2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

Mastery Questions
1. [RIJC/2019/Prelim/P2/Q4]

(a) The non-zero numbers a, b and c are the first, third and fifth terms of an arithmetic series
respectively.
(i) Write down an expression for b in terms of a and c. [1]
(ii) Write down an expression for the common difference, d, of this arithmetic series
in terms of a and b. [1]
(iii) Hence show that the sum of the first ten terms can be expressed as

5
 9c  a  . [2]
4
(iv) If a, b and c are also the fourth, third and first terms, respectively of a geometric
series, find the common ratio of this series in terms of a and b and hence show
that
(2b  a) a 2  b3 . [2]

 
n 1
(b) The nth term of a geometric series is 2sin 2  .
(i) Find all the values of , where 0    2 , such that the series is
convergent. [4]
(ii) For the values of  found in part (i), find the sum to infinity, simplifying your
answer to a form involving a single trigonometrical function. [2]
[Solution]
ac
(a)(i) b 
2
ba
(a)(ii) Common difference, d =
2
10   b  a 
(a)(iii) Sum of first 10 terms =  2a  (10  1)  
2  2 
 9ac 
= 5  2a    a
 2 2 
5
=  9c  a 
4
(a)(iv) Let r be the common ratio.
4th term a
r  rd  .
3 term b

Also, 3rd term = cr 2  b .

2
a
  2b  a     b
b
 (2b  a)a 2  b3

(b)(i) Common ratio, r = 2 sin 2 

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

For the series to be convergent, r  1 .

That is, 2sin 2   1 .
1
 sin  
2
1 1
   sin  
2 2

1/ 2

 5 /4 7 /4 2
O  /4 3 / 4 

 1/ 2
y=sin 

However, for this particular question, r = 0 makes the first term 00 , which is not defined.
Therefore, 2 sin 2   0 .
 sin   0
   0,  , 2

Hence,
 3 5 7
0   or     or     or    2 .
4 4 4 4
1
(b)(ii) Sum to infinity =
1  2sin 2 
1
=
cos 2
= sec 2

2. [N2003/P2/Q4]

The first, second and fourth term of a convergent geometric progression are consecutive terms
of an arithmetic progression. Prove that the common ratio of the geometric progression is
1 5
.
2
The first term of the geometric progression is positive. Show that the sum of the first 5 terms
of this progression is greater than nine tenths of the sum of infinity.

[Solution]
Let the first term be a and the common ratio be r . Since series is convergent, r  1 .
un  ar n 1 , u1  a , u2  ar1 , u4  ar 3
u1 , u2 , u4 are consecutive terms in an arithmetic progression.

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

 u2  u1  u4  u2
ar  a  ar 3  ar
r 1  r3  r ( a  0)
 r  r 2  1
 r (r  1)(r  1)
r (r  1)(r  1)  (r  1)  0
r  1r 2  r  1  0
r  1 , rejected since r  1 .

r 2

 r 1  0
 1  12  41 1
r
2
1 5
r
2

1 5
r  1.62 rejected as r  1 .
2
1 5
r  0.618 accepted.
2
1  5
Therefore r   shown 
2
a
S 
1 r

a 1  r 5 
S5 
1 r
 a    1  5 5 
 1  r  
5
  1  r  S  1  
5
  S  0.910S  0.9S  shown 
 1 r    2  
 

3. [IJC/2017/Prelim/P2/Q4]
A farmer owns a plot of farmland. To prepare for wheat planting, the farmer has to plough the
farmland before sowing wheat seeds. At the start of the first week, 300 m 2 of the farmland is
ploughed. The farmer ploughs another 100 m 2 of the farmland at the beginning of each
subsequent week. To sow wheat seeds, the farmer is considering two different options.
(a) In the first option, the farmer sows wheat seeds on 60% of the unsown ploughed land
at the end of each week.
(i) Find the area of unsown ploughed land at the end of the second week.

(ii) Show that the area of unsown ploughed land at the end of the nth week is
given by

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

 
0.4n  300   k 1  0.4n1  m 2 ,
 
where k is an exact constant to be determined.
(iii) Find the number of complete weeks required for the area of unsown
ploughed land to first fall below 70 m2 .

(b) In the second option, the farmer sows 80 m2 of the unsown ploughed land at the end
of the first week. At the end of each subsequent week, he sows 20 m 2 of the unsown
ploughed land more than in the previous week. This means that the area of sown
ploughed land is 100 m 2 in the second week, 120 m 2 in the third week, and so on.
(i) Find, in terms of n, the area of unsown ploughed land at the end of the nth
week.

