Algebra worksheet — GCSE Higher

1.A van's value depreciates by 18% each year. After 2 years it is worth £5,379.20. Work out its value when it was new, correct to the nearest pound.

2.The curve y = x² − 3x. Use the chord between x = 1 and x = 4 to estimate the gradient of the curve at x = 2.5.

3.The equation x³ + 4x − 9 = 0 is to be solved by iteration. Work out which one of these iterative formulas comes from a correct rearrangement of that equation.

4.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.

5.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.

6.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.

7.Mia buys 3 identical notebooks and a pen costing £1.50. She pays a total of £9.90. Form an equation using n for the cost of one notebook, and solve it to find n.

8.A number, n, is tripled and then 4.5 is added. The result is 22.5. Form an equation and solve it to find n.

9.The formula for the perimeter of a rectangle is P = 2(l + w). One rectangle has l = 9 cm and w = 4 cm. A second rectangle has l = 6 cm and w = 5 cm. Work out how many cm greater the perimeter of the first rectangle is than the perimeter of the second.

10.A taxi firm charges a fixed fee of £3.50 plus £2.20 per mile. Work out the total cost of a journey of 6 miles.

11.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.

12.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?

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

14.The mean of four numbers is 12.5. Three of the numbers are 8, 15 and 19. Form an equation using n for the fourth number, and solve it to find n.

15.The equation x² − 3x − 7 = 0 can be solved using the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = √(3xₙ + 7). The starting value is x₀ = 4, so x₁ is the value after the formula has been used once. Work out x₃ correct to 3 decimal places.