QMI1500

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QMI1500

Elementary Quantitative Methods

Department of Decision Sciences

Assignment questions, Semester 1 2022

Assignment: 02

Due date: 14 March 2022

Unique number: 746467

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ASSIGNMENT 02
Study material: Topics 2.3 - 4.4 in the Study Guide
Unique assignment number: 746467

FIXED DUE DATE: 14 March 2022

Important:

• This is a multiple-choice assignment that must be answered and submitted ONLINE.

• Always keep your detailed workings in a file to be able to compare your solutions to the ones that will
be published on the QMI1500 module site after the due date. Also, keep a copy of the options
you have chosen, in case of a query.

• The due date of this assignment is fixed. No extension can be granted because the solutions will be
posted on the QMI1500 module site shortly after the closing date.

Question 1
The equations of three quadratic functions are given below:

(i) y = 2x2 + 12x + 18

(ii) y = −3x2 − 5x + 3
(iii) y = x2 + 2x − 5

Determine the discriminant of each function and the number of x-intercepts that the parabola has. Choose
the correct sentence. The function described in

[1] (i) has no discriminant and the parabola has no x-intercepts

[2] (ii) has a negative discriminant and the parabola has two x-intercepts
[3] (i) has a zero discriminant and the parabola has one x-intercept
[4] (iii) has a positive discriminant and the parabola has one x-intercept

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Question 2
Parabolas A, B and C below are described by the three quadratic functions:

1
1: y = − x2 − 5x − 13,5
2
3 2
2: y = − x − 6x − 12
4
1 2
3: y = − x − 6x − 17
2

A y B y
2 2

1 1

x x
−9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2 −9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2
−1 −1

−2 −2

−3 −3

−4 −4

−5 −5

−6 −6

−7 −7

−8 −8

C y
2

x
−9 −8 −7 −6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 1 2
−1

−2

−3

−4

−5

−6

−7

−8

Calculate the determinant of each quadratic function. Use the properties of the determinant and the number
of x-intercepts that the parabolas have, to match each parabola with its correct quadratic function. Choose
the correct statement.

[1] Parabola A is described by 3, B by 1 and C by 2

[2] Parabola A is described by 2, B by 1 and C by 3
[3] Parabola A is described by 1, B by 3 and C by 2
[4] Parabola A is described by 1, B by 2 and C by 3

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Question 3
The shape of the letter A in the advertisement board of a restaurant along the highway can be modelled by
the quadratic function
y = −x2 + 6x − 5,

where x and y are in metres. Point B is the highest point of the letter and point C is the lowest point of the
letter:
f (x)
B

h x

The height h, of the letter A, rounded to the nearest metre, is

[1] 3 m.
[2] 4 m.
[3] 8 m.
[4] 9 m.

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Question 4
The exponential function
y = 2 × mx

is drawn below:
y

(−3; 54)

The value of m is

[1] 27
2
[2]
3
[3] 3
1
[4]
3

Question 5
The value of a car when new is R224 000,00. It is estimated that the value of the car will decrease at the
rate of 11% per year. Answer the following questions:

a. Determine the exponential function that describes the value of the car y years after it was bought.
b. Determine the value of the car six years after it was bought.

The correct answers are the following:

[1] a. V (y) = (224 000,00 × 0,89)y b. R99 078,19

[2] a. V (y) = 224 000,00 × 0,89y b. R111 323,81
[3] a. V (y) = 224 000,00 × (1 − 0,11)y b. R125 082,93
y
[4] a. V (y) = 224 000,00(1,11) b. R111 323,81

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Question 6
When solving for x in the equation
 
9x + 7 x−2
− x− = 36,
2 7
the equation that is NOT correct, is
  
9x + 7 7x x−2
[1] − − = 36.
2 7 7
 
9x + 7 7x − x − 2
[2] − = 36.
2 7
 
9x + 7 6x + 2
[3] − = 36.
2 7
[4] 7(9x + 7) − 2(6x + 2) = 14 × 36.

Question 7
1 1
Jemima has three boxes whose total weight is 51 kg. Box B weighs 5 kg more than box A and box C
5 2
1
weighs 3 kg more than box B. Choose the correct statement.
5
5
[1] Box A weighs 17 kg.
6
1
[2] Box C weighs 21 kg.
30
1
[3] Box A weighs 42 kg.
2
1
[4] Box B weighs 12 kg.
3

Question 8
Mpohlo bought nine shirts at a total cost of R2 520,00. The large shirts costs R300,00 each and the small
shirts costs R240,00 each. Choose the correct statement.

[1] He bought twice as many small shirts as large shirts

[2] He bought three large shirts
[3] He paid R720 in total for the small shirts
[4] He paid double the amount for the large shirts as the amount that he paid for the small shirts

Question 9
A coffee shop owner blends a gourmet brand of coffee with a cheaper brand. The gourmet coffee usually
sells for R420,00 per kilogram. The cheaper brand sells for R180,00 per kilogram. How much of each type
should be mixed in order to have 30 kilograms of coffee that is worth R240,00 per kilogram?
Choose the correct sentence:

[1] Three quarters of the mass should be from the cheaper brand.
[2] He should order 7,50 kg of the cheaper brand.
[3] A third of the mass should be from the gourmet brand.
[4] He should order 6,14 kg of the gourmet brand.

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Question 10
Solving for p in the inequality
−(3p − 1) 2(p − 8) p+8
− ≥ −3
3 5 5
gives
7
[1] p≤ .
2

7
[2] p≤ .
4

37
[3] p≤ .
12

7
[4] p≤ .
6

Question 11
Consider the inequality
2a + 7 2
−5>a− .
3 5
Solving for a gives
4
[1] a < −6
5
[2] a > −4
2
[3] a<5
5
34
[4] a>−
5

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Question 12
A local high school needs to hire several cafeteria workers and bus drivers. Cafeteria workers earn R13 800
per month and bus drivers earn R17 250 per month. The school board gave the school permission to spend
no more than R345 000 on the salaries per month, but must hire more than 15 people.

