500 New SAT Math Problems
Just 19.99 on Amazon

Hi everyone! The latest edition of 500 New SAT Math Problems is now available in paperback from Amazon. This edition just has been modified from the previous edition to account for the changes on the Digital SAT.

The paperback is now on sale on Amazon for only $19.99. Note that once the sale ends (by the end of today), the price of this book will go up to $42.99. 

The promotion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated. The book is now available at its regular price here: 500 New SAT Math Problems

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at steve@SATPrepGet800.com 

Thank you all for your continued support!

A Trick For Free Two Day Shipping

I would like to finish this post with a little trick you can use to get free 2 day shipping on any of the books you decide to purchase without making any additional purchases. If you have never used Amazon Prime you can sign up for a free month using the following link.

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you have already had a free trial of Amazon Prime you can simply open up a new Amazon account to get a new free trial. It just takes a few minutes! You will need to use a different email address than the one you usually use.

This next part is very important! After you finish your transaction, go to your Account, select “Manage my prime membership,” and turn off the recurring billing. This way in a month’s time Amazon will not start charging you for the service.

After shutting off the recurring billing you will still continue to receive the benefit of free 2 day shipping for one month. This means that as long as you use this new Amazon account for your purchases you can do all of your shopping on Amazon for the next month without having to worry about placing minimum orders to get free shipping.

Just be aware that certain products from outside sellers do not always qualify for free shipping, so please always check over your bill carefully before you check out.

Well I hope you decide to take advantage of this very special offer, or at the very least I hope you will benefit from my Amazon “free 2 day shipping trick.” Here is the link one more time:

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you think your friends might be interested in this special offer, please share it with them on Facebook:

Thank you all for your continued support!

Two Deadly Algebra Mistakes

Today I would like to go over two very common mistakes that students make when solving algebra problems that lead them to the wrong answer. These two errors are very basic and easily fixed. But surprisingly, even students in college calculus classes are still making these mistakes. Many students will make one of these mistakes on their SAT or ACT, thus lowering their score. The good news is that if you just take a few minutes to read this article carefully, you will probably never make these two mistakes again. So please, don’t be another statistic. Read and absorb the information in this article right away. And if you want to discuss other common algebraic mistakes, please bring them up in the comments below.

Algebra Mistake Number 1:

Let me start with a very simple math problem. What is –3² equal to?

Please take your time to answer this question yourself before looking at the answer.

Is the answer 9 or –9?

The answer is in fact –9.

Most of the time when I tell students the answer they say “but I thought when you square a negative number it becomes positive.”

And in fact, they are right. When you square a negative number it does become positive. But that is not what is going on here.

Don’t worry if you got this wrong. It does not mean you are not intelligent. It has nothing to do with your problem solving skills. It has only to do with a very small gap in knowledge which we will correct right now.

There are actually two issues that need to be addressed here.

Point 1: The first thing that you need to understand is that the expression –x is the same as (–1)x. In other words, the operation of negation is equivalent to multiplication by –1.

Point 2: The second thing that you need to understand is the basic order of operations. In particular, exponentiation is always done before multiplication.

Note that the order of operations that we as humans currently use is a completely man-made construction. There is no really good reason that we do one operation before another one, except that a long time ago someone decided that this is the way we are going to do things.

So now, let’s get back to our computation.

By Point 1 above we have –3² = (–1)3². By Point 2, we must perform the exponentiation first. So we have –3² = (–1)3² =(–1)9 = –9.

Note: Although –3² = –9, we do have that (–3)² = 9. The reason is that in the latter case we are squaring a negative real number, and squaring a negative real number does always give a positive number.

Let’s try another example involving functions:

If f(x) = –x² + 5, then what is f(2)?

Solution: f(2) = –2² + 5 = –4 + 5 = 1.

Did you get that one correct? If not, reread this section until you can explain your error.

Try this similar question:

If f(x) = –x² + 5, then what is f(–2)?

