1 Number

Foundation Student
What is covered in this section
Book reference
1.1 Calculations Units 1, 17
• Estimate answers to calculations.
• Write an inequality to represent an error interval.
• Use a calculator for complex calculations.
1.2 Factors and multiples Unit 1
• Write a number as a product of its prime factors.
• Use prime factor decomposition to find the HCF and LCM of two numbers.

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1.3 Fractions Units 4, 18
• Add, subtract, multiply and divide mixed numbers.

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1.4 Indices, powers and roots Units 1, 18
• Simplify expressions involving indices, roots and surds.
• Understand and use zero and negative indices.

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1.5 Standard form Unit 18
• Write very small and very large numbers in standard form.
• Calculate with numbers in standard form.
1.6 Mixed exercise
PR
• Consolidate your learning with more practice.

1.1 Calculations
Objectives
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• Estimate answers to calculations.

• Write an inequality to represent an error interval.
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• Use a calculator for complex calculations.

Key point 1
Measurements given to the nearest whole unit may be inaccurate by up to one half of a unit
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below and one half of a unit above. For example, the range of possible values for a length given
as 3 cm to the nearest cm is 2.5 cm < length , 3.5 cm.
SA

Key point 2
To estimate the answer to a calculation, you can round every number to 1 significant figure (s.f.).

1 Round these numbers to 1 s.f.

Warm up

a 456 b 24 c 9.1 d 7.58

2 Estimate the answer to these calculations by first rounding each value to 1 s.f.
__________
1.7 + 12.2
a ________
​     ​
  b √​  84.37 + 18.6 ​ 
5.9
3 Write an inequality to show the possible values for
Q3 hint <n,
a 680 (rounded to the nearest 10)
b 1.27 (rounded to 2 d.p.)
c 17.2 (rounded to 3 s.f.)
d 200 (rounded to 2 s.f.)

1
 4 A machine produces rolls of paper. Each roll is 20 m to the nearest centimetre.
a What is the minimum possible length of paper in the roll?
b Write an inequality to show the possible lengths of paper, l, in a roll.
5 Shampoo bottles contain 240 ml of shampoo. There is an error of ±5% in the volume of shampoo
in the bottle. Work out the minimum and maximum possible volumes of shampoo in the bottle.
6 Problem-solving  A machine fills packs of crisps with
120 g of crisps. There is an error of ±3% in the mass of Q6 A common error is to write
the crisps in the packs. The crisps label says, ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and to not show
‘Minimum contents 115 g’. Is this true? calculations to explain why.
Show how you get your answer..
7 Tom calculates that 892.17 ÷ 18.4 = 85.8 (1 d.p.).

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Estimate the answer to his calculation to show he is wrong.
8 Use estimation to see which of these calculations is wrong and which could be correct.
__________

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3.​2​ 2​ + 9.17
_________
a ​ 
6.19 − 2.3
 ​ 
 = 4.99​(3 s.f.) b ​  √ 
2.​17​​ 2​ + 57.2
​ __________    
3.​9​ 2​
  = 3.98 (3 s.f.)
​  

5436 − ​82​​ 2​ 9.​8​ 3​ × 3.7
c __________ ​ ________2  

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​    ​  
= 149​(3 s.f.) d ​ = 71.5​(3 s.f.)
5.36 + 12.97 1.8 × 5.​2​  ​
9 Use a calculator to work out the correct answer to the Q9 A common error is to round
calculations in Q8 that were wrong. Round to 3 s.f.PR
10 Use a calculator to work these out. Round your answers to the number of s.f. given.
__________ _________
to 3 d.p. instead of 3 s.f.

√  4.​1​ 2​ + 2.​15​​ 3​
​√ ​ 
24 − 3.​29​​  ​2
a ​ __________
​        (2
​   s.f.) b
3 _________
 ​ 
 ​   (3 s.f.)
   
  Q10 hint Estimate the
3.​8​ 2​ 11.7 + 3.2
_________ ______________ answers first, in order to
​√ ________
3 ​5​  ​ + 13.​2​  ​
2 3 3 + ​√ ​(  
−3)​​  ​ + 2 × 4 × 3 ​
__________________
2
check your calculations.
c ​      ​   (3 s.f.) d ​      ​  (4 s.f.)
E
   
 
19.2 6
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1.2 Factors and multiples

Objectives
• Write a number as a product of its prime factors.
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• Use prime factor decomposition to find the HCF and LCM of two numbers.

Key point 3
SA

All numbers can be written as a product of prime factors. This is called prime factor decomposition.

1 Write as a product of powers

Q1 hint 2 × 3 × 5 
2×5×3×5×2×2
Warm up

2 Find
a the HCF of 12 and 32
b the LCM of 6 and 10. 84 105
3 a Copy and complete these factor trees.
2 5
b Write 84 and 105 as products of their prime factors.

Q3 hint Write the products of factors

using index notation, smallest factor first.

2
4 What is the prime factor decomposition of 72?
5 Copy and complete this Venn diagram to find the HCF and LCM of 84 and 72.
Prime factors Prime factors
of 84 of 72
Q5 A common error is to give the LCM
2 answer for the HCF or the HCF for the LCM.

