1994 – 2007 CE Math Paper 1 Questions

Chapter 8: Ratio, Proportion and variation (S.5)

1. [07 Q.14]
(a) Let f(x) = 4x3 + kx2 – 243, where k is a constant. It is given that x + 3 is a factor of f(x).
(i) Find the value of k.
(ii) Factorize f (x). (5 marks)
(b) Let SC be the cost of making a cubical handicraft with a side of length x cm. It is given that
C is the sum of two parts, one part varies as x3 and the other part varies as x2. When x = 5.5,
C = 7 381 and when x = 6, C = 9072.
(i) Express C in terms of x.
(ii) If the cost of making a cubical handicraft is $ 972, find the length of a side of the
handicraft. (6 marks)

2. [06 Q.15]
The cost of a souvenir of surface area A cm2 is $C. It is given that C is the sum of two parts, one
part varies directly as A while the other part varies directly as A2 and inversely as n, where n is
the number of souvenirs produced. While A = 50 and n = 500, C = 350; when A = 20 and n = 400,
C = 100.
(a) Express C in terms of A and n. (3 marks)
2
(b) The selling price of a souvenir of surface area A cm is $8A and the profit in selling the
souvenir is $P.
(i) Express P in terms of A and n.
(ii) Suppose P : n = 5 : 32. Find A : n.
(iii) Suppose n = 500. Can a profit of $100 be made in selling a souvenir? Explain
your answer.
(iv) Suppose n = 400. Using the method of completing the square, find the greatest
profit in selling a souvenir. (8 marks)

3. [05 Q.10]
It is known that f(x) is the sum of two parts, one part varies as x 3 and the other part varies as x.
(a) Find f(x). (4 marks)
(b) Let g(x) = f(x)–6.
(i) Prove that x - 3 is a factor of g(x).
(ii) Factorize g(x) (4 marks)

4. [04 Q.10]
It is known that y is the sum of two parts, one part varies as x and the other part varies as the
square of x. When x = 3 , y = 3 and when x = 4 , y = 12 .
(a) Express y in terms of x. (4 marks)

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 1994 – 2007 CE Math Paper 1 Questions

5. [03 Q.10]
The speed of a solar-powered toy car is V cm/s and the length of its solar panel is L cm, where
5 ≤ L ≤ 25 . V is a function of L. It is known that V is the sum of two parts, one part varies as L
and the other part varies as the square of L. When L = 10 , V = 30 and when L = 15 , V = 75 .
(a) Express V in terms of L. (3 marks)

6. [02 Q.11]
The area of a paper bookmark is A cm2 and its perimeter is P cm. A is a function of P. It is known
that A is the sum of two parts, one part varies as P and the other part varies as the square of P.
When P = 24 , A = 36 and when P = 18 , A = 9 .
(a) Express A in terms of P. (3 marks)
2
(b) (i) The best-selling paper bookmark has an area of 54 cm . Find the perimeter of this
bookmark.
(ii) The manufacturer of the bookmarks wants to produce a gold miniature similar in
shape to the best-selling paper bookmark. If the gold miniature has an area of 8 cm2,
find its perimeter. (5 marks)

7. [01 Q.13]
S is the sum of two parts. One part varies as t and the other part varies as the square of t. The
table below shows certain pairs of the values of S and t.
S 0 33 56 69 72 65 48 21
t 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
(a) Express S in terms of t. (3 marks)
(b) Find the value(s) of t when S = 40 . (2 marks)
(c) Using the data given in the table, plot the graph of S against t for 0 ≤ t ≤ 7 in Figure 8.

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 1994 – 2007 CE Math Paper 1 Questions
Read from the graph the value of t when the value of S is greatest. (3 marks)

8. [99 Q.6]
y varies partly as x and partly as x 2 . When x = 2 , y = 20 and when x = 3 , y = 39 . Express y
in terms of x. (4 marks)

9. [98 Q.12]
The monthly service charge $ S of mobile phone network A is partly constant and partly varies
directly as the connection time t minutes. The monthly service charges are $ 230 and $ 284 when
the connection times are 100 minutes and 130 minutes respectively.
(a) Express S in terms of t. (4 marks)
(b) The service charge of mobile phone network B only varies directly as the connection time.
The charge is $ 2.20 per minute. A man uses about 110 minutes connection time every
month. Should he join network A or B in order to save money? Explain your answer.
(3 marks)
10. [96 Q.13]
When other conditions remain the same, the quality of a cup of a particular kind of Chinese tea
depends on the amount of time, t seconds, that tea leaves are soaked in water and the temperature,
x °C, of the water. It is proposed that the quality of a cup of this kind of tea can be measured by
the indicator Q as follows:
Q = 20 000 + F ,
where F consists of two parts with one part varying jointly as x and t, and the other part varying
as the square of t. The greater the value of Q, the better is the quality of the tea.
It is known that Q = 30 600 when t = 40 , x = 85 ; and Q = 28 100 when t = 60 , x = 75 .
(a) Show that Q = 20 000 + 5 xt − 4t 2 . (5 marks)
(b) (i) Find the value of Q when the tea leaves are soaked in water for 45 seconds at a temperature
of 82 °C.
(ii) When the temperature of water is 78 °C, is it possible to achieve the same value of Q in
(b)(i) by changing the amount of time that the tea leaves are soaked in water? Explain your
answer briefly. (4 marks)
(c) Suppose the temperature of water is 80 °C. Using the method of completing the square, find
the amount of time the tea leaves need to be soaked in the water in order to achieve the best
quality of the tea. (3 marks)

11. [94 Q.4]

Suppose x varies directly as y 2 and inversely as z. When y = 3 and z = 10 , x = 54 .
(a) Express x in terms of y and z.
(b) Find x when y = 5 and z = 12 . (3 marks)

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Answers
1. (a)(i) 39, (ii) (x + 3)(x + 9)(4x – 9)
(b)(i) C = 16x3 + 156x2, (ii) 2.25 cm

2. (a) C = 3 A + 40 A 2
n

(b)(i) P = 5A − 40 A 2
n , (ii) A : n = 1 : 16, (iii) impossible, (v) $62.5

3. (a) f(x) = x3 – 7x
(b)(ii) g(x) = (x – 3)(x + 1)(x + 2)

4. (a) y = 2x2 – 5x

2 2
5. (a) V = −L + L
5
5 1
6. (a) A = − P + P 2
2 6
(b)(i) 27 cm, (ii) 6 3 cm

7. (a) S = 38t – 5t2

(b) t = 6.34 or 1.26
(c) 3.8

8. y = 4 x + 3x 2

9. (a) S = 50 + 1.8t
(b) network B (A: $248, B: $242)

10. (a) Q = 20000 + 5xt – 4t2

(b)(i) 30350, (ii) impossible
(c) 50 seconds

11.(a) x = 60 y 2
z
(b) 125

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