Name: ____________________ Class: __________( ) Date: __________

Junior Secondary Foundation Topics Supplement

2. Formulae, Identities, Equations, Inequalities, Rate and Ratio

Exercise 2A Conventional Questions  Exam Tips

1. Make b the subject of the formula 2 + a(b + 1) = 2 – b. 1. When removing brackets, do not
write a(b + 1) as ab + 1.

2. Consider the formula 5(2x – 3y + 4) = 35y.

(a) Make x the subject of the above formula.
(b) If the value of y is increased by 1, how will the value of x be
changed?

8b + 5
3. Consider the formula = 2b.
a+3
(a) Make a the subject of the above formula.
Explain (b) If b > 0, is the value of a greater than 1? Explain your answer.

2x + y 1
4. It is given that = .
x + 4y 2
(a) Express x in terms of y.
Explain (b) If y and 25 – xy are both positive integers, how many possible
values of y are there? Explain your answer.

22 x − 17
5. (a) Solve the inequality ≤ 4x.
3
(b) Write down the greatest integer satisfying the inequality in (a).

9x
6. (a) Solve the inequality > 3x + 5.
2
Explain (b) Is there a negative number satisfying the inequality in (a)? Explain
your answer.

7. If p and q are constants such that x2 – (3 + q)x + q ≡ (x – p)(x + 4) + 33,

find the values of p and q.

8. Solve a + 2b = 4a + 3b = 5. 8. Note that A = B = C means

 A = C or  A = B or  B = A
 B = C C = B C = .
   A

9. A mathematics contest paper consists of 20 questions. 3 marks are given 9. In setting up an equation, any
symbol(s) used should be defined.
for a correct answer. 2 marks are deducted for a wrong answer. No mark
is deducted for a question not answered. Herman takes part in the
contest and gets 23 marks. If the number of questions he answers
correctly and the number of questions he does not answer are equal,
find the number of questions he answers wrongly.

© Oxford University Press 2012 W02-1

 Name: ____________________ Class: __________( ) Date: __________
9x − 6 y
10. If x and y are non-zero numbers such that = 4, find x : y.
x + 3y

11. If x, y and z are non-zero numbers such that 3z = 4y and z = 3x, find
(x + y) : (x + z).

12. The scale of a map is 1 : 500 000. If the length of a road on the map is 12. Note that 1 km = 100 000 cm.

14 cm, find the actual length of the road in km.

13. The actual height of a solid right circular cylindrical pillar is 17.5 m.
The figure shows a scale drawing of the pillar. In the drawing, the
height of the pillar is 7 cm and its base radius is 3 cm.

3 cm

7 cm

(a) Find the scale of the drawing.

(Give the answer in the form 1 : n.)
Explain (b) Jason claims that the actual volume of the pillar is not less than 13. (b) Find the actual base radius and
volume of the pillar. Then,
800 m3. Do you agree? Explain your answer. draw a conclusion.

14. The ratio of the weight of a bag of candies to the weight of a pack of 14. Do not think that the ratio of the
weight of a bag of candies to the
biscuits is 5 : 8. The total weight of 6 bags of candies and 5 packs of weight of a pack of biscuits is 8 : 5.

biscuits is 7 kg. Find the weight of a pack of biscuits.

15. When a drama performance begins, the ratio of the number of male
audience to the number of female audience is 8 : 9. 20 minutes later,
15 male and 8 female latecomers are admitted to watch the performance
so that the number of male audience and the number of female audience
are the same.
(a) Find the number of male audience and the number of female
audience when the performance begins.
Explain (b) The theatre company has a certain number of $100 coupons with a 15. (b) Find the total value or the total
number of the coupons needed.
total value of $12 000. Does the theatre company have enough Then, draw a conclusion.

$100 coupons to give each of the audience a $100 coupon? Explain

your answer.

© Oxford University Press 2012 W02-2

 Name: ____________________ Class: __________( ) Date: __________
16. The costs of coffee beans of brand A and coffee beans of brand B are
$20/kg and $14/kg respectively. x kg of coffee beans of brand A and
y kg of coffee beans of brand B are mixed so that the cost of the mixture
is $15/kg.
(a) Find x : y.
Explain (b) Is the cost of the mixture obtained by mixing 2x kg of coffee beans
of brand A and y kg of coffee beans of brand B greater than
$16/kg? Explain your answer.

17. The figure shows the graph for a ship travelling from pier A to pier D
(via pier B and pier C) in a morning. The journey is divided into three
parts: Part I (from A to B), Part II (from B to C) and Part III (from C to
D).
Distance travelled (km)

D 54

C 40

A 0
10:00 10:16 10:40 11:12
Time
Explain (a) For which part of the journey is the average speed the highest? 17. (a) The slope of a line segment in
the graph represents the
Explain your answer. average speed of that part of
the journey.
(b) If the average speed for Part II of the journey is 42.5 km/h, find the 17. (b) Do not treat 16 minutes as
0.16 h.
distance between pier A and pier B.
(c) Find the average speed for the ship travelling from pier A to pier D
in m/s.

18. The figure shows the graph for a car travelling from place P to place Q
and then from place Q back to place P during the period 9:00 to 10:45
in a morning. It is given that the time needed for the car to travel from P
to Q is 25% less than that from Q to P.

Q 42
Distance from
place P (km)

P 0
9:00 10:45
Time
(a) Find the average speed of the car during the period in km/h.
(b) When does the car arrive at place Q? 18. (b) ‘A is k% less than B’ means
that A = B(1 – k%).

