New Century Mathematics (Second Edition)

S3 Question Bank
3A Chapter 2 Laws of Indices

Level 3

<code=10111087>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2A><type=L3><mark=6><title=10111087><content>
Simplify the following expressions and express the answers with positive indices.
(All the letters in the expressions represent non-zero numbers.)
(a) (k 5  k 2  2k 3 ) 3
( 5b 2 ) 3
(b)
b  2  ( 2b)  2
(6 marks)
Solution:
(a) (k 5  k 2  2k 3 ) 3 = ( k 5  2  2k 3 ) 3
1M
= ( k 3  2k 3 ) 3
= ( k 3 ) 3
= ( 1) 3 k 3  ( 3) 1M
=  k9 1A

( 5b 2 ) 3 (5)3 b 2  3
(b) =
b  2  ( 2b)  2 b 2  2 2 b  2
1M
 125b 6
=
(1  2  2 )b  2
 125b 6  ( 2 )
= 1 1M
1 2
2
 125b8
= 5
4
=  100b 8 1A
<end>

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3A Chapter 2 Level 3 P.50

<code=10111119>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2A><type=L3><mark=11><title=10111119><content>
Simplify the following expressions and express the answers with positive indices.
(All the letters in the expressions represent non-zero numbers.)

(a) x  x3  x5 x  x 3  x 5

x 1  x 3  x 5 x 1  x 3  x 5
8
 81 y 5  5z 5
(b)  3
 
 z  [ 27( y 2 z ) 2 ]10
(11 marks)
Solution:
x  x3  x5 x  x 3  x 5 x(1  x 2  x 4 ) x 3 ( x 4  1  x 8 )
(a)  =  1M
x 1  x 3  x 5 x 1  x 3  x 5 x 5 ( x 4  x 2  1) x 5 ( x 4  x 8  1)
x x 3
= 
x 5 x 5
= x1  ( 3)  ( 5)  ( 5) 1M+1M
= x8 1A

8 8
 81 y 5  5z 5  34 y 5  5z 5
(b)  3   =  3  
 z  [ 27( y 2 z ) 2 ]10  z  [33 ( y 2 z ) 2 ]10
1M
34  ( 8) y 5  ( 8) 33  10 ( y 2 z ) 2  10
=  1M+1M+1M
z  3  ( 8 ) 5z5
332 y 40 330 y 2  20 z 20
= 
z 24 5z5
332  30 y 40  40 z 20  24  5
=
5
32 y 0 z 9
=
5
1
= 1M+1M
3  5  z9
2

1
= 1A
45 z 9
<end>

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3A Chapter 2 Level 3 P.51

<code=10111169>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2A><type=L3><mark=7><title=10111169><content>
It is given that p, q and k are non-zero integers.
p k

(a) Simplify 
4   8 
  2.5    .
q

 25   125 
p k

(b) Suggest two sets of values of p, q and k such that 

4   8 
  2.5    = 1.
q

 25   125 
(7 marks)
Solution:
p q k
p k
 2 2   5   23 
(a)    2.5q  
4 8 
 =  2       3  1M
 25   125  5  2 5 
2p q 3k

=        
2 2 2
1M
5 5 5
2 p  q  3k

=  
2
1A
5

p k
(b) From the result of (a), when 2p – q + 3k = 0,  4   2.5q   8  = 1. 1M
 25   125 
When p = 1, q = –1 and k = –1,
2p – q + 3k = 2(1) – (–1) + 3(–1) = 0 1M
When p = 4, q = –1 and k = –3,
2p – q + 3k = 2(4) – (–1) + 3(–3) = 0
∴ The required two sets of values are p = 1, q = –1, k = –1; p = 4, q = –1, k = –3.
(or other reasonable answers) 1A+1A
<end>

<code=10111205>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2B><type=L3><mark=9><title=10111205><content>
The government of city A imports water from cities X and Y. The water supply from city X is
1.52 km3, while the water supply from city Y is 9.5  108 m3 more than that from city X. It is given
that the population of city A is 7.5  106 and the average yearly water consumption per person is
4.56  104 L. The government of city A claims that if the population remains unchanged, the total
water supply from cities X and Y is enough for 11 years of consumption for the people in city A.
Do you agree? Explain your answer.
(Hint: 1 m3 is equal to 1 000 L.)
(9 marks)
Solution:
Total water consumption in 11 years = (4.56  104)  (7.5  106)  11 L 1M
© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3A Chapter 2 Level 3 P.52
 = (4.56  7.5  11)  104 + 6 L 1M
= 376.2  1010 L
= 3.762  1012 L 1A
Volume of water supply from city X = 1.52  103  103  103 m3 1M
= 1.52  109 m3
Volume of water supply from city Y = (1.52  109 + 9.5  108) m3 1M
= (1.52  109 + 0.95  109) m3 1M
= (1.52 + 0.95)  109 m3
= 2.47  109 m3
Total volume of water supply from cities X and Y = (1.52  109 + 2.47  109) m3
= (1.52 + 2.47)  109 m3
= 3.99  109 m3
= 3.99  109  1 000 L
= 3.99  109  103 L
= 3.99  109 + 3 L
= 3.99  1012 L 1A
∵ 3.99  10 > 3.762  10
12 12
1M
∴ The claim is agreed. 1A
<end>

