The Ultimate Formula Sheet for ACT Math

The ACT does not provide any formulas. Be prepared by making sure to have these ones memorized.

Fractions, Decimals, & Percentages: (for this section, r is the percent in decimal form)

part part Simple Interest: =

A P(1 + rt )
Fraction = ; Percent =
whole 100
Interest Compounded Annually: =
A P(1 + r )t
old − new
Percent Increase or Decrease: ×100% Interest Compounded n times per year:
old nt
 r
Increase by a percent: multiply by (1 + r ) =
A P 1 + 
 n 
Decrease by a percent: multiply by (1 − r )

Rates, Ratios, & Proportions:

General form of a conversion factor: (Concentration of A x Volume of A)

 ending _ units  + (Concentration of B x Volume of B)
  = Final concentration (Vol. of A + Vol. of B)
 starting _ units 
Distance = Rate x Time
 12inches 
Example: 10feet   = 120inches
 1foot 

Exponents, Roots, & Polynomials:

( a)
b
a b +c
Multiplication Rule for Exponents: ab ⋅ ac = b
Fractional Exponents: a c = c ab or c

ab
Division Rule for Exponents: = a b −c
ac i= −1 ; i 2 = −1 ; i 3 = −i ; i 4 = 1

( ) i 4 n = 1 ; i 4 n+1 = i ; i 4 n+2 = −1 ; i 4 n+3 = −i

c
Power Rule for Exponents: ab = abc
Complex Conjugates: (a + bi )(a − bi )
1 −b
Negative Exponents: a = b
a

Parabolas:

Standard Form: f ( x ) = ax 2 + bx + c ; Discriminant = b2 − 4ac ; Pos=2 real roots

 b  b  Zero= 1 real root; Neg=2 imaginary roots

vertex=  − , f  −   ;
 2a  2a   Factored Form: f ( x ) =a( x − m)( x − n) ;
y-intercept = c; x-intercepts are m and n;

−b ± b2 − 4ac m+n
x-intercepts = x-coordinate of vertex =
2a 2

−b Vertex Form: f ( x ) = a( x − h)2 + k ;

Sum of solutions =
a
vertex = (h, k )

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Difference of Squares: a2 − b2 =(a + b)(a − b)

Sum of Cubes: a3 + b3 =(a + b)(a2 − ab + b2 ) Difference of Cubes: a3 − b3 =(a − b)(a2 + ab + b2 )

Perfect Square Trinomial: a2 + 2ab + b2 =( a + b ) and a2 − 2ab + b2 =( a − b )

2 2

2 2
b  b
Completing the Square: x 2 + bx +   =  x + 
2  2

Graphing Lines:

y 2 − y1 Standard Form: Ax + By =
C
Slope Formula: m =
x2 − x1
Slope-Intercept Form:=
y mx + b
Slope of horizontal line = 0
Point-Slope Form: y − y1 = m( x − x1 )
Slope of vertical line = undefined
Distance Formula: d= ( x2 − x1 )2 + (y 2 − y1 )2

 x + x y +y 
Midpoint Formula: M =  1 2 , 1 2 
 2 2 

Parallel lines: equal slopes

⊥ Lines: slopes are opposite reciprocals

Parent Graphs & Transformations:

y=x y= x y = x2 y = x3 y = ax y= x

The Ultimate Formula Sheet for ACT Math ©2020, Test Prep for Success LLC
 Transformation Visual effect
f (x) + k Shift up by k units
f (x) − k Shift down by k units
f ( x + h) Shift left by h units
f ( x − h) Shift right by h units
−f ( x ) Reflect over the x axis (flip upside down)
cf ( x ) Stretch vertically by a factor of c (becomes skinnier)

1 Shrink vertically by a factor of c (becomes fatter)

f (x)
c
Data & Probability:

sum _ of _ items Probability that independent events A and B will

Average =
number _ of _ items both happen: P( A = B) P( A)× P(B)

Median = center data point Probability that either A or B will happen:

P( A  B) = P( A) + P(B) − P( A  B)
Mode = most frequent data point
n

Range = maximum – minimum Expected Value: E( x ) = ∑ xi P( xi )

i =1

desired _ outcomes
Probability =
possible _ outcomes

Angles:

