*P6*

Pre-Leaving Certificate Examination, 2023

Mathematics
(Option A)
Higher Level
Paper 1
2 hours 30 mins

300 marks

Name: For examiner

Question Mark
School:
1
Address: 2
Class: 3
4
Teacher:
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total

Grade

Running total
Instructions

There are two sections in this examination paper.

Section A Concepts and Skills 150 marks 6 questions

Section B Contexts and Applications 150 marks 4 questions

Answer questions as follows:

• any five questions from Section A – Concepts and Skills

• any three questions from Section B – Contexts and Applications

Write your details in the box on the front cover.

Write your answers in blue or black pen. You may use pencil in graphs and diagrams only.

Anything that you write outside of the answer areas may not be seen by the examiner.

Write all answers into this booklet. There is space for extra work at the back of the booklet. If you need to use
it, label any extra work clearly with the question number and part.

The superintendent will give you a copy of the Formulae and Tables booklet. You must return it at the end of
the examination. You are not allowed to bring your own copy into the examination.

You will lose marks if your solutions do not include relevant supporting work.

You may lose marks if the appropriate units of measurement are not included, where relevant.

You may lose marks if your answers are not given in simplest form, where relevant.

Write the make and model of your calculator(s) here:

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 Section A Concepts and Skills 150 marks

Answer any five questions from this section.

Question 1 (30 marks)

(a) Given 4𝑥𝑥 2 + 8𝑥𝑥 + 3 = 𝑎𝑎(𝑥𝑥 + 𝑏𝑏)2 + 𝑐𝑐

Find the values of the constants 𝑎𝑎, 𝑏𝑏 and 𝑐𝑐.

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(b) The equation 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 + (𝑘𝑘 + 3) = 0, where 𝑘𝑘 is a constant, has two distinct real roots.

(i) Show that 𝑘𝑘 2 − 4𝑘𝑘 − 12 > 0.

(ii) Find the set of possible values of 𝑘𝑘.

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Question 2 (30 marks)

(a) (i) A complex number 𝑧𝑧 can be written in the form 𝑎𝑎 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏.

Given 𝑧𝑧𝑧𝑧 = 18, write an equation in terms of 𝑎𝑎 and 𝑏𝑏.

𝜋𝜋
(ii) If arg(𝑧𝑧) = , find the values of 𝑎𝑎 and 𝑏𝑏 and hence write 𝑧𝑧 in the form 𝑎𝑎 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏.
4

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(b) (i) Write the complex number −4 + 4√3𝑖𝑖 in polar form.

(ii) Find the three complex numbers 𝑧𝑧 for which 𝑧𝑧 3 = −4 + 4√3𝑖𝑖.

Express each root in polar form.

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Question 3 (30 marks)

𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 2𝑥𝑥 3 − 𝑥𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑥 − 16 is a cubic function.

(a) Show that (𝑥𝑥 − 2) is a factor of 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥).

(b) Given that 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = (𝑥𝑥 − 2)(2𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 + 𝑐𝑐), find the values of 𝑏𝑏 and 𝑐𝑐.

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(c) There are two points on 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) where the slope of a tangent to the curve is 10.
Find the coordinates of these two points.

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Question 4 (30 marks)

(a) The first term of an arithmetic series is 𝑎𝑎 and the common difference is 𝑑𝑑.
The 18th term of the series is 25 and the 21st term of the series is 32·5.

(i) Use this information to write down two equations in terms of 𝑎𝑎 and 𝑑𝑑.

(ii) Show that 𝑑𝑑 = 2 · 5 and find the value of 𝑎𝑎.

(iii) The sum of the first 𝑛𝑛 terms of the series is 2750. Find the value of 𝑛𝑛.

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(b) A geometric sequence is as follows: l n 𝑥𝑥 , l n 𝑥𝑥 2 , l n 𝑥𝑥 4 , l n 𝑥𝑥 8 , …

(i) Find 𝑟𝑟, the common ratio between the terms.

