Topic 2: Exercise 1

1. Solve for :

a) 5 x 2 − 2 x = 0

b) 3 x 2 + 5 x − 3 = 0

c) 7 − 18 < −8

2. Solve this equation by completing the square: x 2 + 6 x − 55 = 0

3. Solve for and if:

x + 2 y − 3 = 0 and x 2 − y 2 − x − y = 0

4. Find an equation with roots of 7 and − which has an x term with a coefficient of 26. Write you
answer in the form ax 2 + bx + c = 0

x−4
5. Consider the fraction: 2
2 x + 3 x − 14
a) For which value(s) of x is the fraction = 0 ?

b) For which value(s) of x is the fraction undefined?

c) For which value(s) of x is the fraction non-real?
6. A landscaper has 30 metres of fencing to enclose a client’s swimming pool. If he uses the existing
wall as part of the enclosure, calculate the possible value(s) of .

− +

− +

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Solutions

1. a)

b)

c) 7 − 18 < −8

∴7 − 18 + 8 < 0 + 0 – 0 +

∴ 7 −4 −2 <0 2

4
∴ < <2
7

2.

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3.

4. −7 2 +1 0

2 − 13 − 7 0

2 − 13 − 7 . −2 0. −2

−4 + 26 + 14 0
5. a) 4

b) 2 + 3 − 14 0
2 +7 −2 0
7
− 2
2
c) <4

6. − + 30 − +2 − 4 + 10 30

− + 30 − +2 − 8 + 20 30

− 9 + 20 0

−5 −4 0
∴ 5 4
∴ 4

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Topic 2: Exercise 2
1. Solve for , with answers correct to two decimals where necessary:

a) 5 + 18 − 8 = 0

b) 3 − 2) = 2 + 2)

c) ≥3

2. Solve for and simultaneously:

− 2 = 3 and −3 + = −9

3. If P= √ + 5 + , for which value(s) of will P be real?

4. If one solution to the equation ax 2 − 9 x + 10 = 0 is 2 , find a and the other root.

5. James struggles to get up in the morning, so he has to run to school to avoid arriving late. In the
afternoon he walks back home. One day he noticed that if the distance from his house to school has a
numerical value of km, then:
* the speed at which he runs to school has a value of + 4 km/h, and
* the speed at which he walks back home has a value of − 2 km/h.

a) How long does James take to run to school (in terms of )?

b) How long does James take to walk home from school (in terms of )?
c) James takes 2 hours and 6 minutes altogether to get to school and back. (There are 60 minutes in
1 hour. At what distance does James live from his school?

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Solutions
1. a) 5 + 18 − 8 = 0
∴ 5 − 2) + 4) = 0

∴ = or = −4

b) 3 − 2) = 2 + 2)

∴3 −6=2 +4

∴3 − 2 − 10 = 0

− −2) ± −2) − 4 3) −10)

∴ =
2 3)
∴ = 2,19 or = −1,52

c) ≥3

5 −1
∴ −3≥0
−4
5 − 1 − 3 − 4)
∴ ≥0
−4
∴ ≥0

+ 0 – ? +
∴ ≥0 −5 4

∴ ≤ −5 or 4<

2. − 2 = 3 (1) and −3 + = −9 (2)

∴ =3+2 (3)
Substitute (3) in (2)

∴ 3+2 ) −3 3+2 )+ = −9

∴ 9 + 12 + 4 −9 −6 + +9=0

∴ 18 + 3 − =0
∴ 6− ) 3+ )=0
∴ =6 or = −3
∴ = 15 or = −3

3. ≥ −5 ≠3

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4.

5. a)

b)

c) + = 2

=
20
0 + 20 − 21 − 42 + 168 = 0
+ 22 − 168 = 0
+ 28) − 6) = 0

∴ = 6 km

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Topic 2: Exercise 4
1. Solve for , with answers correct to two decimals where necessary:

a) 2 + 5 = 12

b) ( − 7)( + 2) = 6

c) 3 +5 −2≥0

d) ( )
≥1

2. Consider the following equation: − √13 − =

a) For what value(s) of will H be real?
b) If = 7, solve for .

3. Solve for and simultaneously:

a) =2− and + + =3

b) 2 + = 13 and 125 = 25

4. Determine the values of for which the roots of the equation −2 +3 = −1 will be real.
5. Mrs Brooks has two photocopiers in the printing room. She knows that it will take 4 hours to
photocopy all the Maths exams for the whole school if she is using both machines. The new (faster)
photocopy machine takes 45 minutes less than the old machine to complete the job if each
photocopier was working independently (on its own). Calculate how many hours it would take the
new (faster) photocopier to complete the job if the old machine was broken.

