“Congruent & Similarity” Explained Congruent vs. Similar Shapes — What’s the Difference? Both terms describe how shapes relate to one another, but they have distinct definitions. It comes down to size and shape: congruent shapes are identical in every way, while similar shapes share the same shape and angles but differ in size. 📐 Seeing congruence & similarity on… Continue reading “Congruence & Similarity” Explained
Number theory is the branch of mathematics that studies the properties and relationships of integers — whole numbers and their negatives. Core number theory topics include prime numbers (integers with exactly two factors: 1 and themselves), divisibility rules (shortcuts to determine if one integer divides another evenly), greatest common factor (GCF), and least common multiple (LCM). These concepts appear in Florida’s MAFS… Continue reading “Basic Number Theory” Explained
A circle is a closed curve where every point is the same distance from the center. That distance is the radius (r); twice the radius is the diameter (d = 2r). The area of a circle is A = πr² and the circumference is C = 2πr. Circles appear throughout Florida geometry standards (MAFS.912.G-C) and account for 5–8 questions on the SAT Math section — the… Continue reading “Circles” Explained
A box plot (also called a box-and-whisker plot) is a graph that displays the distribution of a data set using five values: the minimum, Q1 (first quartile), median (Q2), Q3 (third quartile), and maximum. The box spans from Q1 to Q3, and the line inside the box marks the median. The IQR = Q3 − Q1 measures the spread of the middle 50% of the data.… Continue reading “Box Plot” Explained
Solving equations means finding the value of a variable that makes the equation true, using inverse operations to isolate the variable on one side. The four steps for solving equations are: (1) Distribute — expand any parentheses; (2) Combine like terms on each side; (3) Move variable terms to one side using addition or subtraction; (4) Isolate the variable using multiplication or division. Solving linear equations… Continue reading “Solving” Explained
Area in math is the measure of the space enclosed inside a 2D shape, expressed in square units (cm², m², in²). The most common area formulas are: Rectangle — A = l × w; Triangle — A = ½ × b × h; Circle — A = πr²; Square — A = s²; Trapezoid — A = ½(b₁ + b₂) × h; Parallelogram — A = b × h. Area… Continue reading “Area” Explained
An arc in math is a portion of a circle’s circumference between two points. Every arc has two measurements: arc measure — the central angle in degrees (arc measure = central angle°); and arc length — the actual distance along the curve: arc length = (central angle° ÷ 360°) × 2πr, where r is the radius. Arcs appear in SAT Math circle… Continue reading “Arc” Explained
In geometry, the altitude of a triangle is a perpendicular segment drawn from a vertex to the line containing the opposite side (called the base). The altitude represents the triangle’s height (h) and is used in the area formula: Area = ½ × base × height. Every triangle has three altitudes, one from each vertex. In a right triangle, two… Continue reading “Altitude” Explained
The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero on a number line — always zero or positive, never negative. Written as |x|, it equals x when x is positive and −x when x is negative. To solve an absolute value equation like |x| = 5, set up two cases: x = 5 and x = −5. Absolute… Continue reading “Absolute Value” Explained
In high school math, a ratio is a comparison of two quantities using division, written as a:b, a/b, or “a to b.” Ratios can compare parts to parts (3:5) or parts to a whole (3:8). To simplify a ratio, divide both terms by their greatest common factor. Ratios and proportions — two equal ratios — appear on the SAT Math section… Continue reading “Ratios” Explained