6 Find the HCF and LCM of

a 105 and 84 b 28 and 70 c
132 and 60 Q7 hint  

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7 Two numbers have HCF 8 and LCM 120. 8
What are the two numbers?

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8 Problem-solving  Find two numbers with LCM 70 and HCF 5.
×8× = 120
9 A = 22 × 5 × 7 B = 3 × 52 × 11
C = 2 × 13
2 D = 2 × 32 × 72

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a Find the HCF of Q9 hint Draw Venn diagrams.
i A and D ii A and C iii B and D
b Which two numbers have LCM PR
i 1820 ii 42 900 iii 8820
c Which two numbers have no common factors?
10 Problem-solving  Number 6 buses stop at the railway station
every 9 minutes. Q10 A common
Number 15 buses stop at the railway station every 12 minutes. error is to not
realise that this is
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At 10 am a number 6 bus and a number 15 bus both stop at the station.
an LCM question.
When will a number 6 bus and a number 15 bus next stop at the
station together?
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1.3 Fractions
Objective
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• Add, subtract, multiply and divide mixed numbers.

SA

Key point 4
To add, subtract, multiply or divide mixed numbers, you can write them as improper fractions first.

1 Work out
a ​ _56 ​ + ​ _35 ​ b ​ _49 ​ − ​ _16 ​ c _​ 34 ​ × ​ _57 ​ d _​ 23 ​ ÷ ​ _38 ​
Warm up

Give your answers as mixed numbers where appropriate.

2 Cancel then multiply
a ​ _56 ​ × ​ _37 ​ b ​ _47 ​ × ​ _38 ​ 5 × 3 ______ ​​1​ ​ ⟋
3   ​​​​  × 5 __
Q2 hint _____
​   ​  = ​  2  ​  
=  ​   ​
c __ 6
​ 12   ​ × ​ _23 ​ d _
​ 79 ​ × ​ __
3 6 × 7 ​​ ​ ​ ⟋ 6   ​​​​  ×  7
14  ​

3 Work out
a ​2​ _15 ​ + 1​ _25 ​ b
​3​ _17 ​ + 2​ _35 ​ Q3 hint Write your answers as mixed numbers.
c ​5_​ 14 ​ + 1​ _49 ​ d ​4​ __3 _1
10  ​ + 1​ 3 ​

3
 4 Work out
Q4 A common error when adding or
​ _​ 35 ​ + 1​ __
a 2 7
10  ​ b ​ _​ 58 ​ + 4​ _34 ​
3 subtracting fractions is to add/subtract
c ​5_​ 67 ​ + 2​ _23 ​ d ​1​ __ 11 _5
12 ​ + 3​ 9 ​
the numerators and denominators.

5 Work out
a ​5​ _49 ​ − 1​ _15 ​ b
​3​ _34 ​ − 1​ _58 ​ c
​6​ _67 ​ − 3​ _13 ​ d
​4​ __
8 _2
11  ​ − 3​ 5 ​

6 Work out
a ​4_​ 14 ​ − 1​ _35 ​ b
​3​ _17 ​ − 2​ _14 ​ c
​5​ _23 ​ − 2​ _79 ​ d
​4​ __
5 _2
12  ​ − 2​ 3 ​

7 Work out
a ​3_​ 15 ​ × ​ _23 ​ b ​ _25 ​ × 2​ _14 ​ Q7 A common error is to not to change

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c _​ 57 ​ × 3​ _12 ​ d ​ _34 ​ × 2​ _25 ​ to improper fractions first.

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8 Work out
Q8 A common error when dividing fractions is
a ​2​ _14 ​ ÷ ​ _15 ​ b
​ ​ _12 ​ ÷ ​ _47 ​
1 to forget to ‘flip’ the fraction you are dividing by,
c ​3_​ 23 ​ ÷ ​ _56 ​ d
​ ​ _78 ​ ÷ ​ _58 ​
1 when you change the calculation to multiplication.

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9 Work out
a ​2​ _12 ​ × 1​ _16 ​ b
​1​ _23 ​ × 1​ _18 ​ c
​1​ _17 ​ × 3​ _34 ​ d
​3​ _15 ​ × 2​ _12 ​

10 Work out
a ​2​ _34 ​ ÷ 2​ _13 ​ b
PR
​1​ _45 ​ ÷ 1​ _34 ​ c
2​​ _14 ​÷ 3​_​ 35 ​ d
​ _​ 23 ​ ÷ 1​ _79 ​
2

11 Problem-solving  Karl has these bags of sand.

He needs 8 kg of sand to make cement.
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9
Does he have enough? 1 58 kg
11
212 kg 310 kg
Show working to explain.
PL

12 Problem-solving  Ailsa has ​8​ _35 ​metres of wire.

​ _​ 12 ​metre lengths can she cut from it?
a How many 1
b How much is left over?
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1.4 Indices, powers and roots

Objectives
SA

• Simplify expressions involving indices, roots and surds.

• Understand and use zero and negative indices.

Key point 5
Any number (or term) raised to the power 0 is equal to 1.
Any number (or term) raised to the power –1 is the reciprocal of the number.
To raise a power of a number (or term) to another power, multiply the indices.
Key point 6
​3​ −2​is the same as (​​3​ −1​)​ 2​.
To find a negative power, find the reciprocal and then raise the value to the positive power.