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Solutions
1. a) 2 + 5 − 12 = 0
(2 − 3)( + 4) = 0
3
= −4
2
b) − 5 − 14 = 6

− 5 − 20 = 0

5 ± 25 − 4(1)(−20)
=
2
= 7,62 − 2,62
c) (3 − 1)( + 2) ≥ 0
1
≤ −2 ≥
3 -2 1
3
d) ( )
≥1

6 +1
−1≥0
(2 − 3)

6 + 1 − (2 − 3)
≥0
(2 − 3)

6 + 1 − 4 + 12 − 9
≥0
(2 − 3)

−4 + 18 − 8
≥0
(2 − 3)

2 −9 +4
≤0
(2 − 3)
(2 − 1)( − 4)
≤0
(2 − 3)
1 3
≤ ≤4 ≠
2 2
2. a) ≤ 13

b) − 7 = √13 −

− 14 + 49 = 13 −

− 13 + 36 = 0
( − 9)( − 4) = 0

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 =9 =4
=9

3. a) + (2 − ) + (2 − ) = 3

+2 − +4−4 + −3=0

−2 +1=0
( − 1) = 0

=1
=1

b) = 13 − 2

125 = 25

5 =5
3 =2 +2
3 = 2(13 − 2 ) + 2
3 = 26 − 4 + 2
7 = 28
=4
=5

4. ( + 3) −2 +1=0

∆= (−2) − 4( + 3)(1)

∆= −8 − 4
∆≥ 0
−2 ≥
5. Let time for fast machine =
Time for slow machine = + 45
1 1 1
+ =
+ 45 240
240( + 45) + 240 = ( + 45)

− 435 − 10800 = 0

−(−435) ± (−435) − 4(1)(−10800)

=
2(1)

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= 458,55 − 23,55
ℎ ℎ = 7,64 ℎ

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Topic 2: Exercise 3
1. Solve for , rounding your answers to 2 d.p. where necessary:

a) − 7 + 12 = 0

b) − 4) + 3) = 5

c) 3 +5 −2≤0
2. Solve for and simultaneously:

a) +2 −3=0 and − − − =0

b) 2 + 5) − 3) = 0

3. a) Solve for (in terms of and ): + = +

b) State any conditions which and must obey so that is real.

c) State any conditions which and must obey so that is defined.

d) Hence, or otherwise, solve for in the equation below:

16 −2 4 −2
+ = +
−2 16 −2 4
√ √
4. The roots of the equation + + = 0 are = and = where > .

√
a) Show that − =

b) Now calculate the numerical value(s) of if the roots of + + 23 = 0 differ by 5.

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Solutions
1. a) − 4) − 3) = 0
=4 3

b) − − 12 = 5

− 6 − 12 = 0

6 ± 6 − 4 1) −12)
=
2
= 7,58 − 1,58
c) 3 − 1) + 2) ≤ 0
1
−2 ≤ ≤
3
2. a) =3−2 (1) and − − − = 0 2)
Substitute (1) in (2)

3−2 ) − − 3−2 )− =0

9 − 12 + 4 − −3+2 − =0

3 − 11 + 6 = 0
3 − 2) − 3) = 0
2
= 3
3
5
= −3
3

b) =− , ∈

=3, ∈ (for − and 3; x,y ∈ )

3. a) + = +

− = −

− )= − )

=√
b) and must both be positive, or and must both be negative

c) ≠0 ≠ 0

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 d) y − 2 = ± 64

∴ y = 10 or y = − 6
√ √
4. a) − = −

− +√ −4 − − −√ −4
∴ − =
2
2√ −4
∴ − =
2
√ −4
∴ − =

)
b) =5

∴ − 92 = 5

∴ − 92 = 25

∴ = 117

∴ = ±3√13

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Topic 2: Exercise 5
1. Solve for .

a) −2x + 3x = −4

b) −2 3x − 1 < x − 2 2x − 1 − x

c) − 9 − 36 = 0

d) ≥−

2. Solve for x and y:

x − 4y = 5 and x − 2xy − 3y = 0
±√
3. The solution to a quadratic equation is =

Assuming , find m if the roots of the equation are:

a) non−real
b) undefined

4. The roots of a quadratic equation of form + + = 0 are 1 − √2 and 1 + √2. Determine the
values of and .

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Solutions
1. a) −2 + 3 = −4

∴ −2 +3 +4=0

−3 ± 3 − 4 −2 4
∴ =
2 −2
∴ = −0,85 or 2,35

b) −2 3 − 1 < −2 2 −1 −

∴ −18 + 12 − 2 < 2 −5 +2−

∴ −20 + 18 − 4 < 0

∴ 10 −9 +2>0
+ 0 - 0 +
∴ 5 −2 2 −1 >0 2 1
5 2
∴ < or >

c) − 12 +3 =0
∴ = 12 = −3

d) + ≥0

5 −7+ +1
≥0
+1
5 −7+ +
≥0
+1
+6 −7
≥0
+1
+7 −1
≥0
+1
−7 ≤ < −1 ≥1

2. −4 =5
∴ =4 +5

∴ 4 +5 −2 4 +5 −3 =0

∴ 16 + 40 + 25 − 8 − 10 − 3 =0

∴5 + 30 + 25 = 0

∴ +6 +5=0
∴ +5 +1 =0

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 ∴ = −5 or −1
∴ = −15 or 1

3. a) 3 − 9m < 0

∴m>⅓

b) 3m − 2 = 0 ∴m=⅔
√
4. = 1 + √2

− +√ − 4 = 2 + 2√2
− =2

−4 =8
∴ = −2

∴ −2 −4 =8
∴ = −1

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