ACT FORMULA SHEET

Arithmetic and Algebra

Properties of Exponents and Radicals
​​  aam  ​​ = an-m
n
an ∙ am = an+m __ (an)m = anm (ab)n = anbn

​​(__​  ab ​)n​​ = __
​ ​abn ​​ ​a1n  ​​ ​ ​a1-n  ​​  = an
__ ​​ = ​(​ __​  ab ​)n​​
​​(__​  ab ​)-n
n
a-n = ​ __
__ _ __ __
__ n __ ​√ a ​ 
n
__ __
1 n _ a ___ n __
m
 ​ 
√​​    b ​ ​​ = ​​  __   ​​ 
n
​​ √   a ​​ = a​​  n  ​​
n
​​     ab ​​ = n​​ √   a ​​ ∙ √​​    b ​​ 
√ n
 
​​ √  am ​​ = a​​  n ​​  
​   b ​ 
√

Generic Formulas _____

 

​ ​-b ± ​√2ab   -4ac ​ 

Quadratic Formula: For ax2 + bx + c = 0, x = ________
 
2
​​  ​ ​ Sum of Terms  ​​
Arithmetic Mean: _____________
  
  
Number of Terms

​ ​Desired Outcomes ​​
Event Probability: _____________
  
  
Possible Outcomes
Distance: Distance = Rate ∙ Time

New - Old
Percent Growth/Decay: Original(1 ± r1)(1 ± r2)... ​​  Old   
Percent Change: _______ ​​ ∙ 100%
In Percent Growth or Decay, r1, r2, ... are the
percents an amount is being changed by each
year, month, etc.

Arithmetic Sequence/Series Geometric Sequence/Series

a
Common Difference: d = an+1 - an ​ ​ an+1 ​​  
Common Ratio: r = ___
n

Find the nth term: an = a1 + (n - 1)d Find the nth term: an = a1r n -1

Sum the first n terms: Sn = a1 ​(

​ 1 - r )
1 - r n
​ ​n2 ​​ (a1 + an)
Sum the first n terms: Sn = __ ​  ___  ​ ​​

Counting and Ordering Properties of Logarithms

​ ​r!(nn!- r)!​​  
Combination (Order Doesn’t Matter): nCr = ______ loga ax = x

n! xloga y = loga y x
​ ​(n - r)!
Permutation (Order Does Matter): nPr = ______    ​​ 

Remember, n is the number of choices you logax + logay = loga(xy)

have, and r is how many you are going to
choose.
logax - logay = loga​​(​ _xy ​)​​

1
Geometry
The Circle
Area: A = πr2

Circumference: C = 2πr

Arc length: L(A,B) = ​ ​____

   ​​ ∙ 2πr
360°
θ

θ
Sector Area: AOB = ​ ​____
   ​​ ∙ πr 2
360°

Equation for circle with center (h, k) and radius r: (x - h)2 + (y - k)2 = r 2

Areas Volumes
Parallelogram: A = bh Cube: V = s3

Trapezoid: A = _​ ​12 ​​ (b1 + b2)h Rectangular Prism: V = lwh

Triangle: A = _​ ​12 ​​ bh Cylinder: V = πr 2 h

Cube: A = 6s 2 Sphere: V = _​ ​43 ​​πr 3

Angles Lines
y -y
Sum of Interior Angles: = 180(n - 2)˚ ​ ​x2 - x1  ​​
Slope of a Line: m = _____
2 1

180(n - 2)˚ x +x y +y
​ ​ n  ​​  
Each Interior Angle: = _______   ​​,  _____
​ ​ 1 2  2 
Midpoint: M = ( _____ ​ ​ 1 2  2 ​​ )
_____________
Sum of Exterior Angles: = 360˚  
Distance: d = √   2 - x1)2 + (y2 - y1)2 ​​
​  (x
  

360˚
Each Exterior Angles: = ___
​ ​ n ​​   

Pythagorean’s Theorem in 3D
d2 = a2 + b2 + c2

2
Trigonometry
Pythagorean Theorem
Pythagorean Theorem d2 = a2 + b2 + c2

Trigonometric Ratios
opposite leg hypotenuse A
sin A = _________
​ ​hypotenuse ​​   csc A = _________
​ ​opposite leg 
 ​​  

adjacent leg hypotenuse
cos A = _________
​ ​hypotenuse ​​   sec A = _________
​ ​adjacent leg 
 ​​   b c
opposite leg adjacent leg
tan A = _________
​ ​adjacent leg ​​   cot A = _________
​ ​opposite leg 
 ​​

C a B

sin θ (+) sin θ (+)

cos θ (−) cos θ (+)
tan θ (−) tan θ (+)

sin θ (−) sin θ (−)

cos θ (−) cos θ (+)
tan θ (+) tan θ (−)