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 · Non-calculator · 15 questions

MathsUKwww.geekhero.co.uk

1.The height, h metres, of a ball t seconds after a stopwatch is started follows h = (t − 1)(5 − t) for 1 ≤ t ≤ 5, where h = 0 means the ball is at ground level. Work out the two times at which the ball is at ground level.
(a)t = 1 second and t = 4 seconds
(b)t = 1 second and t = −5 seconds
(c)t = 1 second and t = 5 seconds
(d)t = −1 second and t = 5 seconds
2.Solve the simultaneous equations 4x + 3y = 25 and 4x − y = 1. Work out the value of y.
(a)6
(b)4
(c)12
(d)−6
3.A rectangular lawn is 4 m longer than it is wide. Its area is 96 m². Work out the length of the lawn.
(a)8 m
(b)24 m
(c)16 m
(d)12 m
4.A ribbon of length L metres is cut into 5 equal pieces, and then 3 metres is removed from one piece. Write down an expression, in metres, for the length of that piece after 3 metres is removed.
(a)5/L − 3
(b)(L − 3)/5
(c)L/5 − 3
(d)L − 3/5
5.A straight line passes through the points (2, 5) and (4, 11). Work out the gradient of the line.
(a)8/3
(b)−3
(c)3
(d)1/3
6.Write down the expression that means the same as m² × m × 3.
(a)m⁶
(b)m³
(c)3m²
(d)3m³
7.Three consecutive integers add up to 72. Using n for the smallest integer, form an equation and solve it to find the smallest of the three integers.
(a)25
(b)24
(c)21
(d)23
8.Solve the inequality 4x + 1 > 2x + 9.
(a)x > 5
(b)x < 5
(c)x < 4
(d)x > 4
9.Two numbers have a sum of 45. The larger number is 9 more than the smaller number. Form an equation using n for the smaller number, and solve it to find the larger number.
(a)27
(b)22.5
(c)18
(d)36
10.A market trader builds a display of oranges in a rectangular block. The block is n oranges wide and 4 oranges longer than it is wide. The number of oranges needed is 5 when n = 1, 12 when n = 2, 21 when n = 3, 32 when n = 4, and 45 when n = 5. Work out an expression, in terms of n, for the number of oranges needed for a display of width n.
(a)7n − 2
(b)n² + 4n
(c)2n² + 4n
(d)n²
11.Line P has equation y = −2x + 5 and line Q has equation 2y = x + 6. Are lines P and Q perpendicular to each other?
y = -2x + 5y = x + 6
(a)Yes — the gradients multiply to −2 × 1/2 = −1.
(b)No — the product is −1, but perpendicular needs 1.
(c)No — Q's gradient is 2, and −2 × 2 = −4, not −1.
(d)Yes — both equations have a negative x-term.
12.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.
(a)x < 2 or x > 6
(b)2 < x < 6
(c)−6 < x < −2
(d)2 ≤ x ≤ 6
13.A ramp rises 3 m over a horizontal distance of 12 m. Work out the gradient of the ramp.
(a)0.25
(b)4
(c)9
(d)36
14.The formula for the volume of a cuboid is V = lwh, where l is the length, w is the width and h is the height. Make h the subject of the formula.
(a)h = Vlw
(b)h = V − lw
(c)h = V / (lw)
(d)h = lw / V
15.A market stall's cost of hiring n tables is modelled by two formulas: Formula A: C = 3(2n + 5); Formula B: C = 6n + 15, where C is in pounds. A stallholder says the two formulas always give the same cost. Work out the cost given by each formula when n = 4, and use your results to decide whether the stallholder is correct.
(a)Formula A gives £39 and Formula B gives £39, but the stallholder is wrong because the two formulas use a different number of terms.
(b)Formula A gives £29 and Formula B gives £39, so the stallholder is wrong.
(c)Formula A gives £39 and Formula B gives £39, but this is only true when n = 4, so the stallholder is wrong.
(d)Formula A gives £39 and Formula B gives £39, and since 3(2n + 5) expands to 6n + 15 for every value of n, the stallholder is correct.

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