Year 8/GCSE: Trial and

Improvement
Dr J Frost (jfrost@tiffin.kingston.sch.uk)

Last modified: 15th June 2015

Starter

A rectangle has height 2cm less than the length. The area of the
rectangle is 61cm2.
To as accurate a value as you can, find the length of the rectangle.

8.8740…
? cm
Formal Method
Find the solution of to 1dp. 1 mark: First
evaluation.

𝑥 𝑥 (𝑥 − 2 )
9 63 Too big
______________________________________________________

8.5 55.25 ? Too small

1 mark:
______________________________________________________
Evaluation of
8.8 59.84 ? Too small values either
______________________________________________________ side (to 1dp)

8.9 61.41 ? Too big

______________________________________________________ 1 mark:
Evaluation of
8.85 60.6225 ? Too small MIDPOINT

Therefore ?
to 1dp 1 mark: Correctly
choose final value.
Further Example

Using Trial and Improvement, determine the

positive solution to the following equation to 1dp.

𝑥=3.6
?
To get full ‘method marks’ you must have
tried .
Key Points

1. You MUST try the midpoint once you

have the value either side of the
solution.
2. You MUST show your working: the
method marks are dependent on which
values you tried.
 Exercises (Past GCSE questions)
1 3

(you must have tried 2.5, (you must have tried 4.3,
2.6 and 2.55)? 4.4 and 4.35)?

2 4

(you must have tried 2.6, (you must have tried 3.2,
2.7 and 2.65)? 3.3 and 3.25)?
Puzzle
A square of side length 2 is cut out of a circle of radius x. The resulting area is x.
Form an equation involving the area, and hence use trial and improvement to
determine x correct to 1dp.

Equation for area: πx2 – 4 = x

x  π x?2
–x=4

2 x = 1.2 : 3.324 Too small

x = 1.3 : 4.009 ? Too large
x = 1.25 : 3.659 Too small
2
? to 1dp
So x = 1.3

Area = x
Work in 3s/4s (but you need to each
individually show your working in your book)