Algebra – Solutions

19 15 403 7 b3
1. a) − b) c) d) e) 1 f ) 2 g) 32
12 2 175 2 c
√ √
2. a) 16 5 − 11 21
√ √ √
b) 70 5 − 16 210 + 21 3
c) −38
3. a) −x3 + 8x2 − 18x + 1
2a − 2b
b)
a+b
c) (x + 5)3 or to be pedantic |x + 5|3
21x3 y 2 z 4 + 9y 4 z 2 + 5x
d)
15x2 z
√
x2 + 5x + 10 + x
4.
5
a−2
5. a)
a−3
x(x − 4)(x + 4) + 1
b)
x(x − 2)
6. a) No solutions
b) x = 6, y = −14
c) All points on 2y + 10x = 3 are solutions

Worked Solutions
2 1 5 8 3 30 19
1. (a) + − = + − =−
3 4 2 12 12 12 12
5 5 8 5 20 5 40 45 15
(b) + · = + = + = =
6 2 3 6 3 6 6 6 2
 −2
5 6 5 4 15 28 375 403
(c) + · = + = + =
2 7 2 25 7 175 175 175

1
 (d)
"  2 #− 12 "   12 #−2  − 21  −2
3 25 9 5
1− + 1− = 1− + 1−
5 9 25 3
 − 12  −2
16 2
= + −
25 3
5 9
= +
4 4
14
=
4
7
=
2

(e)
  13 !3  − 23  3  − 23
7 8 |3 − π| − (π − 12) 7 2 (π − 3) − (π − 12)
+ = +
3 27 |1 − 2| 3 3 2−1
3
= 33 · 9− 2
= 33 · 3−3
=1

1
!4  −2 8 1
ac−3 a2 a−2 c6 a2 b 3 b 3 c6 b3
  
a2
(f) 2 1 = 8 1 = 8 · 2 = 2
b− 3 c2 b6 b− 3 c8 b− 3 c a c
(g)
2
1000 3 − 1 11−1 100 − 1 25 99 32
2 0
· −5 = · = · = 32
3 +2·7 −2 4 2 9 + 2 − 2 11 9 11

2. (a)
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
3 180 + 4 45 − 7 84 + 189 − 2 245 = 3 36 × 5 + 4 9 × 5 − 7 4 × 21 + 9 × 21 − 2 49 × 5
√ √ √ √ √
= 18 5 + 12 5 − 14 21 + 3 21 − 14 5
√ √
= 16 5 − 11 21

(b)
√  √ √ √  √ √ √ √

7 5 140 − 8 120 + 3 21 = 7 5 4 × 7 × 5 − 8 4 × 30 + 3 7 × 3
√  √ √ √ 
= 7 10 7 × 5 − 16 30 + 3 7 × 3
√ √ √
= 70 5 − 16 210 + 21 3

(c)
 √ √  √ √  √ √ √ √ √ √
2 3 + 5 2 2 3 − 5 2 = (2 3)2 − 2 3 × 5 2 + 5 2 × 2 3 − (5 2)2
√ √
= (2 3)2 − (5 2)2
= 12 − 50
= −38

2
3. (a)

(x + 1)(x − 2) + (x − 1)(x + 1)(x − 3) − 2x(x2 − 5x + 8)

= (x2 − x − 2) + (x2 − 1)(x − 3) − 2x(x2 + 5x + 8)
= x2 − x − 2 + x3 − 3x2 − x + 3 − 2x3 + 10x2 − 16x
= −x3 + 8x2 − 18x + 1

(b)
(a − b)(2a + b) + 3b(b − a) (a − b)(2a + b) − 3b(a − b) (a − b)(2a + b − 3b) 2a − 2b
= = =
(a − b)2 − 2b(b − a) (a − b)2 + 2b(a − b) (a − b)(a − b + 2b) a+b

(c)
1 1
(x2 + 10x + 25)− 2 · (x + 5)4 = ((x + 5)2 )− 2 · (x + 5)4 = (x + 5)−1 (x + 5)4 = (x + 5)3
1
To be pedantic, ((x+5)2 )− 2 = |x+5|−1 because the square root always returns a positive
number. Hence |x + 5|−1 (x + 5)4 is always going to be non-negative implying that their
product is actually |x + 5|3 .
(d)

28x2 y 3 z 5 + 12x−1 y 5 z 3 1 7x2 y 3 z 5 + 3x−1 y 5 z 3 1

2
+ = +
20xyz 3xz 5xyz 2 3xz
7x2 y 2 z 4 + 3x−1 y 4 z 2 1
= +
5xz 3xz
21x2 y 2 z 4 + 9x−1 y 4 z 2 + 5
=
15xz
21x3 y 2 z 4 + 9y 4 z 2 + 5x
=
15x2 z
4.
√ √
x+2 x2 + 5x + 10 + x (x + 2)( x2 + 5x + 10 + x)
√ ·√ =
x2 + 5x + 10 − x x2 + 5x + 10 + x x2 + 5x + 10 − x2
√
(x + 2)( x2 + 5x + 10 + x)
=
5(x + 2)
√
2
x + 5x + 10 + x
=
5

5. (a)
a 2 14 a 2 14
− − = − −
a − 3 a − 4 a2 + a − 12 a − 3 a − 4 (a + 4)(a − 3)
a(a + 4) − 2(a − 3) − 14
=
(a + 4)(a − 3)
2
a + 4a − 2a + 6 − 14
=
(a + 4)(a − 3)
2
a + 2a − 8
=
(a + 4)(a − 3)
(a + 4)(a − 2)
=
(a + 4)(a − 3)
a−2
=
a−3

3
 (b)

x2 − x − 12 x−2 1 (x − 4)(x + 3) (x + 4)(x − 1) 1

÷ + = · +
x2 + 2x − 3 x2 + 3x − 4 x2 − 2x (x + 3)(x − 1) x−2 x(x − 2)
(x − 4)(x + 4) 1
= +
x−2 x(x − 2)
x(x − 4)(x + 4) + 1
=
x(x − 2)

6. (a)
y
y = 2x + 4, −3=x
2
Substituting x from the second equation into the first equation we get
y 
y=2 −3 −3
2
y =y−6−3
0 = −9

Obviously the last line is false, thus the system of equations has no solutions. This is the
same as saying the two lines never intersect which can be verified graphically, on Desmos
for example.
(b)
5x + 2y = 2, 4x + y = 10
From the second equation we get y = 10 − 4x which we can substitute into the first
equation to find

5x + 2(10 − 4x) = 2
5x + 20 − 8x = 2
−3x = −18
x=6

Since x = 6 and y = 10 − 4x, we find y = 10 − 4(6) = −14.

(c)
3
y= − 5x, 2y + 10x = 3
2
Multiplying the first equation by 2, we see that it is the same as the second equation.
Thus the solutions to this system are exactly the points on the (singular) line dictated
by the equations.