BU CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT ACChELERATE: ONLINE CRASH COURSE FOR FRESHMEN

DIAGNOSTIC EXAMINATIONS

NOTE: Total number of items is 39. Items #1 and #17 were not included in the score.

Instructions: Answer the ff. questions. Write your answer at the space provided in Edmodo.com; if multiple choice,
select your answer by clicking the letter of your choice. The exam is good for 3 hours only.

For the answer, follow the ff. format:

1. Power - use caret symbol ^. Example x^4, (x+3)^3;
2. square root - Use sqrt (). Example sqrt(5), sqrt(x-3), sqrt((x-3)/(x+3));
3. Operations - Use +,-,/,*;
4. Rational Functions: Examples: (x+1)/[1+(x+3)^2].

𝑥+3 4𝑥 2 𝑥 + 9
1. Solve for x: 4 + − 2 = . Ans: ___________
𝑥−3 𝑥 −9 𝑥+3
2 2
1 1
2. Simplify: (𝑎 + ) – (𝑎 – ) . Ans: ___________
𝑎 𝑎
1 1
3. If 𝑥 – = 1, what is the value of 𝑥 3 – 3 ? Ans: ___________
𝑥 𝑥
4 3
4. If 𝑥 divided by 𝑦 is , and 𝑦 divided 𝑧 is , what is 𝑥 divided by 𝑧? Ans: ___________
5 10
5. The quotient of (𝑥 5 + 32) by (𝑥 + 2) is _____________.
6. Two engineering students ae solving a problem leading to a quadratic equation. One student makes a mistake in
the coefficient of the first degree term, got roots of 2 and -3. The other students made a mistake in the coefficient
of the constant term got roots of -1 and 4. What is the correct equation? Ans: ___________
7. The quadratic equation 4𝑥𝑦 − 4𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 is equal to ___________________.
a. (2𝑥 − 𝑦)2 b. (−2𝑥 − 𝑦)2 c. (−2𝑥 + 𝑦)2 d. −(2𝑥 − 𝑦)2
2
8. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 1, then 𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑓(𝑥 − 1) is _______________.
9. When the expression 𝑥 4 + 𝑎𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 6 is divided by (𝑥 − 2), the remainder is 16. When it is divided by
(𝑥 + 1), the remainder is 10. What is the value of 𝑎? Ans: ___________
10. By selling balut at P 12.00, a vendor gains 24%. The price of eggs rises by 15%. If he sells the balut at the same
price, find his new gain/loss. Ans: ___________
11. A certain job can finish by 100 workers in 90 days. If at the start there are 100 men and after 30 days, 15 men
resigned, and after 60 days 10 men were reassigned somewhere, when will the job be finished if it started in
January 1 in a non-leap year? Ans: ___________
12. A chemical engineer mixed 40 mL of 80% hydrochloric acid with 60 mL of 12% hydrochloric acid. He used a
portion of this solution and replaced it with distilled water. If the new solution is tested 5.2% hydrochloric acid,
how much of the original mixture did he use? Ans: ___________
13. If a man paints 2/3 of a room and another man painted ¾ of what remains, what fraction remained to be
painted? Ans: ___________
14. If 18 is divided into 2, such that one part is six more than twice the other part. By what percent is the bigger
part larger than the other? Ans: ___________
15. A tin rectangular plate whose area is 480 cm2 is cut 3 cm along each corner then sides folded upward
generating a volume of 504 m3. What is the dimension (in cm) of the tin plate?
Answer should be in 𝑥 = __; 𝑦 = __. Ans: ___________
16. If 3𝑎 = 7𝑏, then 3𝑎2 /7𝑏 2 is equal to __________________.
4 3
𝑥𝑦 −1 𝑥 2 𝑦 −2
17. Simplify: ( −2 3 ) ( −3 3 ) . Ans: ___________
𝑥 𝑦 𝑥 𝑦
𝑎𝑥+𝑏
18. If 10 = 𝑃, what is the value of 𝑥 in terms of 𝑃? Ans: ___________
19. Solve for 𝑥: 𝑒 2𝑥 + 20𝑒 −𝑥 = 21 . Ans: ___________
𝑥
20. Solve for x: 𝑎 𝑥 = (𝑎 𝑥 )𝑥 . Ans: ___________
21. Find the inverse of the function 𝑦 = ln(𝑒 2𝑥 – 1). Ans: ___________
22. If ln x – log y = 3 and ln 2x + log 3y = 37, what is x and y? Ans: ___________
23.Find the equation of the line through the point (2,6) and parallel to the y axis. Ans: __________
24. Find the value of 𝑘 such that the lines 3𝑘𝑥 + 8𝑦 = 5 and 6𝑦 – 4𝑘𝑥 = -1 are perpendicular. Ans: ___________
25. The two straight lines 4𝑥 – 𝑦 + 3 = 0 and 8𝑥 – 2𝑦 + 6 = 0
a. intersects at the origin b. are coincident c. are parallel d. are perpendicular
26. In the equation of the relation of the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales, what is the 𝑥-intercept of the
graph, if the Fahrenheit is taken as the dependent variable? Ans: ___________