(ii) If 𝑇𝑇8 − 𝑇𝑇6 = 45, find the value of 𝑥𝑥. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

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Question 5 (30 marks)

The graph shows a sketch of the curve 𝐶𝐶 with the equation 𝑦𝑦 = (2𝑥𝑥 2 − 5𝑥𝑥 + 2)(𝑒𝑒 −𝑥𝑥 )

(a) Find the coordinates of the point where 𝐶𝐶 crosses the 𝑦𝑦-axis.

(b) Show that 𝐶𝐶 crosses the 𝑥𝑥-axis at 𝑥𝑥 = 2 and find the 𝑥𝑥-coordinate of the other point where
𝐶𝐶 crosses the 𝑥𝑥-axis.

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 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
(c) Find . Give your answer in simplest form.
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

(d) Hence, find the coordinates of the turning points of C.

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Question 6 (30 marks)

(a) (i) Given that 𝑦𝑦 = 2𝑥𝑥 , express 4𝑥𝑥 − 2𝑥𝑥+1 = 3 as an equation in terms of 𝑦𝑦.

(ii) Hence, find the value of 𝑥𝑥, correct to 2 decimal places.

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(b) Prove using induction that 4𝑛𝑛 + 6𝑛𝑛 − 1 is divisible by 3 for all 𝑛𝑛 ∈ ℕ.

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Section B Contexts and Applications 150 marks

Answer any three questions from this section.

Question 7 (50 marks)

A heated metal ball is dropped into a liquid. As the ball cools, its temperature, 𝑇𝑇 °C, 𝑡𝑡 minutes after it
enters the liquid, is given by

𝑇𝑇 = 400 𝑒𝑒 −0·05𝑡𝑡 + 25, 𝑡𝑡 ≥ 0

(a) Find the temperature of the ball as it enters the liquid.

(b) Find the value of 𝑡𝑡 for which 𝑇𝑇 = 300, giving your answer to 1 decimal place.

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(c) Find the rate at which the temperature of the ball is decreasing at the instant when 𝑡𝑡 = 50.
Give your answer in °C per minute to 3 significant figures.

(d) Calculate the average temperature of the ball between 10 minutes and 30 minutes after
entering the liquid. Give your answer to the nearest degree.

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(e) If the ball is left in the water until it has cooled fully, what is the lowest temperature to which
it will fall?

(f) When the ball is cooling, the metal will contract, and so the volume of the ball will decrease.
If the volume of the ball is decreasing at a rate of 0·5π cm3 per minute, find the rate of change
of the radius of the ball at a time when the radius is 6 cm.

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Question 8 (50 marks)
(a) Dan has won a prize in a lottery game. When he goes to collect his prize, he is offered one of
the following options:

Option A: Receive a payment of €2 200 at the beginning of each month for 25 years,
starting immediately.

Option B: Receive a single lump sum payment immediately.

Dan is unsure of which option to take. He initially opts for the monthly payments and puts
them in a bank while he decides what to do. The bank is offering a rate of interest which
corresponds to an annual equivalent rate (AER) of 2·8%.

(i) Dan allows the monthly repayments to build up in the bank account over a 6-month
period. Find the amount in the bank account at the end of the 6 months.

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(ii) At the end of the 6 months, Dan requests to have the remaining monthly
payments paid immediately as a lump sum. Based on an AER of 2·8%,
calculate how much Dan would expect to receive as the lump sum.

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(b) Dan used some of his winnings to buy a new car.
He paid €54 000 for the car, which dropped in value each year.
The dealership advise Dan that the car will have a value of €39 015 at the end of two years.

(i) Assuming that the annual percentage loss remains constant, find the annual
depreciation rate and hence deduce the value of the car at the end of the first, third
and fourth years and enter these values in the table.

Age in years 0 1 2 3 4

Value €54 000 €39 015

(ii) The dealership have an offer where they will take Dan’s car back as a trade-in against a
new car at the end of five years, for a value of €25 000. Is this a good deal for Dan?
Justify your answer.

Yes, it is a good deal. No, it is not a good deal.

