Algebra worksheet — GCSE Foundation

1.A school trip costs a £15 deposit plus £9 per student for the coach. The total cost for a class is £186. Work out how many students went on the trip.

2.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.

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

4.The formula for the perimeter of a square is P = 4s, where s is the side length. Make s the subject of the formula.

5.The graph of t = 240 ÷ s shows how the time, t hours, taken for a car journey of 240 miles depends on its average speed, s mph. Use the relationship to work out the time taken when the average speed is 48 mph.

6.A ferry's distance-time graph is a straight line from (0 minutes, 0 km) to (25 minutes, 15 km). Work out the ferry's speed in kilometres per hour.

7.Yuki is y years old. Her brother is 4 years younger than Yuki. Write down an expression, in terms of y, for the brother's age in 5 years' time.

8.The graph of y = x² − 2x − 8 takes these values: when x = −2, y = 0; when x = −1, y = −5; when x = 0, y = −8; when x = 3, y = −5; when x = 4, y = 0. Use these values to write down the two solutions of x² − 2x − 8 = 0.

9.A mobile phone tariff charges a fixed £15 plus 20p for every minute of calls made, so the total monthly charge, £C, for m minutes of calls is given by C = 15 + 0.2m. In a month where Ali's charge was £46.60, work out how many minutes of calls he made.

10.Point R has coordinates (3, −5). Point R is reflected in the line y = 2 to point S. Write down the coordinates of S.

11.The formula connecting speed, distance and time is v = s ÷ t. Work out v, in km/h, when s = 180 and t = 4.

12.Which of these is an equation, rather than an expression, a formula or an identity?

13.The diagram shows a distance–time graph for a cyclist travelling at a constant speed, for the first 6 minutes of a journey. Distance is in kilometres and time is in minutes. Work out how far the cyclist would travel in 20 minutes at the same speed.

14.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.

15.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.