Printable · GCSE Foundation · ages 14-16

Forming and solving equations from situations worksheet — GCSE Foundation

Fifteen questions on "forming and solving equations from situations" — DfE statement A21. Print it, or print three versions so neighbours cannot copy by letter; the key gives the letter for each version.

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Forming and solving equations from situations worksheet — GCSE Foundation

Maths · GCSE Foundation · A21 · Forming and solving equations from situations · Non-calculator · 15 questions

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1.Oliver buys b pens. Each pen costs £2. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pounds.
(a)2b
(b)b + 2
(c)2b + 2
(d)b/2
2.The mean of four numbers is 12.5. Three of the numbers are 8, 15 and 19. Form an equation using n for the fourth number, and solve it to find n.
(a)−4.5
(b)50
(c)29.5
(d)8
3.Ethan is 10 years old and his father is 40 years old. Work out how many years ago Ethan's father was seven times as old as Ethan.
(a)24
(b)35
(c)5
(d)30
4.A scout leader is 44 years old and one of the scouts is 16 years old. Work out how many years it will be until the leader is exactly twice as old as the scout.
(a)6 years
(b)12 years
(c)14 years
(d)28 years
5.Explain why the equation 4x + 3 = 4x + 10 has no solution for x.
(a)Subtracting 4x gives 3 = 10, which is never true.
(b)x would have to be negative, but x must be positive.
(c)It's true for every x, so there are infinite solutions.
(d)x = 7, since 10 − 3 = 7.
6.Grace has t books. Noah has 1 book fewer than Grace. Write down an expression for the number of books Noah has.
(a)t + 1
(b)t − 1
(c)1 − t
(d)t
7.A square has sides of length y cm. Write down an expression for the perimeter of the square.
(a)2y
(b)y + 4
(c)y²
(d)4y
8.Harry is 14 years old and Mia is 8 years old. Will Harry ever be exactly twice as old as Mia? Give a reason for your answer.
(a)No — it has never happened and never will
(b)Yes — when Harry is 20
(c)No — that moment has already passed
(d)Yes — when Harry is 16
9.Priya buys b balloons for a party. Each balloon costs 15p. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pence.
(a)b − 15
(b)b + 15
(c)b/15
(d)15b
10.Leo is three times as old as his brother. His brother is x years old. Write down an expression for Leo's age.
(a)3x
(b)x − 3
(c)x/3
(d)x + 3
11.A taxi charges a fixed fee of £3 plus £2 for every mile travelled. The journey is m miles. Write down an expression for the total cost, in pounds.
(a)2 + 3m
(b)3 + 2m
(c)5 + m
(d)5m
12.A cinema sells adult tickets for £10 and child tickets for £6. A family group buys 9 tickets in total, spending £74. Work out how many adult tickets were bought.
(a)7.4
(b)1.25
(c)5
(d)4
13.A box contains 6 chocolates. Write down an expression for the total number of chocolates in c boxes.
(a)6c
(b)6 + c
(c)c ÷ 6
(d)c − 6
14.Jack is x years old. His brother Kwame is 3 years older than Jack. Write down an expression for Kwame's age.
(a)x + 3
(b)3 − x
(c)x − 3
(d)3x
15.Two brothers have ages that add up to 30. The elder brother is 6 years older than the younger brother. Work out the age of the younger brother.
(a)24
(b)18
(c)15
(d)12

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