Mathematics

Preliminary Course
maths
Margaret Grove
Mathematics Preliminary Course
maths
Text 2010 Grove and Associates Pty Ltd
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Author: Grove, Margaret.
Title: Maths in focus: mathematics preliminary course/Margaret Grove.
Edition: 2nd ed.
ISBN: 9780070278561 (pbk.)
Target Audience: For secondary school age.
Subjects: MathematicsProblems, exercises, etc. MathematicsTextbooks.
Dewey Number: 510.76
Published in Australia by
McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd
Level 2, 82 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113
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v
PREFACE viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii
CREDITS viii
FEATURES OF THIS BOOK viii
SYLLABUS MATRIX ix
STUDY SKILLS ix
Chapter 1: Basic Arithmetic 2
INTRODUCTION 3
REAL NUMBERS 3
DIRECTED NUMBERS 9
FRACTIONS, DECIMALS AND PERCENTAGES 12
POWERS AND ROOTS 19
ABSOLUTE VALUE 37
TEST YOURSELF 1 41
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 1 43
Chapter 2: Algebra and Surds 44
INTRODUCTION 45
SIMPLIFYING EXPRESSIONS 45
BINOMIAL PRODUCTS 51
FACTORISATION 55
COMPLETING THE SQUARE 69
ALGEBRAIC FRACTIONS 71
SUBSTITUTION 73
SURDS 76
TEST YOURSELF 2 90
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 2 93
Chapter 3: Equations 94
INTRODUCTION 95
SIMPLE EQUATIONS 95
SUBSTITUTION 100
INEQUATIONS 103
EQUATIONS AND INEQUATIONS INVOLVING ABSOLUTE VALUES 107
EXPONENTIAL EQUATIONS 114
QUADRATIC EQUATIONS 118
QUADRATIC INEQUATIONS 125
SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS 127
TEST YOURSELF 3 133
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 3 134
Contents
vi
Chapter 4: Geometry 1 136
INTRODUCTION 137
NOTATION 137
TYPES OF ANGLES 138
PARALLEL LINES 145
TYPES OF TRIANGLES 149
CONGRUENT TRIANGLES 155
SIMILAR TRIANGLES 159
PYTHAGORAS THEOREM 167
TYPES OF QUADRILATERALS 173
POLYGONS 180
AREAS 184
TEST YOURSELF 4 191
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 4 193
Practice Assessment Task Set 1 195
Chapter 5: Functions and Graphs 200
INTRODUCTION 201
FUNCTIONS 201
GRAPHING TECHNIQUES 212
LINEAR FUNCTION 220
QUADRATIC FUNCTION 224
ABSOLUTE VALUE FUNCTION 230
THE HYPERBOLA 238
CIRCLES AND SEMI-CIRCLES 242
OTHER GRAPHS 250
LIMITS AND CONTINUITY 256
REGIONS 260
TEST YOURSELF 5 270
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 5 271
Chapter 6: Trigonometry 274
INTRODUCTION 275
TRIGONOMETRIC RATIOS 275
RIGHT-ANGLED TRIANGLE PROBLEMS 283
APPLICATIONS 292
EXACT RATIOS 302
ANGLES OF ANY MAGNITUDE 306
TRIGONOMETRIC EQUATIONS 320
TRIGONOMETRIC IDENTITIES 326
NON-RIGHT-ANGLED TRIANGLE RESULTS 331
APPLICATIONS 342
AREA 346
TEST YOURSELF 6 349
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 6 350
Chapter 7: Linear Functions 352
INTRODUCTION 353
DISTANCE 353
MIDPOINT 358
vii
GRADIENT 360
EQUATION OF A STRAIGHT LINE 370
PARALLEL AND PERPENDICULAR LINES 374
INTERSECTION OF LINES 379
PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE 384
TEST YOURSELF 7 389
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 7 390
Chapter 8: Introduction to Calculus 392
INTRODUCTION 393
GRADIENT 394
DIFFERENTIATION FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES 403
SHORT METHODS OF DIFFERENTIATION 419
TANGENTS AND NORMALS 425
FURTHER DIFFERENTIATION AND INDICES 430
COMPOSITE FUNCTION RULE 432
PRODUCT RULE 436
QUOTIENT RULE 439
TEST YOURSELF 8 442
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 8 443
Practice Assessment Task Set 2 446
Chapter 9: The Quadratic Function 450
INTRODUCTION 451
GRAPH OF A QUADRATIC FUNCTION 451
QUADRATIC INEQUALITIES 457
THE DISCRIMINANT 461
QUADRATIC IDENTITIES 468
SUM AND PRODUCT OF ROOTS 472
EQUATIONS REDUCIBLE TO QUADRATICS 477
TEST YOURSELF 9 481
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 9 482
Chapter 10: Locus and the Parabola 484
INTRODUCTION 485
LOCUS 485
CIRCLE AS A LOCUS 493
PARABOLA AS A LOCUS 497
GENERAL PARABOLA 516
TANGENTS AND NORMALS 531
TEST YOURSELF 10 534
CHALLENGE EXERCISE 10 535
Practice Assessment Task Set 3 536
Answers 540
viii
PREFACE
This book covers the Preliminary syllabus for Mathematics. The syllabus is available through the NSW
Board of Studies website on www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au. You can also access resources, study
techniques, examination technique, sample and past examination papers through other websites
such as www.math.nsw.edu.au and www.csu.edu.au. Searching the Internet generally will pick up
many websites supporting the work in this course.
