Algebra worksheet — GCSE Foundation

1.Look at the statement 2x + 5 = 17. Considering whether it is an expression, an equation, a formula, or an identity, which classification is correct?

2.A tree is 2 metres tall. Each year its height increases by 10% of its height at the start of that year. Work out the height of the tree after 3 years, giving your answer to 1 decimal place.

3.Four sequences are shown below. Sequence P: 4, 8, 16, 32, ... Sequence Q: 4, 8, 12, 16, ... Sequence R: 4, 7, 12, 19, ... Sequence S: 4, 9, 16, 25, ... Work out which of the sequences P, Q, R and S is geometric.

4.A formula is F = 4s. A pupil says that when s = 5 the value of F is 9, because they added 4 and 5 instead of multiplying. Work out the correct value of F when s = 5.

5.Which expression means the same as 3 × a × b?

6.A plumber charges a call-out fee of £30 plus £25 per hour worked. Work out the total charge for a job that takes 3 hours.

7.The formula for the energy stored in a stretched spring is E = (1/2)kx², where E is in joules, k is the spring constant in N/m and x is the extension in m. A spring with a spring constant of 40 N/m is stretched so that its extension is 0.3 m. Work out the energy stored in the spring.

8.A rectangle has length (2x + 5) cm and width (x − 2) cm. Work out an expression, in terms of x, for the perimeter of the rectangle. Give your answer in its simplest form.

9.A gas company charges a standing charge plus a rate per unit used. The total cost, y in pounds, for using x units is given by y = 0.15x + 20. Work out the cost of using 200 units.

10.A taxi company charges a £2.50 booking fee plus £1.80 per mile. A journey costs £15.10 in total. Work out the number of miles travelled.

11.The graph of W = 840 ÷ L shows how the width, W metres, of a rectangular field of area 840 m² depends on its length, L metres. Use the relationship to work out the width when the length is 35 m, and hence the perimeter of the field.

12.Three consecutive integers add up to 72. Using n for the smallest integer, form an equation and solve it to find the smallest of the three integers.

13.A rectangle has width x cm. Its length is 3 cm more than its width. The perimeter of the rectangle is 38 cm. Form an equation and solve it to find x.

14.A plumber charges a call-out fee of £30 plus £25 for each hour worked. The total bill for a job was £130. Work out how many hours the plumber worked.

15.The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2(l + w). One rectangle has l = 9 cm and w = 4 cm. A second rectangle has l = 6 cm and w = 5 cm. Work out how many cm greater the perimeter of the first rectangle is than the perimeter of the second.