27. Find the area bounded by the curve 3𝑥– 4𝑦 = 12, the 𝑥 and 𝑦-axes and the line 𝑦 = 3. Ans: ___________
28. Find the equation of a lines passing through (2,3) if it is parallel to the line 2𝑥– 3𝑦 = 1. Ans: ___________
28. Find the area of the circle whose center is at (2, -5) and tangent to the line 4𝑥 + 3𝑦 + 8 = 0. Ans: ___________
29. A reflecting microscope has a parabolic mirror for which the distance from the vertex to the focus is 30 ft. If the
distance across the top of the mirror is 64 inches, how deep is the mirror (in inches) from the vertex?
Ans: ___________
30. The locus of a point that moves such that the ratio of its distances from two fixed points is always constant.
a. ellipse b. parabola c. line d. circle
2 2
31. The graph of 4𝑥 – 5𝑦 + 3 = 0 is a/an
a. Empty set c. hyperbola with horizontal transverse axis
b. Ellipse with vertical transverse axis d. hyperbola with vertical transverse axis
32. If the cutting plane is parallel to a generator of a cone, what be the conic section produced?
a. parabola b. circle c. ellipse d. hyperbola
33. If data of an experiment validating the famous gas law, the Boyle’s Law, is to be plotted, what is its graph?
a. circle b. line c. parabola d. hyperbola
34. In the general form of a second degree equation 𝐴𝑥 2 + 𝐵𝑥𝑦 + 𝐶𝑦 2 + 𝐷𝑥 + 𝐸𝑦 + 𝐹 = 0, if 𝐵 is zero and 𝐴 ≠ 𝐶
and both are positive, the graph is a/an
a. circle b. parabola c. hyperbola d. ellipse
35. A flagpole 20 m high stands on top of a tower which is 100 m high. At what distance from the base of the tower
will the flagpole subtended an angle of 4°? The height of instrument is 4 meters. Ans: ___________
36. The trigonometric expression cot 𝑥 − tan 𝑥 is equal to ________________.
a. tan 2𝑥 b. 2 tan 2𝑥 c. 2 cot 2𝑥 d. cos 2𝑥
37. The volume of a ball is 435 m . What is its surface area? Ans: ___________
3
𝑥
38. If θ is an acute angle of a right triangle where sin 𝜃 = , compute the value of sin 2𝜃 in terms of 𝑥. Ans: ___________
2
39. The two legs of a triangle are 300 and 150 m each, respectively. The angle opposite the 150 m side is 26ᴼ. What
is the third side? Ans: ___________