Let B represent the number of bus drivers hired.

Let C represent the number of cafeteria workers hired.

For every bus driver hired there must be at least two cafeteria workers hired. The number of cafeteria
workers must at most be three more than twice the number of bus drivers.
Write a system of linear inequalities that the school could use to determine the number of cafeteria workers
and bus drivers they can hire.

[1] [2]
4C + 5B ≤ 100 13,8C + 17,25B ≤ 345

C − 2B ≤ 3 C + 2B < 3
1 1
C ≥ B C ≥ B
2 2
C +B > 15 C +B ≥ 15

[4]
[3]
5
5C + 4B ≤ 100 C+ B ≤ 25
4
C − 2B ≤ 3 2C − B ≤ 3
1
C ≥ 2B B ≥ C
2
C −B > 15 C +B > 15

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Question 13
A self-service photo centre allows you to make prints of pictures on an A4 size page. Two types of layouts
are available:
nnnnnlayout x: four pictures are fitted on one page, each has size 6 cm by 4 cm
nnnnnlayout y: two pictures are fitted on one page, each has size 15 cm by 9 cm

It costs R30 to print one page with layout x and it costs R40 to print one page with layout y.

You want at least 16 pictures of any size, and you are willing to spend up to R240. Write and graph a
system of inequalities that models the situation. Shade the solution space of the system of inequalities. The
correct answer is

[1] 4x + 3y ≥ 8 [2] 4x + 2y ≤ 16
3x + 6y ≤ 24 3x + 4y ≤ 24
x, y ≥ 0 x, y ≥ 0
y y
9 9

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

x x
−2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
−1 −1

−2 −2

[3] 2x + 4y ≥ 16 [4] 4x + 2y ≥ 16
4x + 3y ≤ 24 3x + 4y ≤ 24
y ≥ 0 x, y ≥ 0
y y
9 9

8 8

7 7

6 6

5 5

4 4

3 3

2 2

1 1

x x
−2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 −2 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
−1 −1

−2 −2

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Question 14
A sum of R8 000,00 is lent in the beginning of a year at a certain simple rate of interest. After eight months,
in a different loan, a sum of R1 164,00 more is lent but at the simple interest rate twice the former. At the
end of the year, R903,00 is earned as simple interest from both the loans. The original simple yearly rate of
interest, rounded to two decimal places, is

[1] 6,40%
[2] 10,29%
[3] 4,47%
[4] 7,89%

Question 15
When his son was three years old, Vuyisanani made a deposit of R16 200,00 in the bank. The investment
grew at a simple interest rate and when Vuyisanani’s son was 22 years old, the value of the investment was
R46 980,00. Had the interest been 1,25% less, how much interest would he have lost?

[1] R3 847,50
[2] R26 932,50
[3] R19 338,68
[4] R4 455,00

Question 16
Zelda borrowed R5 760,00 from a bank for 21 months. For the discount loan she only received R4 752,00.
Answer the following questions:
(i) Find the yearly discount rate, d.
(ii) Determine the equivalent yearly simple interest rate, i.

Give the answers as percentages and round them to two decimal places.

[1] (i) d = 0,83% (ii) i = 1,01%.

[2] (i) d = 10,00% (ii) i = 0,92%.
[3] (i) d = 12,12% (ii) i = 10,00%.
[4] (i) d = 10,00% (ii) i = 12,12%.

Question 17
An amount of money is invested at 8% interest per year, compounded quarterly. After a number of years, the
accumulated amount in the account is R7 365,00. The investment earned R2 000,00 interest in this period.
If the accumulated amount is left in the account (the interest rate remains the same) for another period that
is one year longer than the first period, the accumulated amount in the account will then be

[1] R10 312,78

[2] R29 363,56
[3] R10 944,00
[4] R10 699,87

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Question 18
Pamela borrows an amount of money for emergency house repairs. The interest on the loan is compounded
quarterly. After four years the debt accumulated by R7 980,00 to the amount of R32 923,00. The yearly
interest rate, expressed as a percentage and rounded to two decimal places, at which the money was borrowed,
is

[1] 1,75%.
[2] 8,00%.
[3] 9,26%.
[4] 7,00%.

Question 19
Abongile, the manager of a construction company is renovating a home and has expenses of R200 000,00
now and another R41 812,00 in six months’ time. As he finds it difficult to find the cash now, he proposes
to settle all the debt after six months with a single payment. The debt is subject to an interest rate of 9,5%
per annum, compounded quarterly. What is the value of the payment that will settle his debt at the end of
month six?

[1] R251 424,81

[2] R251 096,50
[3] R244 173,06
[4] R243 821,65

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Question 20
Bongeka purchased a new refrigerator and were expected to pay R1 684,00 five months ago and another
R1 323,00 in eight months’ time. She could not make the payment five months ago, but after receiving a
bonus at work, she rescheduled to repay the loan in two equal payments, the first due in two months and the
second due in five months’ time. The payment at month five will settle the debt, therefore, the settlement
date is month five. The debts and payments are subject to the same interest rate of 11,4% per annum,
compounded monthly. This is represented on the following time line:

R1 684,00 R1 323,00

−6 −5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 months

X X
@ 11,4% per year, compounded monthly

The value of each of the payments, rounded to the nearest rand, is equal to

[1] R1 546,00.
[2] R1 569,00.
[3] R1 583,00.
[4] R3 137,00.

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