Solution: f(–2) = –(–2)² + 5 = –4 + 5 = 1.

Note that the solution to this question is pretty much identical to the last one. This is because (–2)² is the same as 2². See the note above if you are still having trouble with this.

Algebra Mistake Number 2:

Let’s look at another pretty basic math problem. Can you expand the expression –(x + 2)?

Again, please take your time to answer this question yourself before looking at the answer.

Did you get –x + 2, or –x – 2 ?

The answer is in fact –x – 2.

When negating an expression with two terms, many students forget to distribute the minus sign correctly.  In this case, both terms need to be negated.

If it helps you, you can rewrite –(x + 2) as (–1)(x + 2). Then we get

(–1)x + (–1)2 = –x – 2.

If you are okay with distributing in general, but only have trouble with this specific instance, then this might help. If this doesn’t help, then you need to go over the distributive property very carefully.

As another example, try to simplify this expression:

(x – 3) – (x – 5)

Let’s begin by removing the parentheses and distributing the subtraction symbol in the middle correctly:

x – 3 – x + 5

Finally we combine like terms to get an answer of 2.

Avoid Making Other Common Mistakes On the SAT

If you want to learn how to avoid all the traps that occur in the math sections of the SAT, as well as learn all the most important SAT math strategies, then take a look at my 28 SAT Math Lessons Series. Click on the picture below for more information about these books.

If you liked this article, please share it with your Facebook friends:

And if you have any questions on this topic, then please post them in the comments below.

Speak to you soon!

Free Access to the VIP Area of the Get 800 Test Prep Forum

This week I am offering 1 full month of free access to the VIP area of the new GET 800 Test Prep Forum. This VIP area consists of Dr. Steve’s original content that he uses with his own students to maximize their standardized test scores. To take advantage of this special promotion simply follow these two easy steps.

Step 1: Register for the forum. This only takes a minute. Click on the image below to enter the forum, and then click on the register button to sign up for free (you will not be asked for any credit card information).

Step 2: Send an email to support@SATPrepGet800.com  with the subject “Forum Promotion” and put your username in the body of the email.

Note that the VIP area is still under construction, but there is already plenty there to help with your SAT math preparation.

Upon entering you will have access to the SAT math strategies I have been teaching my students for the last 15 years. There are also lots of problems to practice implementing these strategies with links to detailed solutions.

This promotion expires 8/25/2014

Please use the button below to share this information with your Facebook friends.

I’ll see you on the forum…

SAT Prep Math Survival Guide 

The  SAT Prep Math Survival Guide is now available in paperback.

This book is on sale for only $3.59, and it consists of all of my best SAT math prep advice that I teach my students.

Every student should read the information in this book before they begin their SAT preparation. Why not do it the right way from the beginning? In the long run the information in this book will save countless wasted hours, and will eliminate unwanted anxiety and frustration.

SAT prep tutors and other professionals should read the information in this book as well. I’ll bet there a few key points you can pick up in here that will make you even more successful with raising your students’ scores. Even if you are familiar with everything in the book, sometimes a simple reminder or fresh perspective can make you that much more effective.

Click the following link to get to the book’s Amazon page:

SAT Prep Math Survival Guide

A Kindle edition of this book is also available for only $0.99: SAT Prep Math Survival Guide – Kindle Edition

Please note that you do not need to own a Kindle device to read this book. As soon as you download the book, it will open up immediately in Amazon’s cloud reader. You can also read the book on your iPad, iPhone, or on a Kindle reader that Amazon allows you to download onto your computer for free.

Be aware that this book does not contain SAT math problem sets or practice tests. If you are looking for SAT math workbooks or lesson guides please visit the Get 800 product page.