Vertical ∠’ s are ≅ ∠’ s that form a circle add up to 360°

∠’s that form a linear pair are supplementary (add When ∥ lines are cut by a transversal, all acute ∠’ s
up to 180°) are ≅ and all obtuse ∠’ s are ≅

Triangles:

1 Special Right Triangles:

Area of a Triangle: A = bh
2

The three ∠’ s of a ∆ add up to 180°

An exterior ∠ is equal to the sum of the two

remote interior ∠’ s

Pythagorean Theorem: a2 + b2 =
c2

Pythagorean Triples: 3-4-5 and 5-12-13

Circles:

Area of a Circle: A = π r 2 Circumference of a Circle: C = 2π r

A radius and tangent make a A central ∠ is double the

right ∠ inscribed ∠

The Ultimate Formula Sheet for ACT Math ©2020, Test Prep for Success LLC
 x arc x sec tor
= and = where x = central angle
360 circumference 360 area _ of _ circle

Polygons: (for this section, n is the number of sides)

Area of a Rectangle: A = lw 180(n − 2)

One int. ∠ of a regular polygon:
n
1
Area of a trapezoid: (b1 + b2 )h
2 n(n − 3)
# of diagonals: (convex only)
2
Sum of the exterior angles: 360°

Sum of the interior angles: 180(n − 2)

Properties of Parallelograms:

1. Opp sides are ∥ and ≅ 5. Diagonals bisect each other

2. Opp ∠’ s are ≅ If they are ≅ it is a rectangle

3. Consec ∠’s are supplementary If they are ⊥ it is a rhombus

4. Each diagonal forms a pair of ≅∆’s = base × height

6. Area

Solids:

Volume of a Rectangular Prism (Box): V = lwh 4

Volume of a Sphere: V = π r 3
3
Surface Area of a Box: SA= 2(lw + lh + wh)
1
Volume of a Cylinder: V = π r 2 h Volume of a Cone: V = π r 2 h
3

SA 2π r 2 + 2π rh
Surface Area of a Cylinder:= 1
Volume of a Pyramid: V = lwh
3

Trigonometry:

opp adj opp 1 1 1

sin = cos = tan = csc( x ) = sec( x ) = cot( x ) =
hyp hyp adj sin( x ) cos( x ) tan( x )

sin x
360°=2π radians tan x = sin2 x + cos2 x =
1 =
sin( x ) cos(90 − x )
cos x

a b c
Law of Sines: = = Law of Cosines: a2 = b2 + c 2 − 2bc cos( A)
sin A sin B sin C

y = sin( x ) y = cos( x ) y = tan( x )

The Ultimate Formula Sheet for ACT Math ©2020, Test Prep for Success LLC
=
If y A sin(Bx − C ) + D (also for cos, csc, and sec)

2π C
Amplitude: A Period: Phase Shift: Vertical Shift: D
B B

=
If y A tan(Bx − C ) + D (also for cot)

π C
Amplitude: none Period: Phase Shift: Vertical Shift: D
B B

Sequences and Series: where a1 = first term, n = number of terms, d = common difference, r = common ratio

Arithmetic sequence: an = a1 + (n − 1)d Geometric sequence: an = a1 r n−1

n a1 (r n − 1)
Sum of an arithmetic series:=
Sn ( a1 + an ) Sum of a geometric series: Sn =
2 r −1

Logarithms:

log a
If log b a = x , then b x = a log b a =
log b
 
Vector Addition: a + b= a2 + b2 + 2ab cosθ

Matrix Multiplication: Only possible when columns of first = rows of second

 A B   E F   AE + BG AF + BH 
 × = 
 C D   G H   CE + DG CF + DH 

A B
Determinant of  = AD − BC
C D

Conic Sections:

Circle: ( x − h)2 + (y − k )2 =
r 2 , where (h,k) is the center and r is the radius

( x − h)2 (y − k )2
Ellipse: + =
1 where (h,k) is the center, 2a is the horizontal axis, and 2b is the vertical axis
a2 b2

Horizontal Ellipse: a=
2
b2 + c 2 Vertical Ellipse: b=
2
a2 + c 2 where c is the distance from center to focus

( x − h)2 (y − k )2 (y − k )2 ( x − h)2
Horizontal Hyperbola: − =
1 Vertical Hyperbola: − =
1
a2 b2 a2 b2

The Ultimate Formula Sheet for ACT Math ©2020, Test Prep for Success LLC