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.

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Algebra worksheet — GCSE Higher

Maths · GCSE Higher · Algebra · Calculator · 15 questions

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1.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.
2.The iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = xₙ³ − 2 is used repeatedly, starting from x₀ = 2. Which of these describes what happens to the sequence of values as n increases?
(a)It stays constant, since x₀ = 2 is a fixed point.
(b)It oscillates between two fixed values.
(c)It converges to a fixed value close to 2.
(d)It diverges, growing rapidly without limit.
3.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?
(a)They always charge the same, since 3(2n + 4) = 6n + 12.
(b)It depends on the value of n, so it cannot be decided.
(c)Advert A is cheaper, since 3(2n + 4) = 6n + 4.
(d)Advert A is cheaper, since 3(2n + 4) = 2n + 7.
4.The iterative formula xₙ₊₁ = 12 ÷ (xₙ + 2) is used repeatedly, starting from x₀ = 1. Work out the value that xₙ approaches, correct to 2 decimal places.
(a)3.00
(b)6.00
(c)2.61
(d)4.00
5.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.
(a)−4.5
(b)50
(c)29.5
(d)8
6.A ferry's distance-time graph is a straight line from (0 minutes, 0 km) to (25 minutes, 15 km). Work out the ferry's speed in kilometres per hour.
(a)36 km/h
(b)14.4 km/h
(c)6.25 km/h
(d)0.6 km/h
7.The equation x² − x − 6 = 0 has roots x = 3 and x = −2. It can be rearranged as xₙ₊₁ = xₙ² − 6. This formula is used with starting value x₀ = 2.9, close to the root x = 3. Work out what happens to the sequence of values as n increases.
(a)The sequence settles towards x = 3
(b)The sequence stays constant at x = 2.9
(c)The sequence diverges, moving away from x = 3
(d)The sequence settles towards x = −2
8.The equation x³ − 3x − 4 = 0 has a root near x = 2. Four students each try a different iterative formula, all starting from x₀ = 2: xₙ₊₁ = ∛(3xₙ + 4); xₙ₊₁ = (xₙ³ − 4) ÷ 3; xₙ₊₁ = 4 ÷ (xₙ² − 3); xₙ₊₁ = xₙ³ − 2xₙ − 4. Only one of these formulas keeps producing values that settle near the root when it is repeated. Work out x₁, correct to 3 decimal places, for the formula that does this.
(a)2.154
(b)1.333
(c)0.000
(d)4.000
9.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.
(a)xₙ₊₁ = (9 + xₙ³)/4
(b)xₙ₊₁ = ∛(9 − 4xₙ³)
(c)xₙ₊₁ = ∛(9 − 4xₙ)
(d)xₙ₊₁ = ∛(9 + 4xₙ)
10.An exponential model has equation y = A × bˣ, where b > 1. Its graph passes through the points (1, 135) and (2, 405). Work out the value of A.
(a)45
(b)1
(c)135
(d)3
11.A population of bacteria doubles every 3 hours. It starts at 800. Work out the population after 9 hours.
(a)409,600
(b)8
(c)6,400
(d)3,200
12.Four sequences are shown below. Sequence P: 4, 8, 16, 32, ... Sequence Q: 4, 8, 12, 16, ... Sequence R: 4, 7, 12, 19, ... Sequence S: 4, 9, 16, 25, ... Work out which of the sequences P, Q, R and S is geometric.
(a)R
(b)Q
(c)P
(d)S
13.The equation x³ − 5x − 3 = 0 can be rearranged to give an iterative formula of the form xₙ₊₁ = ∛(…). Work out which one of these is a correct rearrangement.
(a)xₙ₊₁ = ∛(5xₙ + 3)
(b)xₙ₊₁ = ∛(5xₙ − 3)
(c)xₙ₊₁ = (5xₙ + 3) ÷ 3
(d)xₙ₊₁ = ∛(3xₙ + 5)
14.A rectangular photo has length (x + 3) cm and width x cm. Its area is 40 cm². Work out the value of x.
(a)x = −8
(b)x = 5
(c)x = 5 or x = −8
(d)x = 4
15.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.
(a)£13.20
(b)£15.50
(c)£34.20
(d)£16.70

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