Each chapter has comprehensive fully worked examples and explanations as well as ample sets
of graded exercises. The theory follows a logical order, although some topics may be learned in any
order. Each chapter contains Test Yourself and Challenge exercises, and there are several practice
assessment tasks throughout the book.
If you have trouble doing the Test Yourself exercises at the end of a chapter, you will need to
go back into the chapter and revise it before trying them again. Dont attempt to do the Challenge
exercises until you are condent that you can do the Test Yourself exercises, as these are more difcult
and are designed to test the more able students who understand the topic really well.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks go to my family, especially my husband Geoff, for supporting me in writing this book.
CREDITS
Fairfax Photos: p 311
Istockphoto: p 101, p 167
Margaret Grove: p 18, p 37, p 159, p 202, p 242, p 256, p 275, p 292 (bottom), p 294, p 295, p 297,
p 300, p 353, p 497
Photolibrary: p 201
Shutterstock: p 74, p 160, p 225, p 292 (top), p 486
FEATURES OF THIS BOOK
This second edition retains all the features of previous Maths in Focus books while adding in new
improvements.
The main feature of Maths in Focus is in its readability, its plentiful worked examples and
straightforward language so that students can understand it and use it in self-paced learning. The
logical progression of topics, the comprehensive fully worked examples and graded exercises are still
major features.
A wide variety of questions is maintained, with more comprehensive and more difcult questions
included in each topic. At the end of each chapter is a consolidation set of exercises (Test yourself)
in no particular order that will test whether the student has grasped the concepts contained in the
chapter. There is also a challenge set for the more able students.
The three practice assessment tasks provide a comprehensive variety of mixed questions from
various chapters. These have been extended to contain questions in the form of sample examination
questions, including short answer, free response and multiple-choice questions that students may
encounter in assessments.
The second edition also features a short summary of general study skills that students will nd
useful, both in the classroom and when doing assessment tasks and examinations. These study skills
are also repeated in the HSC book.
ix
A syllabus matrix is included to show where each syllabus topic ts into the book. Topics are
generally arranged in a logical order. For example, arithmetic and algebra are needed in most, if not
all other topics, so these are treated at the beginning of the book.
Some teachers like to introduce particular topics before others, e.g. linear functions before more
general functions. However, part of the work on gradient requires some knowledge of trigonometry
and the topic of angles of any magnitude in trigonometry needs some knowledge of functions. So
the order of most chapters in the book have been carefully thought out. Some chapters, however,
could be covered in a different order, such as geometry which is covered in Chapter 4, and quadratic
functions and locus, which are near the end of the book.
SYLLABUS MATRIX
This matrix shows how the syllabus is organised in the chapters of this book.
Mathematics (2 Unit)
Basic arithmetic and algebra (1.1 1.4) Chapter 1: Basic arithmetic
Chapter 2: Algebra and surds
Chapter 3: Equations
Real functions (4.1 4.4) Chapter 5: Functions and graphs
Trigonometric ratios (5.1 5.5) Chapter 6: Trigonometry
Linear functions (6.1 6.5, 6.7) Chapter 7: Linear functions
The quadratic polynomial and the parabola (9.1 9.5) Chapter 9: The quadratic function
Chapter 10: Locus and the parabola
Plane geometry (2.1 2.4) Chapter 4: Geometry 1
Tangent to a curve and derivative of a function (8.1 8.9) Chapter 8: Introduction to calculus
STUDY SKILLS
You may have coasted through previous stages without needing to rely on regular study, but in this
course many of the topics are new and you will need to systematically revise in order to build up your
skills and to remember them.
The Preliminary course introduces the basics of topics such as calculus that are then applied in
the HSC course. You will struggle in the HSC if you dont set yourself up to revise the preliminary
topics as you learn new HSC topics.
Your teachers will be able to help you build up and manage good study habits. Here are a few
hints to get you started.
x
There is no right or wrong way to learn. Different styles of learning suit different people. There
is also no magical number of hours a week that you should study, as this will be different for every
student. But just listening in class and taking notes is not enough, especially when learning material
that is totally new.