40. Find the area of an equilateral triangle with a perimeter of 8. Ans: ___________

a. 4.5 b. (3.1√3)/2 c. (√2)/4 d. 40.3

ACChELERATE: ONLINE CRASH COURSE FOR FRESHMEN
DIAGNOSTIC EXAMINATIONS

𝑥+3 4𝑥 2 𝑥 + 8
1. Solve for x: 4 + − 2 =
𝑥−3 𝑥 −9 𝑥+3
𝑥+3 4𝑥 2 𝑥− 8
4 + − 2 =
𝑥−3 𝑥 −9 𝑥+3
4(𝑥 2 − 9) + (𝑥 + 3)2 − 4𝑥 2 = (𝑥 + 8)(𝑥 − 3)
4𝑥 2 − 36 + 𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 + 9 − 4𝑥 2 = 𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 − 24
−36 + 9 + 24 = 5𝑥 − 6𝑥; 𝑥 = −3
1 2 1 2
2. Simplify: (𝑎 + ) – (𝑎 – )
𝑎 𝑎
1 2 1 2 1 1
(𝑎 + ) – (𝑎 – ) = 𝑎2 + 2 + 2 − 𝑎2 + 2 − 2 = 4
𝑎 𝑎 𝑎 𝑎
1 3
1
3. If 𝑥 – = 1, what is the value of 𝑥 – 3 ?
𝑥 𝑥
1 3 1 1 2 1 3
(𝑥 – ) = 𝑥 3 + 3(𝑥 2 ) (− ) + 3(𝑥) (− ) + (− )
𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥
3 1 1 1 1 1
1 = 𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 + − 3 = 𝑥 3 − 3 − 3 (𝑥 − ) = 𝑥 3 − 3 − 3; 𝑥 3 − 3 = 4
𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 𝑥
4. 𝐼f 𝑥 divided by 𝑦 is 4/5, and 𝑦 divided 𝑧 is 3/10, what is 𝑥 divided by 𝑧?
𝑥 4
𝑦 5 𝑥 6
𝑧 = 10 ; 𝑧 = 25
𝑦 3
5
5. The quotient of (𝑥 + 32) by (𝑥 + 2) is
−2| 1 0 0 0 0 32 |
−2 4 − 8 16 − 32
1 −2 4 − 8 16 0
5
(𝑥 + 32)
= 𝑥 4 − 2𝑥 3 + 4𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 + 16
(𝑥 + 2)
6. Two engineering students are solving a problem leading to a quadratic equation. One student makes a mistake in
the coefficient of the first-degree term, got roots of 2 and -3. The other students made a mistake in the coefficient
of the constant term got roots of -1 and 4. What is the correct equation?
(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 + 3) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 6; (𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 4) = 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 4; 𝑥 2 − 3𝑥 − 6 = 0
7. The quadratic equation 4𝑥𝑦 − 4𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 is equal to
a. (2𝑥 − 𝑦)2 b. (−2𝑥 − 𝑦)2 c. (−2𝑥 + 𝑦)2 d. −(2𝑥 − 𝑦)2
−(2𝑥 − 𝑦) = −(4𝑥 − 4𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 ) = 4𝑥𝑦 − 4𝑥 − 𝑦 2 ; (𝐷)
2 2 2 2
2
8. If 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 1, then 𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑓(𝑥 − 1)
𝑓(𝑥) − 𝑓(𝑥 − 1) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 − [(𝑥 − 1)2 + (𝑥 − 1) + 1] = 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 − (𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 1 + 𝑥 − 1 + 1)
= 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 − (𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + 1) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 − 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 1 = 2𝑥
9. When the expression 𝑥 4 + 𝑎𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 6 is divided by (𝑥 − 2), the remainder is 16. When it is divided by
(𝑥 + 1), the remainder is 10. What is the value of 𝑎?
𝑓(2) = 24 + 𝑎(2)3 + 5(2)2 + 𝑏(2) + 6 = 16 + 8𝑎 + 20 + 2𝑏 + 6 = 16; 8𝑎 + 2𝑏 = −26
𝑓(−1) = (−1)4 + 𝑎(−1)3 + 5(−1)2 + 𝑏(−1) + 6 = 1 − 𝑎 + 5 − 𝑏 + 6 = 10; 𝑎 + 𝑏 = 2; 𝑎 = −5
10. By selling balut at P 12.00, a vendor gains 24%. The price of eggs rises by 15%. If he sells the balut at the same
price, find his new gain/loss.
12 12
= 1.24; 𝑥 = 9.67742; 𝑥 ′ = 9.67742(1.15) = 11.129; = 1.0783; 7.83% 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛
𝑥 11.129
11. A certain job can finish by 100 workers in 90 days. If at the start there are 100 men and after 30 days, 15 men
resigned, and after 60 days 10 men were reassigned somewhere, when will the job be finished if it started in
January 1 in a non-leap year?
1 1 1
100(30) [ ] + 85(30) [ ] + 75(𝑥) [ ] = 1; 𝑥 = 46; 𝑡 = 60 + 46 = 106; 𝐴𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑙 16
100(90) 100(90) 100(90)
12. A chemical engineer mixed 40 mL of 80% hydrochloric acid with 60 mL of 12% hydrochloric acid. He used a
portion of this solution and replaced it with distilled water. If the new solution is tested 5.2% hydrochloric acid,
how much of the original mixture did he use?
40(0.8) + 60(0.12) (100 − 𝑥)(0.392) + 𝑥(0)
= 0.392; = 0.052; 𝑥 = 86.734 𝑚𝐿 (𝐸)
100 100
13. If a man paints 2/3 of a room and another man painted ¾ of what remains, what fraction remained to be painted?
1 3 1 1
𝑥= − ( )=
3 4 3 12
14. If 18 is divided into 2, such that one part is six more than twice the other part. By what percent is the bigger part
larger than the other?
10
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 18; 𝑦 = 2𝑥 + 6; 𝑥 = 4; 𝑦 = 14; %𝑏𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑟 = = 2.5; 250%
4
15. A tin rectangular plate whose area is 480 cm2 is cut 3 cm along each corner then sides folded upward generating
a volume of 504 m3. What is the dimension of the tin plate? Answer should be in 𝑥 = __; 𝑦 = __
𝑥𝑦 = 480; 3(𝑥 − 6)(𝑦 − 6) = 504
𝑥𝑦 − 6𝑥 − 6𝑦 + 36 = 132
480
𝑥 + 𝑦 = 58; 𝑥 + = 58; 𝑥 = 48; 𝑦 = 10
𝑥
2 2
16. If 3𝑎 = 7𝑏, then 3𝑎 /7𝑏 is equal to
𝑎 7 3 𝑎 2 3 7 7 7
= ; ( ) = ( )( ) =
𝑏 3 7 𝑏 7 3 3 3
−1 4 2 −2 3
𝑥𝑦 𝑥 𝑦
17. Simplify: ( −2 3 ) ( −3 3 )
𝑥 𝑦 𝑥 𝑦
4 3 4 3
𝑥𝑦 −1 𝑥 2 𝑦 −2 𝑥3 𝑥5 𝑥 27
( −2 3 ) ( −3 3 ) = ( 4 ) ( 5 ) = 𝑥 12+15 𝑦 −(16+15) = 31
𝑥 𝑦 𝑥 𝑦 𝑦 𝑦 𝑦
𝑎𝑥+𝑏
18. If 10 = 𝑃, what is the value of 𝑥 in terms of 𝑃?
𝑏 1
𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 = log 𝑃 → 𝑥 = − + log 𝑃
𝑎 𝑎
19. Solve for 𝑥: 𝑒 2𝑥 + 20𝑒 −𝑥 = 21
𝑒 𝑥 = 1, −21; 𝑥 = ln 1 = 0 (𝐵); 𝑥 = ln(−21) (𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛)
𝑥
20. Solve for x: 𝑎 𝑥 = (𝑎 𝑥 )𝑥
𝑥 𝑥 ln 𝑎 = 𝑥 2 ln 𝑎 → 𝑥 ln 𝑥 = 2 ln 𝑥 ; 𝑥 ln 𝑥 − 2 ln 𝑥 = 0;
𝑥 = 2; ln 𝑥 = 0; 𝑥 = 1
2𝑥
21. Find the inverse of the function 𝑦 = ln(𝑒 – 1)
1
𝑒 𝑦 = 𝑒 2𝑥 – 1 → 𝑒 𝑥 = 𝑒 2𝑦 – 1; 𝑦 = ln(𝑒 𝑥 + 1)
2
22. If ln x – log y = 3 and ln 2x + log 3y = 37, what is x and y?
ln x – log y = 3; ln 𝑥 + log 𝑦 = 37 − log 2 − log 3
ln 𝑥 = 19.41486578; log 𝑦 = 16.41486578; 𝑥 = 2.7025𝑥108 ; 𝑦 = 2.6𝑥1016
23.Find the equation of the line through the point (2,6) and parallel to the y axis. 𝐴𝑛𝑠: 𝑥 = 6
24. Find the value of k such that the lines 3kx + 8y = 5 and 6y – 4kx = -1 are perpendicular.
3k 5 4k 1
3kx + 8y = 5 → y = − 𝑥 + ; 6y – 4kx = −1 → y = 𝑥−
8 8 6 6
3k 4k 2
− ( ) = −1; 𝑘 = 4; 𝑘 = ±2
8 6
25. The two straight lines 4x – y + 3 = 0 and 8x – 2y + 6 =0
a. intersects at the origin b. are coincident c. are parallel d. are perpendicular
26. In the equation of the relation of the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales, what is the 𝑥-intercept of the
graph, if the Fahrenheit is taken as the dependent variable?
a. 32 b. -36 c. -256/9 d. 1.8
9
− ℃ + ℉ 32 32 160
5 = ; 𝑎=− =− (𝐸)
32 32 9 9
5
27. Find the area bounded by the curve 3𝑥– 4𝑦 = 12, the 𝑥 and 𝑦-axes and the line 𝑦 = 3.
 3
3𝑥– 4𝑦 = 12 → 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 3
4
0 3
1 8 3 1
𝐴 = || 4 0 || = [(24 + 12 + 0 + 0) − (0 + 0 + 0 + 0)] = 18
2 0 0 2
0 3

