Additional practice questions

2.3 Modelling: linear equations and systems of linear equations

Practice 1
1) Solve:
a. 5x − 9 = x – 1 b. 2 + 3a = a + 18
c. 8t + 1 = 3t − 14 d. 4d − 2 = 6 + 2d
e. 3p + 5 = −1 + 5p f. −x + 5 = −2 − 3x

2) Solve:
a. 2(3 − 2x) = 12 − 2x b. 2(3z − 1) = 4(7 – z)
c. 4(3 + 2p) = 5(p + 2) d. 2(x + 3) − 5 = 9
e. 2 – 3(z + 5) = 20 f. 2e + 3(1 + e) = −12

3) Solve:
a. 3(2d + 3) = 5 − 4(3 − d)
b. 2(y + 4) + 3(2y − 5) = 5
c. 2(3 − 2f) = 2(6 − f)
d. 5x − 2(4x − 9) = 5 + 5(2 − x)
e. 5(a + 2) + 2(2a − 1) = 7(a − 4)
f. 3(k − 4) = 5(2k − 3) – 2(3k − 5)

4) Gracie is 7 years younger than Sheena. The sum of their ages is 43 years.
a. Gracie is x years old. Write an expression for Sheena’s age in
terms of x.
b. Form an equation for the total of Gracie and Sheena’s ages.
c. Solve the equation to find Gracie and Sheena’s ages.

5) A triangle has perimeter 59 cm. The lengths of the sides are 2x − 5 cm,
3x + 2 cm and 2x − 1 cm.
a. Write down an equation relating the perimeter to the lengths of the
sides.
b. Solve the equation and hence find the length of each side of the
triangle.

6) A rectangle has perimeter 40 cm. It is 2x + 5 cm long and x + 3 cm wide.

a. Form an equation for the perimeter of the rectangle.
b. Solve the equation and hence find the length and width of the
rectangle.

© Oxford University Press 2021 1

Practice 2
7) Solve these simultaneous equations by subtracting them.
a. x + 4y = 11
x+ y= 5
b. 2x + 5y = 13
2x + y = 9
c. 4x – 2y = 16
2x – 2y = 9

8) Solve these simultaneous equations by adding them.

a. 2x – y = 2
x+y=7
b. 3x – y = 8
3x + y = 10
c. 5x – 3y = 5
−5x + y = −5

9) Solve these simultaneous equations by multiplying one equation by an

appropriate number, then adding or subtracting.
a. 2x + 3y = 11
3x + y = 13
b. 2x + y = 10
−x + 2y = 5
c. 5x − 4y = 24
2x − y = 9

10) A group of children and adults went on a trip to a theme park.

Tickets for the theme park were $20 for adults and $15 for children.
To get there, the bus cost $10 for adults and $6 for children.
The total cost of the theme park tickets was $560 and the total cost of the coach
was $232.
How many children and adults went on the trip?

Practice 3
Solve each problem by forming a pair of simultaneous equations.

11) The line, with equation y + ax = c, passes through the points (1, 5) and (3, 1).
Find a and c.

© Oxford University Press 2021 2

12) The line y = mx + c passes through (2, 5) and (4, 13). Find m and c.

13) The curve y = ax2 + bx passes through (2, 0) and (4, 8). Find a and b.

14) A gardener buys fifty carrot seeds and twenty lettuce seeds for $1∙10 and her
mother buys thirty carrot seeds and forty lettuce seeds for $1∙50. Find the cost of
one carrot seed and one lettuce seed.

15) A shop owner can buy either two televisions and three DVD players for $1750 or
four televisions and one DVD player for $1250. Find the cost of one of each.

16) Half the difference between two numbers is 2. The sum of the greater number
and twice the smaller number is 13. Find the numbers.

17) Angle A is 12° greater than angle C. Find the angles of the triangle.

18) A bird can lay either white or brown eggs. Three white eggs and two brown eggs
have a mass of 13 grams, while five white eggs and four brown eggs have a mass
of 24 grams. Find the mass of a brown egg and of a white egg.

19) A tortoise makes a journey in two parts; it can either walk at 4 cm/s or crawl at
3 cm/s. If the tortoise walks the first part and crawls the second, it takes 110
seconds. If it crawls the first part and walks the second, it takes 100 seconds. Find
the lengths of the two parts of the journey.

20) The weekly wage bill for five teachers and six doctors is $6700, while the bill for
eight teachers and three doctors is $6100. Find the weekly wage for a teacher and
the wage for a doctor.

21) A fish can swim at 14 m/s in the direction of the current and at 6 m/s against it.
Find the speed of the current and the speed of the fish in still water.

22) In three years’ time a pet snake will be as old as his owner was four years ago.
Their present ages total 13 years. Find the age of each now.

23) A straight line passes through the points (2, 4) and (−1, −5). Find its equation.

24) A spider can walk at a certain speed and run at another speed. If she walks for 10
seconds and runs for 9 seconds she travels 85 m. If she walks for 30 seconds and
runs for 2 seconds she travels 130 m. Find her walking and running speeds.

© Oxford University Press 2021 3

25) A wallet containing $40 has three times as many $1 notes as $5 notes.
Find the number of each type of note.

26) At the present time a man is four times as old as his son. Six years ago he was 10
times as old. Find their present ages.

© Oxford University Press 2021 4

Answers

Practice 1
1) a. x = 2 b. a=8 c. t = –3 d. d=4
1
e. p = 3 f. x=3
2
2
2) a. x = −3 b. z=3 c. p= d. x=4
3
e. z = –11 f. e = −3
1 1
3) a. d = −8 b. y=1 c. f = −3 d x = −1
2 2
e. a = −18f. k = –7
4) a. x+7 b. 2x + 7 = 43
c. x = 18, Gracie is 18 years old and Sheena is 25 years old
5) a. (2x – 5) + (3x + 2) + (2x – 1) = 59, 7x – 4 = 59
b. x = 9, sides 13 cm, 29 cm, 17 cm
6) a. 2(2x + 5) + 2(x + 3) = 40; 6x + 16 = 40
b. 6x = 24; x = 4, sides 13 cm and 7 cm

Practice 2
1
7) a. x = 3, y = 2 b. x = 4, y = 1 c. x = 3 , y = −1
2
8) a. x = 3, y = 4 b. x = 3, y = 1 c. x = −2, y = −5
9) a. x = 4, y = 1 b. x = 3, y = 4 c. x = 4, y = −1
10) 4 adults and 32 children

Practice 3
11) a = 2, c = 7
12) m = 4, c = −3
13) a = 1, b = −2
14) carrot seed 1c, lettuce seed 3c
15) TV $200, DVD player $450
16) 7, 3
17) 64°, 64°, 52°
1
18) white 2 g, brown 3 g
2
19) 120 cm, 240 cm
20) teacher $500, doctor $700
21) current 4 m/s, fish 10 m/s
22) boy 10, snake 3
23) 7. y = 3x − 2
24) walks 4 m/s, runs 5 m/s 5
25) $1 × 15, $5 × 5
26) 36, 9

© Oxford University Press 2021 5