You wouldnt go for your drivers licence after just one trip in the car, or enter a dance competition
after learning a dance routine once. These skills take a lot of practice. Studying mathematics is just
the same.
If a skill is not practised within the rst 24 hours, up to 50% can be forgotten. If it is not practised
within 72 hours, up to 8590% can be forgotten! So it is really important that whatever your study
timetable, new work must be looked at soon after it is presented to you.
With a continual succession of new work to learn and retain, this is a challenge. But the good
news is that you dont have to study for hours on end!
In the classroom
In order to remember, rst you need to focus on what is being said and done.
According to an ancient proverb:
I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand
If you chat to friends and just take notes without really paying attention, you arent giving yourself a
chance to remember anything and will have to study harder at home.
If you have just had a ght with a friend, have been chatting about weekend activities or myriad
other conversations outside the classroom, it helps if you can check these at the door and dont keep
chatting about them once the lesson starts.
If you are unsure of something that the teacher has said, the chances are that others are also not
sure. Asking questions and clarifying things will ultimately help you gain better results, especially
in a subject like mathematics where much of the knowledge and skills depends on being able to
understand the basics.
Learning is all about knowing what you know and what you dont know. Many students feel like
they dont know anything, but its surprising just how much they know already. Picking up the main
concepts in class and not worrying too much about other less important parts can really help. The
teacher can guide you on this.
Here are some pointers to get the best out of classroom learning:
Take control and be responsible for your own learning
Clear your head of other issues in the classroom
Active, not passive, learning is more memorable
Ask questions if you dont understand something
Listen for cues from the teacher
Look out for what are the main concepts
xi
Note taking varies from class to class, but there are some general guidelines that will help when you
come to read over your notes later on at home:
Write legibly
Use different colours to highlight important points or formulae
Make notes in textbooks (using pencil if you dont own the textbook)
Use highlighter pens to point out important points
Summarise the main points
If notes are scribbled, rewrite them at home
At home
You are responsible for your own learning and nobody else can tell you how best to study. Some
people need more revision time than others, some study better in the mornings while others do better
at night, and some can work at home while others prefer a library.
There are some general guidelines for studying at home:
Revise both new and older topics regularly
Have a realistic timetable and be exible
Summarise the main points
Revise when you are fresh and energetic
Divide study time into smaller rather than longer chunks
Study in a quiet environment
Have a balanced life and dont forget to have fun!
If you are given exercises out of a textbook to do for homework, consider asking the teacher if you
can leave some of them till later and use these for revision. It is not necessary to do every exercise at
one sitting, and you learn better if you can spread these over time.
People use different learning styles to help them study. The more variety the better, and you will
nd some that help you more than others. Some people (around 35%) learn best visually, some (25%)
learn best by hearing and others (40%) learn by doing.
Here are some ideas to give you a variety of ways to study:
Summarise on cue cards or in a small notebook
Use colourful posters
Use mindmaps and diagrams
Discuss work with a group of friends
Read notes out aloud
Make up songs and rhymes
Do exercises regularly
Role play teaching someone else
xii
Assessment tasks and exams
Many of the assessment tasks for maths are closed book examinations.
You will cope better in exams if you have practised doing sample exams under exam conditions.
Regular revision will give you condence and if you feel well prepared, this will help get rid of nerves
in the exam. You will also cope better if you have had a reasonable nights sleep before the exam.
One of the biggest problems students have with exams is in timing. Make sure you dont spend too
much time on questions youre unsure about, but work through and nd questions you can do rst.
Divide the time up into smaller chunks for each question and allow some extra time to go back
to questions you couldnt do or nish. For example, in a 2 hour exam with 6 questions, allow around
15 minutes for each question. This will give an extra half hour at the end to tidy up and nish off
questions.
Here are some general guidelines for doing exams:
Read through and ensure you know how many questions there are
Divide your time between questions with extra time at the end
Dont spend too much time on one question
Read each question carefully, underlining key words
Show all working out, including diagrams and formulae
Cross out mistakes with a single line so it can still be read
Write legibly
And nally
Study involves knowing what you dont know, and putting in a lot of time into concentrating on
these areas. This is a positive way to learn. Rather than just saying, I cant do this, say instead, I cant
do this yet, and use your teachers, friends, textbooks and other ways of nding out.
With the parts of the course that you do know, make sure you can remember these easily under
exam pressure by putting in lots of practice.
Remember to look at new work
today
tomorrow
in a week
in a month
Some people hardly ever nd time to study while others give up their outside lives to devote their
time to study. The ideal situation is to balance study with other aspects of your life, including going
out with friends, working and keeping up with sport and other activities that you enjoy.
Good luck with your studies!