28. Find the equation of a lines passing through (2,3) if it is parallel to the
line 2𝑥– 3𝑦 = 1
2
𝑦 − 3 = (𝑥 − 2) → 3𝑦 − 9 = 2𝑥 − 4 → 2𝑥 − 3𝑦 = −5
3
28. Find the area of the circle whose center is at (2, -5) and tangent to the line 4𝑥 + 3𝑦 + 8 = 0.
4(2) + 3(−5) + 8 𝜋
𝑑= = 1; 𝐴 =
5 25
29. A reflecting microscope has a parabolic mirror for which the distance from the vertex to the focus is 30 ft. If the
distance across the top of the mirror is 64 inches, how deep is the mirror (in inches) from the vertex?
𝑥 2 = 4𝑎𝑦 = 4(30)𝑦 = 120𝑦
64 2 8 32
( ) = 120𝑦; 𝑦 = 𝑓𝑡 = 𝑖𝑛
2 ∙ 12 135 45
30. The locus of a point that moves such that the ratio of its distances from two fixed points is always constant.
a. ellipse b. parabola c. line d. circle
2 2
31. The graph of 4𝑥 – 5𝑦 + 3 = 0 is a/an
a. Empty set c. hyperbola with horizontal transverse axis
b. Ellipse with vertical transverse axis d. hyperbola with vertical transverse axis

