SAT Practice Test 9 Math Section 2 Question 18. One gallon of paint will cover 170 square feet

One gallon of paint will cover 170 square feet of surface. A yard has a total fence area of w square feet. Which equation represents the total amount of stain S, in gallons, needed to stain the fence in this yard twice? This problem is a classic plug in. It's an absolute gift at the end of Section 2, in the midst of some very hard problems. Plugging is always easier and faster than algebra. Use it whenever you can. It turns hard algebra into simple arithmetic. It’s the best way to increase your score. All you do is plug in numbers for the letters. Any numbers will work. Use numbers that work with the problem and make your life easy. Here, the easiest thing to do is just to use 170 for w square feet because a gallon paint covers 170 square feet. Most students who start with high SAT scores love plugging in. They immediately see how awesome it is, and how it saves time and trouble. Most students who start with a low SAT score also love plugging in. Interestingly, it’s students who start around 600 in math who often resist plugging in. Don’t be that guy. **PLUG IN WHENEVER YOU CAN ON MEDIUM AND HARD PROBLEMS!!**