So what is in this book? This book consists of advice for effective SAT prep, avoiding carelessness, and other ways of squeezing out some extra points. Here is the full table of contents:

SAT Prep Guide Table of Contents

• What is an SAT Specific Math Strategy?
• Overview of the Math Sections of the SAT
• The Correct Way to Prepare for SAT Math
• The Math Formulas You Should Memorize for the SAT
• The Correct Way to Take the SAT
• How Many Questions Should You Be Attempting in Each SAT Math Section?
• Should You Go with Your First Instinct to Take Guesses in SAT Math?
• Stop Making Careless Errors in SAT Math
• Eliminating Test-taking Anxiety on the SAT
• Stop Getting Those Last Few Hard SAT Math Questions Wrong
• Should You Take a Prep Course for the SAT?
• Using Your Time Efficiently to Raise Your SAT Math Score

My goal for this book was to give all of my best SAT prep advice at as low a price as possible (99 cents is the lowest price that Amazon will allow). After you finish reading the book I would love to hear your feedback. Let me know if there are any specific questions you wish I would have answered. The great thing about Kindle books is that they can easily be updated. I will be happy to add additional chapters that address your concerns.

If you have a question which is very specific to you, go ahead and post it in my new Get 800 SAT/ACT prep forum. I will answer your question right away.

A Trick For Free Two Day Shipping

I would like to finish this post with a little trick you can use to get free 2 day shipping on any of the books you decide to purchase without making any additional purchases. If you have never used Amazon Prime you can sign up for a free month using the following link.

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you have already had a free trial of Amazon Prime you can simply open up a new Amazon account to get a new free trial. It just takes a few minutes! You will need to use a different email address than the one you usually use.

This next part is very important! After you finish your transaction, go to your Account, select “Manage my prime membership,” and turn off the recurring billing. This way in a month’s time Amazon will not start charging you for the service.

After shutting off the recurring billing you will still continue to receive the benefit of free 2 day shipping for one month. This means that as long as you use this new Amazon account for your purchases you can do all of your shopping on Amazon for the next month without having to worry about placing minimum orders to get free shipping.

Just be aware that certain products from outside sellers do not always qualify for free shipping, so please always check over your bill carefully before you check out.

Well I hope you decide to take advantage of this very special offer, or at the very least I hope you will benefit from my Amazon “free 2 day shipping trick.” Here is the link one more time:

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you think your friends might be interested in the SAT Prep Math Survival Guide, please share it with them on Facebook:

Thank you all for your continued support!

SAT Prep Math Survival Guide

Today I would like to announce my release of the  SAT Prep Math Survival Guide for Kindle.

This kindle book is on sale for only $0.99.

Yes that’s right – it’s only 99 cents.

This book consists of all of my best SAT math prep advice that I teach my students.

Every student should read the information in this book before they begin their SAT preparation. Why not do it right from the start? In the long run the information in this book will save countless wasted hours, and will eliminate unwanted anxiety and frustration.

SAT prep tutors and other professionals should read the information in this book as well. I’ll bet there a few key points you can pick up in here that will make you even more successful with raising your students’ scores. Even if you are familiar with everything in the book, sometimes a simple reminder or fresh perspective can make you that much more effective.

Click the following link to get to the book’s Amazon page:

SAT Prep Math Survival Guide

Please note that you do not need to own a Kindle device to read this book. As soon as you download the book, it will open up immediately in Amazon’s cloud reader. You can also read the book on your iPad, iPhone, or on a Kindle reader that Amazon allows you to download onto your computer for free.

Be aware that this book does not contain SAT math problem sets or practice tests. If you are looking for SAT math workbooks or lesson guides please visit the Get 800 product page.

