Printable · GCSE Higher · ages 14-16

Gradients and areas under graphs worksheet — GCSE Higher

Fifteen questions on "gradients and areas under graphs" — DfE statement A15. Print it, or print three versions so neighbours cannot copy by letter; the key gives the letter for each version.

Higher only

VersionsA only A + B A + B + Csame questions, different order

AnswersQuestions only With answer key Key only

CalculatorMixed Non-calculator (Paper 1)Calculator (Papers 2 and 3)

New sheet

Gradients and areas under graphs worksheet — GCSE Higher

Maths · GCSE Higher · A15 · Gradients and areas under graphs · 15 questions

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.A cyclist accelerates uniformly from rest to 6 m/s in 4 seconds, travels at a constant 6 m/s for 10 seconds, then decelerates uniformly to rest in 3 seconds. Work out the total distance the cyclist travels.
(a)102 m
(b)93 m
(c)81 m
(d)72 m
2.The trapezium rule is used to estimate the area under a curve between x = 2 and x = 6. The curve is concave up (it curves upwards, like the inside of a bowl) throughout this interval. Which statement about the estimate is correct?
(a)Overestimates — trapezium edges lie above the curve.
(b)Underestimates — trapezium edges lie below the curve.
(c)Exact — straight lines model any curve with no error.
(d)Overestimates, because more strips always increase it.
3.The table shows the speed, in m/s, of a car at times, in seconds, all 2 seconds apart: 0 at t = 0, 3 at t = 2, 8 at t = 4, 15 at t = 6, 24 at t = 8. A student uses the trapezium rule with these five readings to estimate the distance the car travels. By finding the second differences of the speed values, decide whether this trapezium estimate is an overestimate or an underestimate of the true distance.
(a)Underestimate — second differences are constant.
(b)Overestimate — the speed values are increasing.
(c)Underestimate — the curve bends upward (convex).
(d)Overestimate — the curve bends upward (convex).
4.A speed-time graph shows a constant speed of 15 m/s for 20 seconds. Work out the distance travelled, using the area under the graph.
(a)7.5 m
(b)1.33 m
(c)35 m
(d)300 m
5.A cyclist's velocity increases from 3 m/s to 11 m/s over 5 seconds, at a constant rate. Work out the cyclist's acceleration, in m/s².
(a)0.625 m/s²
(b)1.6 m/s²
(c)8 m/s²
(d)2.2 m/s²
6.A tap fills a tank at a varying rate. A graph shows the rate of flow, in litres per minute, against time, in minutes. What does the area under this graph represent?
(a)The rate at which the flow rate changes, in litres/min².
(b)The total volume of water, in litres, that has flowed in.
(c)The average rate of flow, in litres per minute.
(d)The total time taken to fill the tank, in minutes.
7.A tram travels between two stops. Its velocity-time graph consists of straight line segments joining the points (0, 0), (5, 20), (12, 20), (16, 4) and (20, 4), where time is in seconds and velocity is in m/s. Work out the average speed of the tram over the whole 20 seconds. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
(a)15.1 m/s
(b)12.7 m/s
(c)12.1 m/s
(d)11.9 m/s
8.The table shows the height, in metres, of a firework rocket at various times, in seconds, during its flight: 40 at t = 2, 54 at t = 3, and 60 at t = 4. Use the chord between t = 2 and t = 4 to estimate the gradient of the height-time graph at t = 3, stating the correct units.
(a)14 m/s
(b)10 m
(c)10 m/s
(d)0.1 s/m
9.On a distance-time graph, a horizontal line segment shows a period when the graph's gradient is 0. What does this tell you about the journey during that time?
(a)The object was decelerating
(b)The object was travelling at a constant, non-zero speed
(c)The object was stationary (not moving)
(d)The object was travelling at its maximum speed
10.A bath is filled with water; the graph of volume (litres) against time (minutes) is a curve, since the flow rate changes. The tangent to the curve at t = 10 minutes passes through the points (8, 130) and (12, 190), and the volume in the bath at t = 10 minutes is 160 litres. Use the gradient of this tangent to estimate the volume in the bath 5 minutes after t = 10 minutes.
(a)190 litres
(b)235 litres
(c)85 litres
(d)75 litres
11.The area under a speed-time graph between t = 0 and t = 6 seconds is estimated using three strips of equal width, using the speeds, in m/s, at t = 0, 2, 4 and 6: 0, 5, 9 and 12. Using the trapezium rule with these three trapezia, estimate the distance travelled.
(a)28 m
(b)80 m
(c)52 m
(d)40 m
12.A car accelerates uniformly from rest at 2.5 m/s² until it reaches a speed of 20 m/s, then travels at this constant speed for a further 30 seconds. Work out the total distance travelled.
(a)900 m
(b)760 m
(c)240 m
(d)680 m
13.A car's speed, in m/s, during a journey is: 0 at t = 0 s, 8 at t = 4 s, and 8 (constant) from t = 4 s to t = 10 s, increasing at a constant rate between t = 0 and t = 4. Estimate the total distance the car travels, using the areas of a triangle and a rectangle.
(a)48 m
(b)40 m
(c)64 m
(d)80 m
14.Two students each use the trapezium rule to estimate the area under the same curve between x = 0 and x = 8. Student A uses 4 strips of width 2. Student B uses 8 strips of width 1. Which estimate is more likely to be closer to the true area, and why?
(a)Student A's — fewer strips means fewer rounding errors.
(b)Student B's — narrower strips fit the curve more closely.
(c)They are always the same; the trapezium rule is exact.
(d)Student A's — wider strips give a better average height.
15.The table shows the rate at which water flows from a tank, in litres per minute, over a 6-minute period: 12 at t = 0 min, 12 at t = 2 min, 3 at t = 5 min, and 0 at t = 6 min. Between t = 0 and t = 2 the rate is constant. Between t = 2 and t = 5, and between t = 5 and t = 6, the rate decreases at a constant rate in each section. Estimate the total volume of water that has flowed out, using the areas of a rectangle and two trapeziums.
(a)48 litres
(b)24 litres
(c)49.5 litres
(d)36 litres

Build your own mix at the worksheet builder.