PSAT Math Grid-In Answers Can Equal Zero?

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1

<p>I used to think a Grid-In Answer could never be zero; this question changed my mind.
If (a-10b)^2=a^2+ 100b^2, what is a^2b^4</p>

<p>That just made the PSAT a whole lot harder. Or is it just common sense that if: a -b + c = a + c one would assume that a^2b^4 would be zero?</p>

2

<p>(a - 10b)^2 foils to a^2 - 20ab + 100b^2 not a^2 + 100b^2. So a or b must be equal to 0. </p>

<p>If we assume that a = 0 then 0^(2b^4). 0 to any non-zero power is 0.</p>

<p>If we assume b = 0, a^((2*0)^4) = a^(0^4) = a^0 and any non-zero number raised to the 0 power is one. so when b = 0, a^(2b^4) = 1.</p>

<p>So the answer is either 1 or 0. But there’s not enough information to know which answer they want.</p>

3

<p>Yes PSAT Grid-in allows zeros.</p>

4

<p>A grid-in answer of zero occurred on the May 2011 SAT. But these are very unusual.</p>