So what is in this book? This book consists of advice for effective SAT prep, avoiding carelessness, and other ways of squeezing out some extra points. Here is the full table of contents:

SAT Prep Guide Table of Contents

• What is an SAT Specific Math Strategy?
• Overview of the Math Sections of the SAT
• The Correct Way to Prepare for SAT Math
• The Math Formulas You Should Memorize for the SAT
• The Correct Way to Take the SAT
• How Many Questions Should You Be Attempting in Each SAT Math Section?
• Should You Go with Your First Instinct to Take Guesses in SAT Math?
• Stop Making Careless Errors in SAT Math
• Eliminating Test-taking Anxiety on the SAT
• Stop Getting Those Last Few Hard SAT Math Questions Wrong
• Should You Take a Prep Course for the SAT?
• Using Your Time Efficiently to Raise Your SAT Math Score

My goal for this book was to give all of my best SAT prep advice at as low a price as possible (99 cents is the lowest price that Amazon will allow). After you finish reading the book I would love to hear your feedback. Let me know if there are any specific questions you wish I would have answered. The great thing about Kindle books is that they can easily be updated. I will be happy to add additional chapters that address your concerns.

If you have a question which is very specific to you, go ahead and post it in my new Get 800 SAT/ACT prep forum. I will answer your question right away.

If you think your friends might be interested in the SAT Prep Math Survival Guide, please share it with them on Facebook:

Thank you all for your continued support!

320 SAT Math Problems Arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level

Today I would like to announce a sale on 320 SAT Math Problems arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level.

The paperback is now on sale on Amazon for only $7.89.

This sale may last for only a few hours, and once the sale ends the price will go back up to $34.99. Amazon will automatically raise the price once a predetermined number of copies has been sold. If you want to take advantage of the sale price I strongly recommend you purchase the book now.

Click the following link to get to the book’s Amazon page: 320 SAT Math Problems

As an extra incentive to buy this book from Amazon I want to offer you an additional book for FREE as a downloadable PDF file. You can choose ANY of my other books. So if you would like a different book, go ahead and purchase this one (as soon as it is available), forward me your Amazon confirmation email and let me know which of my books you would like for free. You will be provided with a link to download your additional free book. This offer is available until August 31, 2014.

Take a look at my product page to see all of my books: Get 800 Product Page

You should also be aware that the following promotion is still available: if you buy any 2 of my books in paperback, you get all 6 of the following SAT math prep books for free. See the following page for details: Get 800 Summer Promotion

 

A Trick For Free Two Day Shipping

I would like to finish this post with a little trick you can use to get free 2 day shipping on any of the books you decide to purchase without making any additional purchases. If you have never used Amazon Prime you can sign up for a free month using the following link.

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you have already had a free trial of Amazon Prime you can simply open up a new Amazon account to get a new free trial. It just takes a few minutes! You will need to use a different email address than the one you usually use.

This next part is very important! After you finish your transaction, go to your Account, select “Manage my prime membership,” and turn off the recurring billing. This way in a month’s time Amazon will not start charging you for the service.

After shutting off the recurring billing you will still continue to receive the benefit of free 2 day shipping for one month. This means that as long as you use this new Amazon account for your purchases you can do all of your shopping on Amazon for the next month without having to worry about placing minimum orders to get free shipping.

Just be aware that certain products from outside sellers do not always qualify for free shipping, so please always check over your bill carefully before you check out.

Well I hope you decide to take advantage of this very special offer, or at the very least I hope you will benefit from my Amazon “free 2 day shipping trick.” Here is the link one more time:

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you think your friends might be interested in this special offer, please share it with them on Facebook:

Thank you all for your continued support!

Get 800 SAT/ACT Prep Forum

Hello everyone. Today I would like to announce the new GET 800 SAT/ACT Prep Forum. This forum is 100% free to use, and I will personally be answering all SAT, ACT , and SAT subject test math questions. Please click on the link or the picture below and take just a moment to register for the forum.

Test Prep Professionals Are Welcome

If you are a tutor or tutoring service that would like to have a private board for your students on the forum just let me know. I will create your own private space for you and your students and will update you and your team to moderator status.

Everyone is welcome to participate in the general forum. As of now I am allowing test prep professionals to put links in their signature lines so that participation in the forum will create traffic back to your own websites. But direct marketing in posts is not allowed. I want to keep the forum clean and spam free.

So please visit the new Get 800 SAT/ACT prep forum. Post your questions and help others with theirs. Let’s all work together to get perfect scores.