(ii) Find the number of complete weeks required for the farmer to finish sowing
all the ploughed farmland in this option. Deduce the area of ploughed land
to be sown in the final week.

200
[Ans: (a)(i) 88 m2 (ii) k  (iii) 5; (b)(i) 10n  30n  200 (ii) 7, 120 m2]
2

[Solution]
(a)(i)
Area of unsown ploughed land
 0.4 0.4  300   100
 88 m2

(a)(ii)
n Beginning of week End of week

1 300 0.4  300 

0.4 0.4  300   100
2 0.4  300   100
 0.42  300   0.4 100 

0.42  300   0.4 100  0.4 0.42  300   0.4 100   100 
3  
100  0.43  300   0.42 100   0.4 100 

.. … …

0.4n  300   0.4n1 100   ...

n …
0.42 100   0.41 100 

Area of land unsown ploughed land at the end of nth week

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

 0.4  300   100 

n 
 0.4 1  0.4n1 
 
 1  0.4 
 

 0.4n  300  

200
3
 
1  0.4n1  m 2


200
 the value of k is .
3

(a)(iii)
Method 1
200

1  0.4n1  70
0.4n  300  
3

200 200
0.4n  300    (0.4) 1 0.4n  70
3 3
400
3
0.4n 
10
3
 
1
0.4n 
40

n
ln 401
 
ln 0.4
n  4.02588
Hence the number of complete weeks required is 5.

Method 2
0.4n  300  
200
3

1  0.4n1  70 
Using GC,
n 0.4n  300  
200
3

1  0.4n1 
4 70.08 (> 70)
5 68.032 (< 70)
6 67.213 (< 70)

Hence the number of complete weeks required is 5.

(b)(i)
n Beginning of week End of week
1 300 300  80
2 300  100   80 300  100   80  100
3 300  2 100   80  100 300  2 100   80  100  120
.. … …
300   n  1100   80  100
n …
  80  20  n  1 

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

Area of unsown ploughed land at the end of nth week

n
 300  100  n  1   2  80   20  n  1 
2
n
 300  100n  100  140  20n 
2
 300  100n  100  70n  10n 2
 10n 2  30n  200

(b)(ii)
For the farmer to finish sowing all the ploughed farmland,
10n2  30n  200  0

Method 1:
Solving the inequality,
n  6.21699 or n  3.21699 (rejected)
Hence the number of complete weeks is 7.

Method 2:
Using GC,
n 10n2  30n  200
6 20
7 -80
8 -200

Hence the number of complete weeks is 7.

In week 6, the area of unsown ploughed land

 10(6)2  30(6)  200  20 m2
 area of ploughed land to be sown in week 7 (the final week)
 20  100  120 m2

4.[JJC/2017/Prelim/P1/Q4]
A fund is started at $6000 and compound interest of 3% is added to the fund at the end of each
year. If withdrawals of $k are made at the beginning of each of the subsequent years, show that
the amount in the fund at the beginning of the (n +1)th year is
100 
$ (180  k )(1.03) n  k  .
3  
(i) It is given that k = 400. At the beginning of which year, for the first time, will the
amount in the fund be less than $1000?
(ii) If the fund is fully withdrawn at the beginning of sixteenth year, find the least value of
k to the nearest integer.
[Ans: (i) 19th year (ii) least k = 503]

[Solution]
nth yr Amount at the beginning of yr Amount at the end of yr

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

1 6000
2 6000(1.03)  k
3 6000(1.03)2  k (1.03)  k
 6000(1.03)2  k (1.03)  k
6000(1.03)
6000(1.03)  k  (1.03)
 6000(1.03)2  k (1.03)
6000(1.03)2  k (1.03)  k  (1.03)
 
 6000(1.03)3  k (1.03)2  k (1.03)

By inspection, amount in the fund at the end of nth year

= 6000 1.03n  k 1.03n 1  k 1.03n  2  ...  k 1.03

Amount in the fund at the beginning of (n + 1)th year

= 6000 1.03n  k 1.03n 1  k 1.03n  2  ...  k 1.03  k
n 1 
 6000(1.03)n  k 1  1.03  1.03   1.03
2
 
