Algebra worksheet — GCSE Foundation

1.Two numbers have a sum of 45. The larger number is 9 more than the smaller number. Form an equation using n for the smaller number, and solve it to find the larger number.

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.

3.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.

4.A car's speed-time graph shows the following: its speed increases steadily from 0 m/s to 20 m/s over the first 10 seconds, then stays constant at 20 m/s for the next 15 seconds. Work out the total distance travelled in the first 25 seconds.

5.A stack of firewood has 3 logs in the top layer. Each layer below has 4 more logs than the layer above it. Work out the number of logs in the 6th layer from the top.

6.A ball is thrown in the air. Its height, h metres, above the ground after t seconds is given in this table: when t = 0, h = 0; when t = 1, h = 15; when t = 2, h = 20; when t = 3, h = 15; when t = 4, h = 0. Use the table to find the two times, in seconds, at which the ball is at ground level.

7.The graph of P = 480 ÷ V shows how the pressure, P pascals, of a gas depends on its volume, V cm³, at constant temperature. Use the relationship to work out the volume when the pressure is 32 pascals, and then work out by how much the volume increases when the pressure drops to 24 pascals.

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.

9.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.

10.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.

11.A gardener charges a fixed fee of £15 plus £8 for each hour worked. The total charge, £T, for a job lasting h hours is given by T = 15 + 8h. Work out the charge for a job lasting 4 hours, and identify what kind of statement T = 15 + 8h is.

12.Kai writes the expression 8 − 3x + 5x² and says it has three terms. Ryan says it only has two terms because a number on its own is not a term. Work out the correct number of terms in the expression.

13.A quadratic graph y = ax² + bx + c has its turning point on the y-axis. Which statement about its roots must be true?

14.The braking distance of a car, in metres, is estimated using the formula d = 0.4v² + 6, where v is the speed in mph. A car travelling at 35 mph brakes. Work out the estimated braking distance.

15.Which expression is equivalent to 0.5(4x + 6) − x?