Please use the button below to share this information with your Facebook friends.

I’ll see you on the forum…

by Aditya Singhal 

Mastering the college admission tests is one of the most challenging tasks for any high school student, but the SAT poses an additional challenge if English is not your first language. So let me start by saying that I congratulate you on your decision to take on the SAT. Being a non-native speaker myself, I can relate to your apprehensions. You might find the math section easier to deal with, but the reading and writing sections are slightly trickier if you have only been studying English for a few years.

With the right guidance, you will be able to ace these sections as well. Here are a few tips to help you while you prep:

1. Read. Read. Read. – I cannot stress this enough. Your critical reading skills will only improve when you’re familiar with reading journalistic articles. Studies show that the best performers on the SAT are voracious readers. Make sure you read quality publications like The Economist, The Atlantic and Newsweek.

2. Build up your Vocabulary – While reading take down every single word you don’t know and look it up in a dictionary. Practice using it in a sentence, so you’re sure you understand the meaning and context in which it is used. Flashcards are an invaluable learning aid while adding new words to your vocabulary.

3. Grammar Rules – It’s not enough to learn new words, you will also need to strengthen your grammar. Practice the essay section of the SAT and work with a tutor to correct your grammatical errors. Learning the rules that govern the language can help you avoid such errors on the test.

4. Practice makes Perfect – Practice like your life depends on it. Keep taking online practice tests and tracking your progress. It’s important to reread your paper and identify patterns in your mistakes. Look up the essay format and practice a well structured essay as this can be the most intimidating section.

5. Study in a Group – Create a study group of native and non native students online or offline and discuss your progress. This will not only motivate you but also help you learn about new resources from those who have advanced English skills.

6. Americanize – Many non-native speakers are familiar with British English. It is important to understand the differences between American and British English. Learning the nuances of the language will help you get a better SAT score.

7. Think Positive – Consider yourself at an advantage as a non-native speaker. While many native speakers get confused with slang and incorrect (but popular) usage of words, you can learn the exact same question types and apply them without error.

Lastly, remember that the SAT is not the end all and be all of college application tests. Some colleges look into your TOEFL scores to determine your aptitude for English. So, I would suggest you take your SATs in your junior year, so you have time to work on your weaknesses and subsequently improve your score.

All the best to you!

Aditya Singhal is the co-founder of Transtutors.com, a leading online tutoring help for college students. Having graduated from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), he worked briefly with American Consulting firm, Kurt Salmon Associates before taking the entrepreneurial route. Outside the work ambit, Aditya has a personal interest in helping students in their career aspiration and skill development. He is also actively involved in giving back to society by contributing a part of the revenue towards education of poor students in India. 

320 SAT Math Subject Test Problems For the Level 1 Subject Test

Today I would like to announce the release of my new book: 320 SAT Math Subject Test Problems arranged by Topic and Difficulty Level for the Level 1 test.

The paperback is now on sale on Amazon for only $5.42.

This sale may last for only a few hours, and once the sale ends the price will go up to $34.99. Amazon will automatically raise the price once a predetermined number of copies has been sold. If you want to take advantage of the sale price I strongly recommend you purchase the book now.

The discount is ended. Thank you to everyone who participated in this sale. I can still offer the promotions described below.

Click the following link to get to the book’s Amazon page: 320 SAT Math Subject Test Problems – Level 1

As an extra incentive to buy this book from Amazon I want to offer you an additional book for FREE as a downloadable PDF file. You can choose ANY of my other books. So if you would like a different book, go ahead and purchase this one (as soon as it is available), forward me your Amazon confirmation email and let me know which of my books you would like for free. You will be provided with a link to download your additional free book. This offer is available until July 31, 2014.

Take a look at my product page to see all of my books: Get 800 Product Page

You should also be aware that the following promotion is still available: if you buy any 2 of my books in paperback, you get all 6 of the following SAT math prep books for free.

