

Explanation:

To help answer this question, we can construct a two-way table and fill in our known quantities from the question.

The columns of the table will represent the students who have a curfew or do not have a curfew and the rows will contain the students who are on honor roll  or are not on honor roll. The first bit of information that we were given from the question was that \(\displaystyle 93\) students had a curfew; therefore, \(\displaystyle 93\) needs to go in the "curfew" column as the row total. Next, we were told that of those students, \(\displaystyle 51\) were on honor roll; therefore, we need to put \(\displaystyle 51\) in the "curfew" column and in the "honor roll" row. Then, we were told that \(\displaystyle 17\) students do not have a curfew, but were on honor roll, so we need to put \(\displaystyle 17\) in the "no curfew" column and the "honor roll" row. Finally, we were told that \(\displaystyle 21\) students do not have a curfew or were on honor roll, so \(\displaystyle 21\) needs to go in the "no curfew" column and "no honor roll" row. If done correctly, you should create a table similar to the following: 

Screen shot 2016 03 25 at 11.37.50 am

 

Our question asked how many students were not on honor roll. We add up the numbers in the "no honor roll" row to get the total, but first we need to fill in a gap in our table, students who have a curfew, but were not on honor roll. We can take the total number of students that have a curfew, \(\displaystyle 93\), and subtract the number of students who are on honor roll, \(\displaystyle 51\textup:\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{\begin{array}[b]{r}93\\ -\ 51\end{array}}{ \ \ \ \space 42}\)

This means that \(\displaystyle 42\) students who have a curfew, aren't on honor roll. 

Now, we add up the numbers in the "no honor roll" row to get the total:

\(\displaystyle \frac{\begin{array}[b]{r}42\\ +\ 21\end{array}}{ \ \ \ \space 63}\)

This means that \(\displaystyle 63\) students were not on honor roll. 

Example Question #52 : Statistics & Probability

A middle school teacher conducted a survey of the \(\displaystyle 8^{th}\) grade class and found that \(\displaystyle 43\) students were athletes and \(\displaystyle 19\) of those students drink soda. There were \(\displaystyle 33\) students that were not athletes, but drank soda. Last, they found that \(\displaystyle 22\) students were neither athletes nor drank soda. Given this information, how many students don't drink soda? 

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 24\)

\(\displaystyle 46\)

\(\displaystyle 33\)

\(\displaystyle 43\)

\(\displaystyle 22\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 46\)

Explanation:

To help answer this question, we can construct a two-way table and fill in our known quantities from the question.

The columns of the table will represent the students who are athletes or are not athletes and the rows will contain the students who drink soda or do not drink soda. The first bit of information that we were given from the question was that \(\displaystyle 43\) students were athletes; therefore, \(\displaystyle 43\) needs to go in the "athlete" column as the row total. Next, we were told that of those students, \(\displaystyle 19\) drinks soda; therefore, we need to put \(\displaystyle 19\) in the "athlete" column and in the "drinks soda" row. Then, we were told that \(\displaystyle 33\) students were not athletes, but drink soda, so we need to put \(\displaystyle 33\) in the "not an athlete" column and the "drinks soda" row. Finally, we were told that \(\displaystyle 22\) students are not athletes or soda drinkers, so \(\displaystyle 22\) needs to go in the "not an athlete" column and "doesn't drink soda" row. If done correctly, you should create a table similar to the following: 

Screen shot 2016 03 25 at 2.05.31 pm

 

Our question asked how many students don't drink soda. We add up the numbers in the "doesn't drink soda" row to get the total, but first we need to fill in a gap in our table, students who were athletes, but don't drink soda. We can take the total number of students who are athletes, \(\displaystyle 43\), and subtract the number of students who drink soda, \(\displaystyle 19\textup:\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{\begin{array}[b]{r}43\\ -\ 19\end{array}}{ \ \ \ \space 24}\)

This means that \(\displaystyle 24\) students who are athletes, don't drink soda.  

Now, we add up the numbers in the "doesn't drink soda" row to get the total:

\(\displaystyle \frac{\begin{array}[b]{r}24\\ +\ 22\end{array}}{ \ \ \ \space 46}\)

This means that \(\displaystyle 46\) students don't drink soda. 

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