Algebra worksheet — GCSE Higher

1.A photo printing service has two adverts for its price. Advert A: cost in pounds = 3(2n + 4) for n photos. Advert B: cost in pounds = 6n + 12. A customer says the two adverts always charge the same amount. Is the customer correct?

2.Solve the inequality 6.3x + 1.8 ≤ 40. Hence write down the greatest number with exactly one decimal place that satisfies the inequality.

3.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?

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

5.A coastguard radar at the origin covers a circular region modelled by x² + y² = 400, where each unit represents 1 kilometre. A boat travels along the straight line that touches the boundary of the region at the point (12, 16). Work out the equation of the line the boat travels along.

6.Work out the value of 4p² − 3 when p = 2.5

7.Solve 5x² − 15x = 0.

8.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.

9.Six years ago Harry was three times as old as his brother Leo. Harry is now 24 years old. Work out Leo's age now.

10.f(x) = x³ − 3x − 20, and the equation f(x) = 0 has exactly one solution. Work out the pair of consecutive integers between which that solution lies.

11.The equation 7x = x² + 3 can be solved using the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = (xₙ² + 3) ÷ 7. Taking x₀ = 0.4, x₁ = 0.4514 correct to 4 decimal places. Using the full unrounded value of x₁, work out x₂ correct to 3 decimal places.

12.A closed cylinder has radius r cm and height (r + 5) cm. Its volume is 300 cm³, giving the equation πr²(r + 5) = 300, which can be solved using the iterative formula rₙ₊₁ = √(300 ÷ (π(rₙ + 5))). Taking r₀ = 3, work out r₃ correct to 2 decimal places.

13.A car's journey is represented by a velocity-time graph. The total distance travelled, found from the area under the graph, is 350 metres, and the total time for the journey is 25 seconds. Work out the car's average speed for the whole journey, in m/s.

14.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.

15.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.