 

A Trick For Free Two Day Shipping

I would like to finish this post with a little trick you can use to get free 2 day shipping on any of the books you decide to purchase without making any additional purchases. If you have never used Amazon Prime you can sign up for a free month using the following link.

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you have already had a free trial of Amazon Prime you can simply open up a new Amazon account to get a new free trial. It just takes a few minutes! You will need to use a different email address than the one you usually use.

This next part is very important! After you finish your transaction, go to your Account, select “Manage my prime membership,” and turn off the recurring billing. This way in a month’s time Amazon will not start charging you for the service.

After shutting off the recurring billing you will still continue to receive the benefit of free 2 day shipping for one month. This means that as long as you use this new Amazon account for your purchases you can do all of your shopping on Amazon for the next month without having to worry about placing minimum orders to get free shipping.

Just be aware that certain products from outside sellers do not always qualify for free shipping, so please always check over your bill carefully before you check out.

Well I hope you decide to take advantage of this very special offer, or at the very least I hope you will benefit from my Amazon “free 2 day shipping trick.” Here is the link one more time:

Sign Up For Amazon Prime For Free

If you think your friends might be interested in this special offer, please share it with them on Facebook:

Thank you all for your continued support!

Wasted blog space?

This week I’ve decided to post something that is of no value. Anti-humor is not for everyone, but I personally find it hysterical. So I hope you enjoy my favorite anti jokes. Please feel free to add your own favorites in the comments!

Dr. Steve’s favorite anti jokes

Why was six afraid of seven? It wasn’t – numbers are not sentient and therefore they are incapable of fear.

What’s the difference between a Jew and a boat? One is a person with a specific set of religious beliefs and the other is a device for traversing waterways.

I will never forget what my Grandfather said to me just before he kicked the bucket. He said, “Hey, how far do you think I can kick this bucket?”

What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Burning to death.

Who didn’t let the gorilla into the ballet? Just the person who was in charge of making that decision.

I got 99 problems and I’m seeing a therapist about them.

A horse walked into a bar. Several people got up and left as they saw the potential danger in the situation.

How do you get two whales in a car? You can’t. Whales are enormous creatures and will not fit into something as  small as a car.

Yo momma’s so fat, that she should consider changing her diet and exercising more often.

An owl and a squirrel are sitting in a tree, watching a farmer go by. The owl turns to the squirrel and says nothing, because owls can’t talk. The owl then eats the squirrel because it’s a bird of prey.

An Italian guy, a German guy, and a Mexican guy jump off a building. They all die on impact and their families mourn the loss for years to come.

Why are Canadians afraid of chainsaws? Because chainsaws are very powerful machines, capable of causing dismemberment and death.

How do you make a plumber cry? You set him on fire.

FUN FACT: If humans stood in a single file line around the equator, most of them would drown.

How many electricians does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one – it’s not a very difficult task and electricians are trained for this sort of thing.

What has 11 arms, 6 hands and is purple? Nothing.

Why did the blonde woman jump off a bridge? Because she was clinically depressed and didn’t want to live anymore.

I was reading a book on anti-gravity, but put it down because it was boring.

An elephant walks into a bar and orders a peanut butter martini. The bartender thinks this is a little peculiar and then becomes aware he is actually dreaming. He wakes up and begins to tell his wife about the ridiculous dream he had. His wife just ignores him. The man rolls over and begins to sob because he realizes his marriage is in shambles.

Longer anti jokes (I recommend you do not read these – you’ve been warned!)

Two chemists walk into a restaurant. When the waiter serves them, one says “I’d like H20.” The other chemist then says “I’d like H20 too.” The waiter serves them their drinks, and the second chemist dies.

The waiter then considers for a moment why, for any reason, the restaurant should have a supply of Hydrogen Peroxide. It had no purpose being in this establishment, let alone being in the kitchen where it could be confused easily as regular water. He confronts the owner of the restaurant on the issue, wherein the proprietor of the business apologizes profusely to both the waiter and the deceased’s colleague. The owner attempts to bribe the waiter and pleads for him to not bring the police into this issue. The waiter, however, sees no other way to resolve this situation.

