Algebraic Manipulation

1. (a) Expand the bracket and simplify the expression

7x + 5 – 3(x – 4).
2
(b) Factorise 5x – 7x.
2. Simplify
x+2 x
− .
x x+2
Write your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.
3. Factorise 3xy – 2x.
4. Simplify the following expressions.
(a) 9r – 4s – 6r + s
(b) q4 ÷ q3
(c) p6 × p–2
5. Factorise completely
(a) 7ac + 14a,
(b) 12ax3 + 18xa3.
6. Simplify
2
⎛ x 27 ⎞3
(a) ⎜ ⎟ ,
⎜ 27 ⎟
⎝ ⎠
1
−
⎛ x −2 ⎞ 2
(b) ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ .
⎝ 4 ⎠
7. (i) The cost of a book is $x.
Write down an expression in terms of x for the number of these books which are bought
for $40.
(ii) The cost of each book is increased by $2.
The number of books which are bought for $40 is now one less than before.
Write down an equation in x and show that it simplifies to x2 + 2x – 80 = 0.
(iii) Solve the equation x2 + 2x – 80 = 0
(iv) Find the original cost of one book.
8. Factorise completely 2x2 – 6xy.
9. Simplify
(a) p 2 × p 3,
(b) q3 ÷ q–4,
(c) (r2)3.
10. Write as a single fraction in its simplest form
5 4
− .
x x +1
11. Factorise
(a) 4x2 – 9,
(b) 4x2 – 9x,
(c) 4x2 – 9x + 2.
12. Simplify the expression 5p – 2q – (p + q).
13. Factorise completely 2a2b – 6a.
14. Simplify 3x2y × x4y2.
Algebraic Manipulation

15.
(x + 4) cm

R 4x cm

Q (x + 2) cm

(x + 12) cm NOT TO SCALE

(a) (i) Write down an expression for the area of rectangle R.
(ii) Show that the total area of rectangles R and Q is 5x2 + 30x + 24 square centimetres.
(b) The total area of rectangles R and Q is 64 cm2.
Calculate the value of x correct to 1 decimal place.
16. Expand the brackets and simplify
3x2 – x(x – 3y).
17. Expand the brackets and simplify
4x2 – x(x – 2y).
18. Write as a fraction in its simplest form
x −3 4
+ ,
4 x −3
19. Factorise completely xy2 – x2y.
20. A packet of sweets contains chocolates and toffees.
(a) There are x chocolates which have a total mass of 105 grams.
Write down, in terms of x, the mean mass of a chocolate.
(b) There are x + 4 toffees which have a total mass of 105 grams.
Write down, in terms of x, the mean mass of a toffee.
(c) The difference between the two mean masses in parts (a) and (b) is 0.8 grams.
Write down an equation in x and show that it simplifies to x2 + 4x – 525 = 0.
(d) (i) Factorise x2 + 4x – 525.
(ii) Write down the solutions of x2 + 4x – 525 = 0.
(e) Write down the total number of sweets in the packet.
(f) Find the mean mass of a sweet in the packet.
21. Factorise completely 4xy – 2x.
22. Factorise completely 2pq – 4q.
23. x + 4x – 8 can be written in the form (x + p)2 + q.
2

Find the values of p and q.

24. Factorise completely 6x – 9x2y.
x 5x 5x
25. Simplify + − .
3 9 18
x 7x 7x
16. Simplify + − .
3 9 18
Algebraic Manipulation

27. (i) Factorise x2 – x – 20.

(ii) Solve the equation x2 – x – 20 = 0.
28. y = m2 – 4n2.
(i) Factorise m2 – 4n2.
(ii) Find the value of y when m = 4.4 and n = 2.8.
(iii) m = 2x + 3 and n = x – 1.
Find y in terms of x, in its simplest form.
(iv) Make n the subject of the formula y = m2 – 4n2.
29. (i) m4 – 16n4 can be written as (m2 – kn2)(m2 + kn2).
Write down the value of k.
(ii) Factorise completely m4n – 16n5.
30.

1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36

A 3 by 3 square x b c can be chosen from the 6 by 6 grid above.

d e f
g h i

(a) One of these squares is

8 9 10
14 15 16
20 21 22
In this square, x = 8, c = 10, g = 20 and i = 22.
For this square, calculate the value of
(i) (i – x) – (g – c),
(ii) cg – xi.
(b)

x b c
d e f
g h i
(i) c = x + 2. Write down g and i in terms of x.
(ii) Use your answers to part(b)(i) to show that (i – x) – (g – c) is constant.
(iii) Use your answers to part(b)(i) to show that cg – xi is constant.

(c) The 6 by 6 grid is replaced by a 5 by 5 grid as shown.

1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25
Algebraic Manipulation

A 3 by 3 square x b c can be chosen from the 5 by 5 grid.

d e f
g h i

For any 3 by 3 square chosen from this 5 by 5 grid, calculate the value of
(i) (i – x) – (g – c),
(ii) cg – xi.
(d) A 3 by 3 square is chosen from an n by n grid.
(i) Write down the value of (i – x) – (g – c).
(ii) Find g and i in terms of x and n.
(iii) Find cg – xi in its simplest form.
31. Expand the brackets and simplify 5x – 6(3x – 2).
32. Expand the brackets and simplify 3x – 5(4x – 2).
33. (a) Factorise ax2 + bx2.
(b) Make x the subject of the formula
ax2 + bx2 – d2 = p2
34. Write as a single fraction in its simplest form
4 2
− .
2x + 3 x − 3
35. Write as a single fraction in its simplest form
5 2
− .
5x + 1 2x − 3
36.
C

x cm

y
A (x + 4) cm B
NOT TO SCALE

(a) When the area of triangle ABC is 48 cm2,

(i) show that x2 + 4x – 96 = 0,
(ii) solve the equation x2 + 4x – 96 = 0,
(iii) write down the length of AB.
1
(b) When tan y = , find the value of x.
6
(c) When the length of AC is 9 cm,
(i) show that 2x2 + 8x – 65 = 0,
(ii) solve the equation 2x2 + 8x – 65 = 0,
(Show your working and give your answers correct to 2 decimal places.)
(iii) calculate the perimeter of triangle ABC.
Algebraic Manipulation

37. (a) Expand and simplify 5(3c – 4d) – 8c.

2
(b) Factorise pq – q .
38. Simplify
(a) 3p × 5p3,
(b) 24q2 ÷ 8q–3.
39. (a) Expand and simplify 4(5c – 3d) – 7c.
(b) Factorise m2 – mn.
40. Simplify
(a) 4d × 6d4,
(b) 28t3 ÷ 7t–4.
1 1 c−d
41. Write + − as a single fraction in its simplest form
c d cd