BASIC ALGEBRA

1. Express the following numbers as a product of prime factors. (write your answer in index form, where
possible)
(a) 84 (b) 96 (c) 198 (d) 225 (e) 315
(f) 392 (g) 540 (h) 500 (i) 720 (j) 756
(k) 252 (l) 65 (m) 42 (n) 915

2. Find the H.C.F and the L.C.M of the following :

(a) 120 and 195 (b) 144 and 360 (c) 6 xy 2 z 2 and 10 x 2 y 3 (d) 27, 186 and 558 (e) aby, acy and bcy
(f) 3x 5 y 2 , 12 x 2 y 4 and 15 x 3 y 2 (g) 18ab2c3 , 6a 2bc3 and 24ab2c 2 (h) 168, 252 and 336

3. Express the following as fractions with a single denominator.

5a 3b 2a  b  3a  3b  4y  3 2
(a)  2 (b)  (c) 
a  ab b  ab
2
a 5a 8 y2 3y
x 3 x 2 1 3 a b ab
(d) 2   (e)   (f) 2  2 2
x 9 x 3 x 3 c 4 c c 3 a  ab a  b ab  b2

4. (a) Express 60 as a product of its prime factors.

(b) Find the smallest possible integer m such that 60m is a square number
[same question is applicable for 18, 360, 504]

5. x is an integer between 55 and 70. Write down the value of x when –

(a) x is a cube number (b) x is a prime factor of 268

(c) x is a multiple of 11

6. The numbers 294 and 784 written as the product of their prime factors, are
294  2  3  72 , 784  24  7 2

Find (a) the largest integer which is a factor of both 294 and 784.
(b) the smallest integer value of p such that 294 p is a cube number.

7. Round the following numbers:

to the nearest 10 to the nearest 100 to the nearest 1000
85, 7, 996, 950, 2974, 7074, 79000, 4030, 999999,
8847, 691 15099, 78540 98600, 68356

8. Write the numbers correct to the given decimal places or significant figures.

1 decimal place 2 decimal places 2 significant figures 3 significant figures

0.84, 5.04, 0.97, 0.013, 0.0063, 5, 0.00405, 0.854, 3045, 2732, 2.4728, 12.952,
12.85, 3.95, 9 99.996, 0.078, 9.4063 2.954, 6558 47599, 3.996, 0.050682

9. By writing each number correct to one significant figure, estimate the value of (a), (b) and (c)

8.94  0.201 0.387  7.032 7.84  326

(a) (b) (c)
28.8 3
8.11 0.18
10. 1
(a) Correct to 6 decimal places, 10  3.162278 , 3  3.166667 . Find the difference
6
1
between 3 and 10 , give your answer correct to 2 sig. figures.
6
(b) Estimate, correct to the nearest whole number, the value of 2.986 2  4.002 2

11. A  4  10 5 , B  7  10 6 , X  6  108 , Y  4  10 7
Expressing each answer in standard form find- (a) A2 (b) A+B (c) XY (d) X–Y

  
12. Evaluate : 6  10 7  5  10 3 , giving your answer in standard form.

13. Given, P  22  3  52 , Q  23  32  7

(a) Find the largest number that divide exactly into P and Q.

(b) Find the smallest value of K such that P  K is a cube number.

14. (a) Z  8 x  3 y (i) Find Z, when x=3 and y= –4 (ii) Rearrange the formula to make y the subject.

1 1 1
(b)  
b c d

(i) Evaluate b, when c=3, d=8 (ii) Rearrange the formula to make d the subject.

l
(c) Given that, T  2 (i) make l the subject of this formula (ii) calculate, to 1 decimal place, the
g
value of l when g=10,  =3.15 and T= 5.

(d) Given, a 2  25  a  b find a in terms of b.

a 2  b2
(e) Given that, T  2 , express a in terms of b, T and 
10

15. (a) The mass of a dust particle is approximately 0.0000753 gm. write this mass in standard form.

(b) E=5.972 x 1024, M=7.3 x 1022

Find E+M, give your answer in standard form.

16. M  2  32 , N  2 4  32 Find the values of p and q

(a) M  N  2 p  3q (b) M  N  2 p  3q (c) N 2  2 p  3q

17. Given, 6 x  9, write the value of

(a) 6  x x
2
(c) 60  6 x
(b) 6
18. A sheet of gold leaf is cm thick. Find the total thickness of 6000 of these sheets. Give your
answer in cm and in standard form.

19. (a) Calculate the exact value of 3.7 +

(b) Write down your answer to part (a) in standard form.

(c) Write down your answer to part (a) to 3 significant figures.

20. An atom of helium has a mass of 6.8 kilograms.

(a) Express this mass in grams. Give your answer in standard form.

(b) A room contains 9 atoms of helium. Find the mass of helium in the room. Give your answer
in grams as a normal decimal number.

21. The population of a country is 3.2 There are 8 children.

(a) What fraction of the whole population are children? Give your answer in its simplest form.

(b) Find the number of adults. Give your answer in standard form.

22. (a) By writing each number correct to two significant figures, estimate, correct to one significant
figures the value of

(b) By writing each number correct to one significant figure, estimate the value of

23. Solve the following simultaneous equations :

3 y  2 x  15  0 x  2y  8 12 y  15 x  21
(a) (c)
2 x  3 y  19  0 (b) 1 5 y  3x  85
y  x9
3
24. Solve the following equations:
(b) 5x  3x  1  4
(a) k  3k  108  0
2 (c)
1
q  3  1 10  q   0
3 4
1 2 2 (e) 32 x 1  729 1
(d) 3x  3  7  1 x  1 (f) x 1  243 x
3 3 3 3

25. Factories:
(a) (i) 3a  4b  6am  8bm (ii) 2 x  4 y  3 x  2 y 
2
x4
(iii)  25a 6
9
8 2 (v) 4a 2  b2  2bc  c 2
(iv) 18 x 2  y
25
(b) Factories completely (i) 3x 2 y  20  5 x 2  12 y

(ii) x  2x  25  3 y 

1
Hence evaluate when x =  4, y= 
3
c3