Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

Section A

1. In an arithmetic sequence, u1 = 2 and u3 = 8.

(a) Find d.
(2)

(b) Find u20.

(2)

(c) Find S20.

(2)
(Total 6 marks)

2. Let f(x) = 3 ln x and g(x) = ln 5x3.

(a) Express g(x) in the form f(x) + ln a, where a +

.
(4)

(b) The graph of g is a transformation of the graph of f. Give a full geometric description of this
transformation.
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

3. (a) Expand (2 + x)4 and simplify your result.

(3)

1
(b) Hence, find the term in x2 in (2 + x)4 1 2 .
x
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

4. Let f(x) = log3 x , for x > 0.

(a) Show that f1(x) = 32x.

(2)

(b) Write down the range of f1.

(1)

Let g(x) = log3 x, for x > 0.

(c) Find the value of (f 1 g)(2), giving your answer as an integer.

(4)
(Total 7 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

5. Solve log2x + log2(x 2) = 3, for x > 2.

(Total 7 marks)

6. The first three terms of an infinite geometric sequence are 32, 16 and 8.

(a) Write down the value of r.

(1)

(b) Find u6.

(2)

(c) Find the sum to infinity of this sequence.

(2)
(Total 5 marks)

9e x ex
7. Let A = x .
e e 3 x

(a) Find an expression for det A.

(2)

(b) Find the value of x for which A has no inverse. Express your answer in the form a ln b,
where a, b .
(5)
(Total 7 marks)

10
8. The fifth term in the expansion of the binomial (a + b)n is given by p 6 (2q) 4 .
4

(a) Write down the value of n.

(1)

(b) Write down a and b, in terms of p and/or q.

(2)

(c) Write down an expression for the sixth term in the expansion.
(3)
(Total 6 marks)

9. (a) Find log2 32.

(1)

32 x
(b) Given that log2 y can be written as px + qy, find the value of p and of q.

8
(4)
(Total 5 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

10. Let f(x) = k log2 x.

(a) Given that f1(1) = 8, find the value of k.

(3)

2
(b) Find f1 .
3
(4)
(Total 7 marks)

11. Consider the arithmetic sequence 2, 5, 8, 11, ....

(a) Find u101.

(3)

(b) Find the value of n so that un = 152.

(3)
(Total 6 marks)

12. Consider the infinite geometric sequence 3, 3(0.9), 3(0.9)2, 3(0.9)3, .

(a) Write down the 10th term of the sequence. Do not simplify your answer.
(1)

(b) Find the sum of the infinite sequence.

(4)
(Total 5 marks)

13. In an arithmetic sequence u21 = 37 and u4 = 3.

(a) Find

(i) the common difference;

(ii) the first term.

(4)

(b) Find S10.

(3)
(Total 7 marks)

14. Let un = 3 2n.

(a) Write down the value of u1, u2, and u3.

(3)

20
(b) Find (3 2n) .
n 1
(3)
(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

15. Consider the infinite geometric sequence 25, 5, 1, 0.2, .

(a) Find the common ratio.

(b) Find

(i) the 10th term;

(ii) an expression for the nth term.

(c) Find the sum of the infinite sequence.

(Total 6 marks)

16. Given that p = loga 5, q = loga 2, express the following in terms of p and/or q.

(a) loga 10

(b) loga 8

(c) loga 2.5

(Total 6 marks)

17. Consider the expansion of the expression (x3 3x)6.

(a) Write down the number of terms in this expansion.

(b) Find the term in x12.

(Total 6 marks)

18. One of the terms of the expansion of (x + 2y)10 is ax8 y2. Find the value of a.
(Total 6 marks)

19. The first four terms of a sequence are 18, 54, 162, 486.

(a) Use all four terms to show that this is a geometric sequence.
(2)

(b) (i) Find an expression for the nth term of this geometric sequence.

(ii) If the nth term of the sequence is 1062 882, find the value of n.
(4)
(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

20. (a) Write down the first three terms of the sequence un = 3n, for n 1.
(1)

(b) Find

20
(i) 3n ;
n 1

100
(ii) 3n .
n 21
(5)
(Total 6 marks)

4
1
21. (a) Expand e in terms of e.
e
(4)

4 4
1 1
(b) Express e + e as the sum of three terms.
e e
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

22. (a) Let logc 3 = p and logc 5 = q. Find an expression in terms of p and q for

(i) log c 15;

(ii) log c 25.

1
(b) Find the value of d if log d 6 = .
2
(Total 6 marks)

23. Consider the infinite geometric series 405 + 270 + 180 +....

(a) For this series, find the common ratio, giving your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.