Justification:

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(c) A local garage has a scheme to cover the maintenance of the car.
The cost is €600 for the first year, and for every following year the cost increases by 12%.
(i) Dan thinks that the annual payments form a geometric sequence.
Explain why he is correct, and write down the values for 𝑎𝑎, the first term,
and 𝑟𝑟, the common ratio.

(ii) If Dan signs up to this scheme and stays with it for 10 years, calculate the total
amount he will have paid to the local garage by the end of the 10th year.

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Question 9 (50 marks)

(a) A human's respiratory cycle is the length of time elapsed from the beginning of one breath to
the beginning of the next breath. For a person at rest, the velocity 𝑣𝑣, in litres per second, of
airflow during a respiratory cycle is given by
2𝜋𝜋
𝑣𝑣 = 𝑎𝑎 sin � 𝑡𝑡�
5
where 𝑎𝑎 ∈ ℝ and t is the time in seconds and the angle is measured in radians.

The graph of this function is shown below.

(i) Explain why 𝑎𝑎 = 0 · 8.

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(ii) Use the function to find the time taken for one respiratory cycle (the period) and
hence write the coordinates of the points 𝑄𝑄 and 𝑅𝑅.

Period = 𝑄𝑄 = 𝑅𝑅 =

(iii) Describe what is happening in a person’s respiratory cycle at the point 𝑃𝑃 on the graph.

(iv) Why do you think, in this case, the velocity of airflow for the respiratory system is best
described by a sine function and not as a cosine function?

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(b) Breathing techniques can be a useful tool in reducing stress and anxiety. By breathing more
slowly and more deeply, the body’s nervous system receives signals to calm down.

(i) One suggested breathing technique is to slowly inhale for 6 seconds and then slowly
exhale for 6 seconds. The velocity of air flow for the respiratory system when
practising this 6 – 6 breathing technique is

𝑣𝑣 = 0 · 8 sin(𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏), where 𝑏𝑏 ∈ ℝ.
Find the value of 𝑏𝑏.

(ii) The 4-7-8 breathing technique aims to reduce anxiety or help people get to sleep. It
involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds and exhaling for
8 seconds.
Use this information to sketch a graph of the respiratory cycle for a person practising
the 4-7-8 breathing technique.

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(c) Brian is an athlete, and when he is racing the velocity of airflow for his respiratory system can
be modelled by:
4𝜋𝜋
𝑣𝑣 = 1 · 2 sin � 𝑡𝑡�
3
where t is the time in seconds and the angle is in radians.

(i) Find the acceleration of Brian’s airflow, in terms of 𝑡𝑡.

(ii) Hence, determine if the velocity of Brian’s airflow is increasing or decreasing

at 𝑡𝑡 = 12 seconds.

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Question 10 (50 marks)

(a) A package dropped from an aircraft moves with velocity:

𝑡𝑡
𝑣𝑣(𝑡𝑡) = 75 �1 − 𝑒𝑒 − 10 �

where 𝑡𝑡 is the time in seconds from when the package was released.
(i) Calculate the velocity, to 1 decimal place, of the package after 1 second.

(ii) Calculate, to 2 decimal places, the time taken for the package to reach a velocity
of 15 m/s.

(iii) Find an expression for the acceleration of the package, in terms of t.

(iv) Show mathematically that, as time goes on, the package will stop accelerating.

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(b) The velocity of the package during the first 14 seconds of its motion is shown in the graph.

𝑡𝑡
(i) Use the function 𝑣𝑣(𝑡𝑡) = 75 �1 − 𝑒𝑒 − 10 � to complete the table below.
Give each value to 1 decimal place.

𝒕𝒕 (sec) 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

𝒗𝒗 (m/s) 0 13·6 33·8

(ii) Given that the distance travelled by the package is equal to the area under the curve,
use the trapezoidal rule to find an estimate for the distance travelled during the first
14 seconds of the package’s motion.

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(iii) Using integration, find the exact distance travelled by the package between 𝑡𝑡 = 0
and 𝑡𝑡 = 14. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

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