✂ <code=10111234>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2C><type=L3><mark=10><title=✂ 10111234><content>
It is given that n is a digit between 1 and 9.
(a) Show that (n816)2 = (n2 + n)  162 + 4  16.
(b) (n816)2 can be expressed as a four-digit hexadecimal number with leftmost digit 1. Find all the
possible four-digit hexadecimal numbers.
(10 marks)
Solution:
(a) (n816)2 = (n  16 + 8  1)2 1M
= (16n + 8)2
= (16n)2 + 2(16n)(8) + 82 1M
= n  16 + 16(16n) + 64
2 2

= n2  162 + n  162 + 4  16
= (n2 + n)  162 + 4  16
∴ (n816 ) 2  (n 2  n) 162  4  16 1A

(b) From (a), (n816)2 = (n2 + n)  162 + 4  16………(*)

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3A Chapter 2 Level 3 P.53
 According to the question, (n816)2 can be expresed as a four-digit hexadecimal number with
leftmost digit 1. Therefore, we can write (n816)2 = 1  163 + p  162 + 4  16 + 0  1, where
p is an integer between 0 and 15, i.e. (n816)2 = (16 + p)  162 + 4  16. 1M
2 2
Comparing with (*), we have n + n = 16 + p, i.e. p = n + n – 16.
When n = 1, p = 12 + 1 – 16 = –14 < 0
When n = 2, p = 22 + 2 – 16 = –10 < 0
When n = 3, p = 32 + 3 – 16 = –4 < 0 



1M



When n = 4, p = 42 + 4 – 16 = 4




When n = 5, p = 52 + 5 – 16 = 14
When n = 6, p = 62 + 6 – 16 = 26 > 15

∴ p can be 4 or 14. 1A+1A
When p = 4, (n816) = (16 + 4)  16 + 4  16
2 2
1M
= 1  163 + 4  162 + 4  16 + 0  1
= 144016
When p = 14, (n816)2 = (16 + 14)  162 + 4  16
= 1  163 + 14  162 + 4  16 + 0  1
= 1E4016
∴ The possible four-digit hexadecimal numbers are 144016 and 1E4016. 1A+1A
<end>

✂ <code=10111277>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2D><type=L3><mark=7><title=✂ 10111277><content>
It is given that D2F16  110012 = x – 3816, where x is a binary number. Find x.
(7 marks)
Solution:
D2F16 = 13  162 + 2  16 + 15  1 1M
= 3 328 + 32 + 15
= 3 37510
110012 = 1  24 + 1  23 + 0  22 + 0  2 + 1  1 1M
= 16 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 1
= 2510
3816 = 3  16 + 8  1
= 48 + 8
= 5610
∵ D2F16  110012 = x – 3816
∴ 3 37510  2510 = x – 5610 1M
x = 19110 1A

2) 191

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3A Chapter 2 Level 3 P.54

 2) 95 …… 1
2) 47 …… 1
2) 23 …… 1
2) 11 …… 1
2) 5 …… 1
2) 2 …… 1
1 …… 0 1M+1A
∴ x = 10111111 2 1A
<end>

✂ <code=10111306>
<bk=3A><ch=2><ex=2D><type=L3><mark=7><title=✂ 10111306><content>
David and Alice have some marbles. The number of marbles that David has is 8 times that of
Alice. The total number of their marbles can be represented by a binary number such that each of
its digits is 1. Find the least possible number of marbles that David has.
(7 marks)
Solution:
Let n be the number of marbles that Alice has.
Then David has 8n marbles. 1M
Total number of their marbles = n + 8n
= 9n, which is a multiple of 9 1M
According to the question, the total number of marbles that David and Alice have can be
represented by a binary number such that each of its digit is 1.
Therefore, the number can be 12, 112, 1112, 11112, … 1M
Binary number Denary number
12 1
112 21 + 1 = 3
1112 22 + 21 + 1 = 7
1M
11112 23 + 22 + 21 + 1 = 15
111112 24 + 23 + 22 + 21 + 1 = 31
1111112 25 + 24 + 23 + 22 + 21 + 1 = 63
 
From the above table, 63 is the smallest possible denary number that is a multiple of 9. 1A
∴ 9n = 63
n=7
∴ The least possible number of marbles that David has = 8  7 1M
= 56 1A
<end>

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3A Chapter 2 Level 3 P.55