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.A circular pond has equation x² + y² = 20, with lengths in metres from the centre of the garden. A straight path runs along the line y = 2x, entering the pond and leaving it again. Work out the coordinates of the two points where the path meets the edge of the pond.

3.Point R has coordinates (3, −5). Point R is reflected in the line y = 2 to point S. Write down the coordinates of S.

4.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.

5.A cuboid has a square base of side x metres and a height that is 3 m more than x. Its volume is 150 m³. This gives the equation x³ + 3x² − 150 = 0, which can be solved using the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = ∛(150 − 3xₙ²). Taking x₀ = 4, work out x₂ correct to 2 decimal places.

6.A company's weekly profit, P thousand pounds, when it makes x thousand items is modelled by P = x² − 8x + 12, for x ≥ 0. Work out the values of x for which the company makes a loss.

7.The equation x³ = 6x + 20 can be solved using the iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = ∛(6xₙ + 20). Taking x₀ = 3, x₁ = 3.3620 correct to 4 decimal places. Using the full unrounded value of x₁, work out x₂ correct to 3 decimal places.

8.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.

9.A bacteria colony doubles every 4 hours and its size is recorded only every 4 hours. The recorded population 20 hours after the start is 9,600. After how many hours did the recorded population first exceed 1,000?

10.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.

11.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.

12.The iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = √(2xₙ + 15) is used repeatedly, starting from x₀ = 1. Work out the value that xₙ approaches, correct to 2 decimal places.

13.A taxi company charges a £2.50 booking fee plus £1.80 per mile. A journey costs £15.10 in total. Work out the number of miles travelled.

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

15.A train's distance-time graph shows it travelling 100 km at a steady speed in the first 1.5 hours, waiting at a signal for 0.25 hours, then travelling a further 47 km in 0.75 hours. Work out the average speed for the whole journey, correct to 1 decimal place.