© Oxford University Press 2012 W02-3

 Name: ____________________ Class: __________( ) Date: __________
19. The figure shows the graphs for Kitty and Wilson cycling at constant
speeds on the same straight road between place A and place C during
the period 4:00 to 4:15 in an afternoon. Wilson cycles from place C to
place A via place B. Kitty cycles from place B to place C. It is given
that place A and place C are 4.5 km apart.
Distance from place A

C 4.5
(km)

Kitty

B 1.5 Wilson
A 0
4:00 4:15
Time

(a) Find the speeds of Kitty and Wilson during the period in km/min.
(b) When does Wilson arrive at place B?
(c) When Wilson arrives at place B, what is the distance between
Wilson and Kitty?
(d) When do Kitty and Wilson meet during the period? 19. (d) When they meet, the distance
between Kitty and place A =
the distance between Wilson
and place A.
20. The figure shows the graphs for Fred and Jane running on the same
straight road between place S and place W during the period 1:00 to
2:18 in an afternoon. Fred runs at a constant speed and meets Jane at
place T. Place S and place T are 2 km apart.
Distance from place S (km)

W
Fred

Jane

T 2

S 0
1:00 1:16 1:24 1:48 2:18
Time

(a) What is the distance between place S and place W? 20. (a) Do not treat the period of time
from 1:00 p.m. to 2:18 p.m. as
(b) How long does Jane rest during the period? 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Explain (c) Is the average speed of Jane during the period 1:48 p.m. to 20. (c) Percentage increase
new − original
2:18 p.m. increased by 20% when compared with the average value value
= × 100%
speed of Jane during the period 1:00 p.m. to 1:16 p.m.? Explain original value

your answer.

© Oxford University Press 2012 W02-4

Name: ____________________ Class: __________( ) Date: __________

Junior Secondary Foundation Topics Supplement

2. Formulae, Identities, Equations, Inequalities, Rate and Ratio

Exercise 2B MC Questions 5. If m and n are constants such that

1. If 10 − 7p = 3q, then p = (x – 3)(2x + 1) ≡ m(x2 + 1) – n(x + 1), then
A. q. A. m = 2 and n = 5.
3q + 10 B. m = 2 and n = –5.
B. .
7 C. m = –2 and n = 5.
− 3q + 10
C. . D. m = –2 and n = –5.
7
− 3q − 10
D. . 6. If r and s are constants such that
7
x2 – 2r ≡ (x + 3)(x – s) – 7, then r =
2. If K = ST + L, then S = A. 1.
K B. 3.
A. + L.
T C. 5.
K+L
B. . D. 8.
T
K
C. −L. 7. Let a and b be constants. If
T
K −L a(x – 1)2 + b(2x – 4)2 ≡ 4x2 – 32x + 40, then b =
D. .
T A. –8.
B. 1.
1+ x x C. 2.
3. If = , then a =
1− a a
D. 3.
A. x.
x
B. . 8. If 2a + b – 5 = 2b – 3a = 4, then a – b =
1+ x
2x A. –3.
C. .
1+ x B. 2.
x C. 3.
D. .
1+ 2 x D. 5.

4. The age of Ken is y, which is less than the age 9. The number of S3 classes in a school is 5. The
of May by 30. If the sum of the squares of the total number of S3 students is 195. Each class
two ages is less than the square of the sum of has the same number of students. In each class,
the two ages by 128, then there are 5 fewer boys than girls. Find the
2 2 2
A. y + (y + 30) = (2y + 30) + 128. number of S3 boys in the school.
2 2 2
B. y + (y + 30) = (2y + 30) – 128. A. 17
2 2 2
C. y + (y – 30) = (2y – 30) + 128. B. 22
2 2 2
D. y + (y – 30) = (2y – 30) – 128. C. 85
D. 110

© Oxford University Press 2012 W02-5

Name: ____________________ Class: __________( ) Date: __________
10. The solution of 3(1 – x) – 4 ≥ 5 is 15. A factory produces 4 725 pieces of computer
A. x ≤ −2. chips a day for the first 5 days of a month and
B. x ≥ −2. 2 700 pieces of computer chips a day for the
C. x ≤ −4. next 4 days. Find the production rate of the
D. x ≥ −4. computer chips of the factory for the 9 days in
pieces/day.
11. Find the greatest integer satisfying A. 825 pieces/day
3 x + 10
3x – 4 < . B. 1 620 pieces/day
2
A. 4 C. 3 600 pieces/day

B. 5 D. 3 825 pieces/day

C. 6
D. 7 16. A car travels for 6 hours. The average speed
of the car for the first 4 hours is 48 km/h. If

12. If x and y are real numbers and x > 0 > y, then the average speed of the car for the 6 hours is

which of the following must be true? 56 km/h, find the average speed of the car for

I. x2 > y2 the last 2 hours.

II. x2 > xy A. 60 km/h

1 1 B. 64 km/h
III. >
x y C. 72 km/h
A. I only D. 88 km/h
B. II only
C. I and III only 17. The scale of a map is 1 : 20 000. If the length
D. II and III only and the width of a rectangular garden on the
map are 4.8 cm and 3 cm respectively, then
13. Let m and n be non-zero constants. If the actual area of the garden is
m+n
= 8, then m : n = A. 0.057 6 km2.
2m − 3n
A. 3 : 5. B. 0.576 km2.

B. 4 : 15. C. 57.6 km2.

C. 5 : 3. D. 5 760 km2.
D. 15 : 4.

14. Let α and β be non-zero constants. If

(α + β) : (α – β) = 9 : 5, then α : β =
A. 1 : 2.
B. 2 : 1.
C. 2 : 7.
D. 7 : 2.

© Oxford University Press 2012 W02-6