The restaurant was closed down as a result, the owner was then sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence and the waiter regarded as a “hero.” However, the confusion that lead to the death of the chemist haunted him. It plagued his every waking moment. He saw no way to relieve the mental burden that his completely accidental action had caused other than to seek medical attention. As a result, he attended psychiatric therapy for the better part of two years, which helped ease the stress, and he now lives happily in a small studio apartment in Chicago.

He has vowed never to return to the town in which this tragic accident had occurred.

 

A moth walks into a podiatrist’s office.

The podiatrist says, “Moth, what’s the problem?” And the moth says, “Where do I begin? Every day I get up to another cruel day. It’s like the sun is mocking me as I begin the grueling preparations for another 8-hours of slogging in meaningless toil for my boss. I’m a grey captive in a grey cubicle in a grey office with no windows that I might see beyond the grey clouds. I just sit in my cubicle as I feel the throbbing ache of the best days of my life withering away into a monotonous, forgettable flurry of irrelevant corporate drudgery. I don’t know what I’m doing, I don’t think my boss even knows. All he knows is that he has power over me.”

The podiatrist says, “That’s terrible, but I’m not sure I can help. I’m a podiatrist. You should really speak to a therapist.”

The moth continues, “My wife just left me for a butterfly. And my children – sigh – my daughter is always on her cellphone, texting away. I haven’t spoken to her in weeks. My oldest son is never home and when he is, he’s locked in his room listening to angry music. My youngest son, he’s only 4, I look at him and he asks me to play – and I feel nothing. No love, no tenderness, just a void.”

The podiatrist says, “I’m so sorry for your pain. But once again, I’m a podiatrist. I can’t really help you. You should go see a therapist. “

The moth says, “And when I look in the mirror I don’t recognize the face staring back at me. It’s aged so much from the young moth I remember. The years have carved deep lines of despair, worry and anguish – dark, hollow eyes where once gleamed hope and excitement. If only I could find the courage to reach over to the side table and remove the loaded gun. And then find the strength to pull back that hammer as the chamber rotates, clicking solidly into place, raising it to my temple for the final squeeze that will erase the last shreds of my existence from this wasted life.”

Once again the podiatrist repeats, “Well, Moth, you’re in pretty rough shape. You need to get some help. But I’m a podiatrist. Please go see a therapist.”

“You’re right,” says the moth. “I’m sorry to waste your time.” And the moth starts heading toward the door.

The podiatrist calls to the moth,  “Can I just ask one question? Why did you come to me?”

And the moth says, “Because your light was on.”

If you think some of your Facebook friends might enjoy these, please share.

Hopefully next week I will provide something of value!

Right Triangle Trigonometry – Part 2

Last week I began going over the fundamentals of right triangle trigonometry. I suggest that you review the material in that post before continuing on with this one. You can find that post here: Right Triangle Trigonometry – Part 1

Let’s quickly review the six basic trigonometric functions: 

Very often in trigonometry problems on standardized tests the Pythagorean Theorem is needed to get the final answer.

The Pythagorean Theorem: If a right triangle has legs of length a and b, and a hypotenuse of length c, then c² = a² + b².

Example 3:

Notes: (1) The most common Pythagorean triples are 3,4,5 and 5, 12, 13. Two others that may come up are 8, 15, 17 and 7, 24, 25.

(2) If you don’t remember the Pythagorean triple 5, 12, 13, you can use the Pythagorean Theorem:

Here we have 5² + b² = 13². Therefore 25 + b² = 169. Subtracting 25 from each side of this equation gives b² = 169 – 25 = 144. So b = 12.

(3) The equation b² = 144 would normally have solutions b = 12 and b = –12. But the length of a side of a triangle cannot be negative, so we reject –12.

More Trigonometry Practice Problems

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