32. If the cutting plane is parallel to a generator of a cone, what be the conic section produced?
a. parabola b. circle c. ellipse d. hyperbola
33. If data of an experiment validating the famous gas law, the Boyle’s Law, is to be plotted, what is its graph?
a. circle b. line c. parabola d. hyperbola
2 2
34. In the general form of a second degree equation 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑥𝑦 + 𝐶𝑦 + 𝐷𝑥 + 𝐸𝑦 + 𝐹 = 0, if 𝐵 is zero and 𝐴 ≠ 𝐶
and both are positive, the graph is a/an
a. circle b. parabola c. hyperbola d. ellipse
35. A flagpole 20 m high stands on top of a tower which is 100 m high. At what distance from the base of the tower
will the flagpole subtended an angle of 4°? The height of instrument is 4 meters.
96 116 tan 𝜃 + tan 4
tan 𝜃 = ; tan(𝜃 + 4) = =
𝑥 𝑥 1 − tan 𝜃 tan 4
96
tan 𝜃 + tan 4 + tan 4 116
= 𝑥 = ; 𝑥 = 46.493 𝑚 (𝐴)
1 − tan 𝜃 tan 4 1 − 96 𝑥
tan 4
𝑥

36. The trigonometric expression cot 𝑥 − tan 𝑥 is equal to ________________.

cos 𝑥 sin 𝑥 2 cos 2𝑥
− = cos 2 𝑥 − sin2 𝑥 = = 2 cot 2𝑥
sin 𝑥 cos 𝑥 2 sin 𝑥 cos 𝑥
37. The volume of a ball is 435 m 3. What is its surface area?
4 3
𝜋𝑟 = 435; 𝑟 = 4.7; 𝑆 = 4𝜋𝑟 2 = 277.64 𝑚2
3
𝑥
38. If θ is an acute angle of a right triangle where sin 𝜃 = , compute the value of sin 2𝜃 in terms of 𝑥.
2
𝑥 √4 − 𝑥 2 𝑥√4 − 𝑥 2
𝑂: 𝑥; 𝐻: 2; 𝐴 = √4 − 𝑥 2 ; sin 2𝜃 = 2 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜃 = 2 ( ) ( )=
2 2 2
39. The two legs of a triangle are 300 and 150 m each, respectively. The angle opposite the 150 m side is 26ᴼ. What
is the third side?

150 300
= ; 𝑥 = 61.252
sin 26° sin 𝑥
𝐶 = 180 − 26 − 61.252 = 92.74815
150 𝑦
= ; 𝑦 = 341.78 𝑚 (𝐸)
sin 26° sin 92.74815°

40. Find the area of an equilateral triangle with a perimeter of 8.

8 8 3 12 − 8 3 4 3 16 16√3
𝑠= = 4; 𝐴 = √4 (4 − ) = √4 ( ) = √4 ( ) = = = 3.079
2 3 3 3 3√3 9