Algebra worksheet — GCSE Foundation

1.A hiker's distance-time graph shows the following: he walks 5 km in the first 1 hour at a steady speed, rests for 1 hour, then walks a further 9 km in the next 2 hours, also at a steady speed. Work out his average speed for the whole journey, in km/h.

2.The formula for the circumference of a circle is C = 2πr, where r is the radius. Make r the subject of the formula.

3.A sequence has the position-to-term rule: the nth term is 3n. Write down the first four terms of the sequence.

4.The graph of y = x² − 2x − 8 crosses the x-axis at x = −2 and x = 4. Work out the x-coordinate of the turning point of the curve, using the symmetry of the graph.

5.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.

6.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.

7.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.

8.The point (−4, 7) is moved 4 units to the right and 9 units down. Write down the coordinates of the point it reaches.

9.The perimeter, P, of a rectangle with length l and width w is calculated using P = 2l + 2w. What kind of mathematical statement is P = 2l + 2w?

10.Which expression is equivalent to 6x − (2x − 5)?

11.A park is drawn on a grid in which 1 unit represents 1 km. The car park is at the point (0, 0) and the lake is at the point (3, 5). Work out the direct distance, in km, from the car park to the lake, giving your answer to 1 decimal place.

12.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.

13.A water tank empties according to y = −5x + 200, where y is the number of litres left after x minutes. Work out the coordinates of the point where this graph crosses the x-axis.

14.Work out the coordinates of the reflection of (6, −3) in the y-axis.

15.Harry will spend at most £150 on a party. The cake costs £60 and each helium balloon costs £3. Solve an inequality to find all the possible numbers of balloons, x, that he can buy.