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Algebraic Fractions
Difficulty: Easy
Model Answers 3
Level IGCSE
Subject Maths (0580/0980)
Exam Board CIE
Topic Algebra & Graphs
Sub-Topic Algebraic Fractions
Paper Paper 2
Difficulty Easy
Booklet Model Answers 3
Time allowed: 37 minutes
Score: /29
Percentage: /100
Grade Boundaries:
CIE IGCSE Maths (0580)
A* A B C D E
>88% 76% 63% 51% 40% 30%
CIE IGCSE Maths (0980)
9 8 7 6 5 4 3
>94% 85% 77% 67% 57% 47% 35%
1 Model answers are copyright. © 2019 Save My Exams Ltd. All rights reserved.
Question 1
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1 2
(a) Write − as a single fraction in its lowest terms. [2]
y x
Cross multiply
𝑥𝑥 2𝑦𝑦
−
𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥𝑥𝑥
𝒙𝒙 − 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐
=
𝒙𝒙𝒙𝒙
x 2+x
(b) Write in its lowest terms. [3]
3x +3
Factor out top and bottom
𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥 + 1
3 𝑥𝑥 + 1
Cancel the fraction
𝒙𝒙
=
𝟑𝟑
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Question 2
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Write as a single fraction in its simplest form
x x −1 [2]
+ .
3 2
Cross multiply
2𝑥𝑥 3 𝑥𝑥 − 1
+
3×2 2×3
2𝑥𝑥 + 3𝑥𝑥 − 3
=
6
𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓 − 𝟑𝟑
=
𝟔𝟔
3 Model answers are copyright. © 2019 Save My Exams Ltd. All rights reserved.
Question 3
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11 Write as a single fraction in its simplest form
4 _ 2. [3]
2x + 3 x _3
Cross multiply
4 𝑥𝑥 − 3 2 2𝑥𝑥 + 3
−
2𝑥𝑥 + 3 𝑥𝑥 − 3 𝑥𝑥 − 3 2𝑥𝑥 + 3
4𝑥𝑥 − 12 − 4𝑥𝑥 − 6
=
𝑥𝑥 − 3 2𝑥𝑥 + 3
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏
=−
𝒙𝒙 − 𝟑𝟑 𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐 + 𝟑𝟑
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Question 4
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x 5x _ 5x
2 Simplify + . [2]
3 9 18
Put everything over 18. (ie. Make 18 the common denominator.)
6𝑥𝑥 10𝑥𝑥 5𝑥𝑥
+ −
18 18 18
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏
=
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏
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Question 5
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10 Write as a fraction in its simplest form
x−3+ 4 . [3]
4 x −3
We multiply the first fraction by (x – 3) and the second fraction by 4 to obtain the same
denominator for both fractions.
x−3 4 (x−3)(x−3) 16
+ = +
4 x−3 4(x−3) 4(x−3)
x−3 4
+
4 x−3
𝐱𝐱 𝟐𝟐 −𝟔𝟔𝟔𝟔+𝟐𝟐𝟐𝟐
=
𝟒𝟒(𝐱𝐱−𝟑𝟑)
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Question 6
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Write as a single fraction in its simplest form
5 4
− . [2]
x x +1
To subtract the 2 fractions, we need them to have the same denominator. We
multiply the first one by (x + 1) and the second one by x to obtain the common
denominator x(x + 1)
5 4 5 x+1 −4x
- =
x x+1 x(x+1)
5 4
-
x x+1
𝒙𝒙+𝟓𝟓
=
𝒙𝒙(𝒙𝒙+𝟏𝟏)
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Question 7
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Simplify
x +2 x
− .
x x +2
Write your answer as a fraction in its simplest form. [3]
To solve the equation, we firstly need to have both fractions with the same
denominator. To obtain this, we multiply the first ne by (x + 2) and the second one by x.
We obtain:
x+2 2 x2 x2 +4x+4−x2
- =
x(x+2) x(x+2) x2 +2x
x+2 x 4(x+1)
x(x+2)
- x(x+2) = x(x+2)
𝟒𝟒(𝐱𝐱+𝟏𝟏)
The answer as the simplest fraction is: 𝐱𝐱(𝐱𝐱+𝟐𝟐).
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Question 8
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3 2
14 (a) Write − as a single fraction in its simplest form. [3]
x x +1
We multiply the first fraction by (x + 1) and the second one by x to
obtain the common denominator x(x + 1).
3(𝑥𝑥+1) 2𝑥𝑥 3𝑥𝑥+3−2𝑥𝑥
- =
𝑥𝑥(𝑥𝑥+1) 𝑥𝑥(𝑥𝑥+1) 𝑥𝑥(𝑥𝑥+1)
𝒙𝒙+𝟑𝟑
=
𝒙𝒙(𝒙𝒙+𝟏𝟏)
3 2
(b) Solve theequation − = 0. [1]
x x +1
3 2
- =0
𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥+1
3 2 x+3
From a): - =
𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥+1 x(x+1)
x+3
=0
x(x+1)
x+3=0
x = -3
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Question 9
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10 Work out as a single fraction
2 1
− . [3]
x−3 x +4
We multiply the first fraction by (x + 4) and the second one by (x – 3) to obtain a
common denominator: (x + 4)(x – 3)
2 1 2(x+4) x−3
- = -
x−3 x+4 (x−3)(x+4) (x−3)(x+4)
2 1 2x+8−x+3
- =
x−3 x+4 (x−3)(x+4)
𝟐𝟐 𝟏𝟏
-
𝐱𝐱−𝟑𝟑 𝐱𝐱+𝟒𝟒
𝒙𝒙+𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏
=
(𝒙𝒙−𝟑𝟑)(𝒙𝒙+𝟒𝟒)
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Question 10
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Write 2x – 10x as a single fraction. [2]
5 –x
We multiply the first term by (5 – x) to obtain a fraction
with the denominator (5 – x)
10x 2x 5−x −10𝑥𝑥
2x - =
5−x 5−x
10x 10x−2x2 −10𝑥𝑥
2x - =
5−x 5−x
𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏 −𝟐𝟐𝐱𝐱 𝟐𝟐
2x - =
𝟓𝟓−𝐱𝐱 𝟓𝟓−𝐱𝐱
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