As if algebra wasn't demanding enough, some questions on the Mathematics Knowledge subtest on the ASVAB will also throw in an inequality—just to make sure you're paying attention.
How do you spot an inequality? Keep an eye out for questions with greater-than or less-than symbols, or with graphs that show a number line with an arrow.
Practice questions
- Given
solve for x.
- Three-fifths of a number is less than five less than the same number. Choose the graph that represents this expression.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answers and explanations
- The correct answer is Choice (D).
Solve each inequality separately. Here's the first one:
And here's the second:
Therefore, x < 3 and x < 7. Combine the ranges to arrive at the answer, which is x < 3.
- The correct answer is Choice (C).
Don't get mixed up on the two instances of "less than" in this word problem. Create an inequality that looks like this, letting x represent the number you don't know, and then solve. Don't forget to reverse the inequality sign whenever you multiply or divide both sides by a negative number.
Your graph will look like this:
