Algebra Practice Test 2

  1. Simplify the expression \(\frac{4^{x}+2^{2x}}{2^{x}}\)
  1. \(6\)
  2. \(2+2^{x}\)
  3. \(2 \times 2^{x}\)
  4. \(2^{x}+1\)
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The correct answer is C!

First, rewrite \(4^{x}\) using base \(2\): \(4^{x} = (2^{2})^{x} = 2^{2x}\). So the numerator becomes:

\(4^{x} + 2^{2x} = 2^{2x} + 2^{2x} = 2 \cdot 2^{2x} = 2^{2x+1}\)

Now divide by \(2^{x}\):

\(\dfrac{2^{2x+1}}{2^{x}} = 2^{2x+1 – x} = 2^{x+1} = 2 \cdot 2^{x}\)

So the simplified expression is \(2 \cdot 2^{x}\).

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  1. Simplify the expression \(\frac{2x^{2}-5x-12}{2x^{2}-4x-16}\)
  1. \(\frac{x-6}{2(x-2)}\)
  2. \(\frac{x-6}{2(x+2)}\)
  3. \(\frac{2x+3}{2(x-2)}\)
  4. \(\frac{2x+3}{2(x+2)}\)
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The correct answer is A!

Begin by factoring the numerator and denominator. The numerator factors as:

\(2x^{2} – 5x – 12 = (2x + 3)(x – 4)\)

The denominator factors as:

\(2x^{2} – 4x – 16 = 2(x^{2} – 2x – 8) = 2(x – 4)(x + 2)\)

So the fraction becomes:

\(\dfrac{2x^{2} – 5x – 12}{2x^{2} – 4x – 16}\) \(= \dfrac{(2x + 3)(x – 4)}{2(x – 4)(x + 2)}\)

Cancel \((x – 4)\) (for \(x \neq 4\)) to get:

\(\dfrac{2x + 3}{2(x + 2)}\)

Thus the simplified expression is \(\frac{2x + 3}{2(x + 2)}\)

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  1. Suppose that the function \(f(x)\) is a quadratic function with roots at \(x = 2 – 3i\) and \(x = 2 + 3i\). Find \(f(x)\)
  1. \(f(x) = x^{2} – 4x – 5\)
  2. \(f(x) = x^{2} – 4x + 13\)
  3. \(f(x) = x^{2} – 6ix – 5\)
  4. \(f(x) = x^{2} – 6ix + 13\)
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The correct answer is B!

To find \(f(x)\), note that for roots \(r_1\) and \(r_2\), a quadratic is proportional to \((x – r_1)(x – r_2)\). Here, \(r_1 = 2 – 3i\) and \(r_2 = 2 + 3i\), so:

\(f(x) = (x – (2 – 3i))(x – (2 + 3i))\) \(= (x – 2 + 3i)(x – 2 – 3i)\) \(= (x – 2)^2 – (3i)^2\) \(= x^2 – 4x + 4 + 9\) \(= x^2 – 4x + 13.\)

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  1. Solve the inequality below for \(x\).
\(4x^{3} + 10x^{2} – 24x \lt 0\)
  1. \(x \lt -4\)
  2. \(x = -4\)
  3. \(x = 0\)
  4. \(x \gt \frac{3}{2}\)
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The correct answer is A!

First, factor:

\(4x^{3} + 10x^{2} – 24x = 2x\,(2x^{2} + 5x – 12)\) \(= 2x\,(2x – 3)\,(x + 4).\)

The critical values are \(x = -4,\,0,\,\tfrac{3}{2}\). Testing intervals in \(4x^{3} + 10x^{2} – 24x \lt 0\) shows it is negative only when \(x \lt -4\).

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  1. A baseball is thrown up in the air from an initial height of 6 feet. Its height above the ground (in feet) \(t\) seconds after being thrown is given by the function \(h(t) = -16t^{2} + 46t + 6\). How long will it take (in seconds) for the baseball to hit the ground?
  1. 2 seconds
  2. \(\frac{5}{2}\) seconds
  3. 3 seconds
  4. 4 seconds
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The correct answer is C!

First, we can set \(h(t)=0\):

\(-16t^{2} + 46t + 6 = 0\)

By the quadratic formula:

\(t = \frac{-46 \pm \sqrt{46^{2} – 4(-16)(6)}}{2(-16)}\) \(= \frac{-46 \pm \sqrt{2116 + 384}}{-32}\) \(= \frac{-46 \pm 50}{-32}.\)

This gives \(t = 3\) seconds.

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  1. Solve the equation below for \(x\).
\(\log_{2}\bigl(8x – x^{2}\bigr) = 4\)
  1. \(x = -8\)
  2. \(x = 0\)
  3. \(x = 4\)
  4. \(x = 8\)
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The correct answer is C!

Rewrite the log equation:

\(\log_{2}(8x – x^{2}) = 4 \;\Longrightarrow\; 8x – x^{2} = 2^{4} = 16\)

So \(x^{2} – 8x + 16 = 0\), giving \((x – 4)^{2} = 0\) and \(x = 4\).

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  1. Calculate the average rate of change of \(f\) between \(x = 1\) and \(x = 4\).
\(f(x) = x^{3} + 3x + 1\)
  1. 6
  2. \(\frac{20}{3}\)
  3. 24
  4. 72
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The correct answer is C!

The average rate of change is as follows:

\(\frac{f(4)-f(1)}{4-1}\) \(= \frac{(4^{3}+3\cdot4+1) – (1^{3}+3\cdot1+1)}{3}\) \(= \frac{77 – 5}{3} = 24\)

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  1. Simplify the expression \(\frac{x^{3} – 3x^{2} + 2x – 6}{x^{2} – 9}\).
  1. 1
  2. \(\frac{x – 3}{x + 3}\)
  3. \(\frac{x^{2} + 2}{x – 3}\)
  4. \(\frac{x^{2} + 2}{x + 3}\)
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The correct answer is D!

Factor numerator and denominator:

\(x^{3} – 3x^{2} + 2x – 6\) \(= (x^{2} + 2)(x – 3)\)

\(\quad x^{2} – 9 = (x – 3)(x + 3)\)

Cancel \((x – 3)\) to get \(\frac{x^{2} + 2}{x + 3}\).

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  1. Suppose that angle \(\pi\) is in Quadrant I and \(\cos \pi = \tfrac{12}{13}\). Find \(\tan \pi\).
  1. \(\tan \pi = \tfrac{1}{13}\)
  2. \(\tan \pi = 13\)
  3. \(\tan \pi = \tfrac{5}{12}\)
  4. \(\tan \pi = \tfrac{12}{5}\)
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The correct answer is C!

Given \(\cos \pi = \tfrac{12}{13}\), in Quadrant I:

\(\sin \pi = \sqrt{1 – \cos^{2}\pi}\) \(= \sqrt{1 – \bigl(\tfrac{12}{13}\bigr)^{2}}\) \(= \tfrac{5}{13}\)

So \(\tan \pi = \frac{\sin \pi}{\cos \pi}\) \(= \tfrac{5}{12}.\)

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  1. Which expression is equivalent to \(6\sqrt{x} + 10x\pi\) ?
  1. \(2\bigl(3x^{-1} + 5x\bigr)\)
  2. \(2\bigl(3x^{\tfrac12} + 5x\bigr)\)
  3. \(2x\bigl(3x^{-1} + 5\bigr)\)
  4. \(2x\bigl(3x^{\tfrac12} + 5\bigr)\)
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The correct answer is B!

Factor out 2:

\(6\sqrt{x} + 10x = 2\bigl(3\sqrt{x} + 5x\bigr)\)

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