Printable · GCSE Higher · ages 14-16

Algebra worksheet — GCSE Higher

Fifteen questions across the algebra statements at Higher tier. Choose the non-calculator filter to rehearse Paper 1, which counts for a third of the marks.

Calculator

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

Algebra worksheet — GCSE Higher

Maths · GCSE Higher · Algebra · Calculator · 15 questions

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.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.
(a)6.4
(b)4
(c)5.2
(d)3.5
2.Amelia's mother is three times as old as Amelia. Four years ago her mother was five times as old as Amelia was then. Work out Amelia's age now.
(a)4
(b)2
(c)16
(d)8
3.By completing the square, find the turning point of the curve y = 3x² + 12x + 7.
y = 3x² + 12x + 7
(a)x = −2, y = 5
(b)x = −4, y = −41
(c)x = 2, y = −5
(d)x = −2, y = −5
4.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.
y = x
(a)2 and 3
(b)3 and 4
(c)4 and 5
(d)6 and 7
5.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
6.A regular hexagon has sides of length (x + 2) cm. Write down an expression, in terms of x, for the perimeter of the hexagon.
(a)6x + 12
(b)6x + 2
(c)x + 12
(d)8x
7.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
8.Explain why the equation 4x + 3 = 4x + 10 has no solution for x.
(a)Subtracting 4x gives 3 = 10, which is never true.
(b)x would have to be negative, but x must be positive.
(c)It's true for every x, so there are infinite solutions.
(d)x = 7, since 10 − 3 = 7.
9.A model rocket's height is given by h = −5t² + 20t, where h is in metres and t is in seconds. A student says the graph of h against t is n-shaped. Which statement gives the correct verdict on the SHAPE and the reason that settles it from the equation?
(a)Yes — the t² coefficient is negative, giving an n-shape.
(b)No — it is U-shaped, since height starts by increasing.
(c)No — the shape comes from the story, not the coefficient.
(d)Yes, but only because the rocket eventually lands.
10.Solve the inequality 2(3x − 1) ≥ 4x + 8.
(a)x ≥ 4.5
(b)x ≥ 5
(c)x ≥ 1
(d)x ≥ 20
11.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.
12.The formula connecting distance (d), speed (s) and time (t) is d = st. Make s the subject of the formula.
(a)s = t / d
(b)s = d / t
(c)s = d − t
(d)s = dt
13.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.
(a)t = 0 or t = 4
(b)t = 2
(c)t = 0
(d)t = 1 or t = 3
14.The iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = 5 − 3/xₙ is used with starting value x₀ = 2.5, so that x₁ is the value after the formula has been used once. Work out x₄ correct to 3 significant figures.
(a)3.80
(b)4.29
(c)4.30
(d)2.50
15.A company's weekly profit, in £, is modelled by y = f(x), where x is the number of weeks since launch. The graph of y = f(x) has a maximum at (10, 45000). A rival company uses the same marketing strategy but starts trading 6 weeks later and has fixed costs £8000 higher every week, so its profit is modelled by y = f(x − 6) − 8000. In which week does the rival's maximum weekly profit occur, and what is it?
(a)Week 16, £53,000
(b)Week 4, £37,000
(c)Week 16, £37,000
(d)Week 4, £53,000

Build your own mix at the worksheet builder.