(b) Find the fifteenth term of this series.

(c) Find the exact value of the sum of the infinite series.
(Total 6 marks)

24. Let ln a = p, ln b = q. Write the following expressions in terms of p and q.

(a) ln a3b

a
(b) ln

b
(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

25. A theatre has 20 rows of seats. There are 15 seats in the first row, 17 seats in the second row, and
each successive row of seats has two more seats in it than the previous row.

(a) Calculate the number of seats in the 20th row.

(b) Calculate the total number of seats.

(Total 6 marks)

26. A sum of $5000 is invested at a compound interest rate of 6.3% per annum.

(a) Write down an expression for the value of the investment after n full years.

(b) What will be the value of the investment at the end of five years?

(c) The value of the investment will exceed $10000 after n full years,

(i) Write down an inequality to represent this information.

(ii) Calculate the minimum value of n.

(Total 6 marks)

27. Let Sn be the sum of the first n terms of an arithmetic sequence, whose first three terms are u1, u2
and u3. It is known that S1 = 7, and S2 = 18.

(a) Write down u1.

(b) Calculate the common difference of the sequence.

(c) Calculate u4.

Working:

Answers:

(a) ..................................................................

(b) ..................................................................

(c) ..................................................................

(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

28. Consider the expansion of (x2 2)5.

(a) Write down the number of terms in this expansion.

(b) The first four terms of the expansion in descending powers of x are

x10 10x8 + 40x6 + Ax4 + ...

Find the value of A.

Working:

Answers:
(a) ..................................................................
(b) ..................................................................
(Total 6 marks)

29. Find the exact solution of the equation 92x = 27(1x).

Working:

Answer:

..............

(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

30. (a) Given that log3 x log3 (x 5) = log3 A, express A in terms of x.

(b) Hence or otherwise, solve the equation log3 x log3 (x 5) = 1.

Working:

Answers:

(a) ..................................................................

(b) ..................................................................

(Total 6 marks)

31.
Given that 3 7
3
= p + q 7 where p and q are integers, find

(a) p;

(b) q.

Working:

Answers:

(a) .................................................
(b) .................................................
(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

32. Let p = log10 x, q = log10 y and r = log10 z.

x
Write the expression log10 2 in terms of p, q and r.

y z

Working:

Answer:

..
(Total 6 marks)

33. The following table shows four series of numbers. One of these series is geometric, one of the
series is arithmetic and the other two are neither geometric nor arithmetic.

(a) Complete the table by stating the type of series that is shown.

Series Type of series

(i) 1 11 111 1111 11111
3 9 27
(ii) 1
4 16 64
(iii) 0.9 0.875 0.85 0.825 0.8
1 2 3 4 5
(iv)
2 3 4 5 6

(b) The geometric series can be summed to infinity. Find this sum.

Working:

Answer:

(b) ..
(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

34. Let a = log x, b = log y, and c = log z.

x2 y
Write log 3 in terms of a, b and c.
z

Working:

Answer:

........
(Total 6 marks)

35. Given that log5 x = y, express each of the following in terms of y.

(a) log5 x2

(b) log5 1
x

(c) log25 x

Working:

Answers:

(a) ..................................................................
(b) ..................................................................
(c) ..................................................................

(Total 6 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

36. Arturo goes swimming every week. He swims 200 metres in the first week. Each week he swims
30 metres more than the previous week. He continues for one year (52 weeks).

(a) How far does Arturo swim in the final week?

(b) How far does he swim altogether?

Working:

Answers:

(a) ..................................................................
(b) ..................................................................
(Total 6 marks)

1
37. Solve the equation log9 81 + log9 + log9 3 = log9 x.
9

Working:

Answer:

.......................................................................

(Total 4 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

38. Each day a runner trains for a 10 km race. On the first day she runs 1000 m, and then increases the
distance by 250 m on each subsequent day.

(a) On which day does she run a distance of 10 km in training?

(b) What is the total distance she will have run in training by the end of that day? Give your
answer exactly.

Working:

Answers:

(a) ..................................................................
(b) ..................................................................

(Total 4 marks)

39. Find the sum of the infinite geometric series

2 4 8 16 ...
3 9 27 81

Working:

Answer:

......................................................................

(Total 4 marks)
Topic 1 Algebra Paper 1

Section B

40. Solve the following equations.

(a) logx 49 = 2
(3)

(b) log2 8 = x
(2)

1
(c) log25 x =
2
(3)

(d) log2 x + log2(x 7) = 3

(5)
(Total 13 marks)