1 1  1.03n  
   
 6000(1.03)n  k   
 1  1.03 
 
100 
k 1  1.03 
n
 6000(1.03)n 
3  
100 
180 1.03  k  k 1.03 
n n

3 
 
100 



180  k 1.03n  k  [Shown]
3

(i)
Given k = 400,
100 
180  400 1.03  400 < 1000
n

3  
220 1.03  400 < 30
n

37
(1.03)n > (or 1.6818)
22
37
n ln1.03 > ln
22
ln 37
22
n > = 17.6 (3 sf)
ln1.03
Least n = 18
Alternative Method:
Using GC,

100 
180  400 1.03  400
n
n 
3
17 1213
18 849
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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

19 474
least n = 18

n  1 = 19
Therefore, at the beginning of 19th year, the amount in the fund will be less than $1000 for
the first time.

(ii)
When n  1  16  n = 15,
100 
180  k 1.03  k   0
15
3   
180  k 1.0315  k  0

180 1.03  k 1  1.03   0

15 15
 
k 1  1.03   180 1.03
15 15
 
k 1.03  1  180 1.03
15 15
 
180 1.03
15
k 
1.0315  1
k  502.6
Least k = 503 (nearest integer)

Alternative Method:
Using GC,

100 
180  k 1.03  k 
15
k  
3 
502 11.1
503 -7.45
504 -26.1

least k = 503 (nearest integer)

5. [HCI/2019/Prelim/P1/Q9]
A company produces festive decorative Light Emitting Diode (LED) string lights, where micro
LEDs are placed at intervals along a thin wire. In a particular design, the first LED (LED 1) is
placed on one end of a wire with the second LED (LED 2) placed at a distance of d cm from LED
1, and each subsequent LED is placed at a distance 54 times the preceding distance as shown.

LED 1 LED 2 LED 3

wire
cm cm

(i) If the distance between LED 8 and LED 9 is 56.2 cm, find the value of d correct to 1 decimal
place.

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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

(ii) Find the theoretical maximum length of the wire, giving your answer in centimetres correct
to 1 decimal place.
The LEDs consisting of three colours red, orange and yellow, are arranged in that order in a
repeated manner, that is, LED 1 is red, LED 2 is orange, LED 3 is yellow, LED 4 is red, LED 5
is orange, LED 6 is yellow, and so on.
(iii) Find the colour of the LED nearest to a point on the wire 12.9 m from LED 1.
(iv) If the minimum distance between any two consecutive LEDs is 1 cm so that they can be
mounted on the wire, find the colour of the last LED.

[Solution]
(i)
LED 1 LED 2 LED 3 LED 4 LED 8 LED 9

d ( 54 )7  56.2
 d  267.9824829  268.0 (1 d.p.)
(ii) Since r  54  1 , sum to infinity exists.
Hence maximum theoretical length of wire
d

1 r
267.9824829

1  54
 1339.912415
 1339.9 cm (1 d.p.)

(iii)
LED 1 LED 2 LED 3 LED 4 LED LED

Let S n be distance from LED 1 to LED n  1 .

Method 1: (using GC table)
267.9824829[1  ( 54 ) n ]
Using sum of GP, Sn 
1  54
Using GC,
n Sn Sn  1290
14 1281.0 9.0
15 1292.8 2.8
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 2020 SAJC JC1 H2 Mathematics

 closest LED to 1290 is when n  15 .

 required LED is LED (15  1)  LED 16.
Hence colour of LED 16 is red.
Method 2: (using algebraic manipulation)
267.9824829[1  ( 54 ) n ]
Let Sn   1290
1  54
1  ( 54 ) n  0.9627494943
n ln( 54 )  ln 0.0372505057
 n  14.74427443
Using GC,
n Sn Sn  1290
14 1281.0 9.0
15 1292.8 2.8
 closest LED to 1290 is when n  15 .
 required LED is LED (15  1)  LED 16.
Hence colour of LED 16 is red.

(iv)

LED 1 LED 2 LED 3 LED 4 LED LED

Let un  d ( 54 ) n 1  267.9824829( 54 ) n 1  1
( 54 ) n 1  267.9824829
1

ln( 54 ) n 1  ln 267.9824829
1

(n  1) ln( 54 )  ln 267.9824829
1

n  1  25.05526859
 n  26.05526859
Since largest integer n  26 , last LED is LED (26  1)  LED 27
Hence colour of last LED 27 is yellow.

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