Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Your notes
Maths: Extended
Forming & Solving Equations
Contents
Forming Equations from Words
Forming Equations from Shapes
Problem Solving with Equations
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Forming Equations from Words
Your notes
Forming Linear Equations
How do I form expressions from words?
You can turn common phrases into expressions
Use x to represent an unknown value
2 less than "something" x −2
Double "something" 2x
5 lots of "something" 5x
3 more than "something" x +3
Half of "something" 1 x
x or
2 2
Common words indicating basic operations are:
Addition: sum, total, more than, increase
Subtraction: difference, less than, decrease
Multiplication: product, lots of, times as many, double, triple
Division: shared, split, grouped, halved, quartered
Brackets help keep the order correct
"something" add 1, then multiplied by 3
( x +1 ) × 3 which simplifies to 3 x + 1
( )
Compare this to "something" multiplied by 3, then add 1
x × 3 + 1 which simplifies to 3x + 1
You may have to choose which unknown to call x
If Adam is 10 years younger than Barry, then Barry is 10 years older than Adam
− 10 and Barry's age as x
Either represent Adam's age as x
Or represent Adam's age as x and Barry's age as x + 10
If Adam's age is half of Barry's age, then Barry's age is double Adam's age
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So if Adam's age is x then Barry's age is 2x
1 Your notes
This makes the algebra easier (rather than using x for Barry's age and x for
2
Adam's age)
How do I form equations?
An equation is a statement with an equals sign that can be solved
Try to put in the phrase "is equal to" to see where the equals goes
Lisa's age is double Aisha's age and the sum of their ages is ("is equal to") 27
Represent Aisha's age as x and Lisa's age is 2x
The equation is 2x + x = 27
When solving, always give the answer in context
3x = 27 so x = 9
In context: "Lisa is 18 years old and Aisha is 9 years old"
Sometimes you might have two unknown values (x and y)
Use the information to form two simultaneous equations
Worked Example
A flowerbed has flowers of three different colours: red, yellow and purple.
The number of yellow flowers is three times the number of red flowers.
The number of purple flowers is 5 more than the number of yellow flowers.
If the difference between the number of purple flowers and red flowers is 29, find the
number of yellow flowers.
Let the number of red flowers be x
x red flowers
Multiply this by 3 to get the number of yellow flowers
3x yellow flowers
Add 5 to the previous result to get the number of purple flowers
3x + 5 purple flowers
Find the difference between the number of purple and red flowers (purple subtract
red, as purple is larger)
3x + 5 − x
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Set the difference equal to 29
3x + 5 − x = 29 Your notes
Simplify the left-hand side (3x - x = 2x)
2x + 5 = 29
Solve the equation (subtract 5 then divide by 2)
2x = 29 − 5
2x = 24
24
x=
2
x = 12
This is not the answer to the question asked
The number of yellow flowers is 3x so multiply this answer by 3
There are 36 yellow flowers
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Forming Equations from Shapes
Your notes
Forming Equations from Shapes
How do I form equations from shapes?
You need to use all the information given on the diagram and any specific properties of
that shape
Common 2D shapes that you should know properties for are
Triangles: equilateral, isosceles, scalene, right-angled
Quadrilaterals: square, rectangle, kite, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezium
You may be asked about perimeter, area or angles
You may be asked about polygons
Regular vs irregular polygons
Interior vs exterior angles
The sum of interior angles is 180(n-2) for an n-sided polygon
You may be asked about angles in parallel lines
Alternative, corresponding and co-interior
You may be asked about 3D shapes involving surface area and volume
Prisms have constant cross sections
Volume is cross-section area multiplied by length
Is there anything else that can help?
Sketch a diagram if none is given
Split up uncommon shapes into the sum or difference of common shapes
Look out for important extra information
For example, a trapezium "with a line of symmetry"
With irregular shapes, assume all angles and lengths are different (unless told otherwise)
Put brackets around algebraic expressions when substituting them into geometric
properties
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Your notes
Examiner Tips and Tricks
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Read the question carefully - does it want an angle? perimeter? total area? curved
surface area? etc.
For surface area and volume questions, check the list of formulas given in the Your notes
exam.
Worked Example
A rectangle has a length of 3x + 1 cm and a width of 2x − 5 cm.
Its perimeter is equal to 22 cm.
(a) Use the above information to find the value of x.
The perimeter of a rectangle is 2 × length + 2 × width
2 3x + 1
( ) + 2 2x – 5
( )
Expand the brackets
6x + 2 + 4x − 10
Simplify by collecting like terms
10x − 8
This perimeter is 22, so set this expression equal to 22
10x – 8 = 22
Solve this equation by adding 8 then dividing by 10
10x = 22 + 8
10x = 30
30
x=
10
x =3
x =3
(b) Find the area of the rectangle.
The area of a rectangle is its length multiplied by is width
Substitute the value of x from part (a) into the length and width given in the question
length is 3 × 3 + 1 = 10
width is 2 × 3 - 5 = 1
Find the area (multiply length by width)
10 × 1
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Include the correct units for area
Area = 10 cm2 Your notes
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Problem Solving with Equations
Your notes
Equations & Problem Solving
What is problem solving?
Problem solving means you are given a specific situation (real life or constructed) and
you need to form and solve equations to find answers to the questions asked
The equations can be any type that are in the course, including
Linear, e.g. 2 ( x +4
= 3x )
Quadratic, e.g. x 2 − 7x + 12 = 0
Answers must always be given in context
This means related to the situation using words, phrases and units from the
question
For example, "The population density is 225 people per square km" (not just
=
x 225 )
What type of algebra can come up in a problem solving
question?
Many questions will require you to solve quadratic equations
You need to be able to spot these
This may require bringing all the terms to one side to get "= 0"
You are often free to choose which quadratic method to use to solve them
If you get two solutions, you may need to justify which solution is correct
You may be asked to use algebra in other settings such as geometry or numbers
P
P % is as a decimal
100
x 5
If the ratio x : x + 2 is equivalent to 5 : 8, then =
x +2 8
( )
You may have unfamiliar equations to solve
12
such as multiplying both sides by x in
x
= 7 − x to form a quadratic
Examiner Tips and Tricks
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If part (a) asks you to prove an equation and part (b) uses that equation, you can
still do part (b) without having done part (a)!
Your notes
This means you won't lose all the marks if you can't do part (a)
Worked Example
The net of a cube is shown below.
Let x cm be the side length of the cube.
Find an expression in terms of x for
(a) the perimeter of the net shown.
Count the number of edges around the outside of the net
14 edges
Multiply this number by the side length, x
The perimeter of the net shown is 14x cm
(b) the area of the net shown.
Count the number of faces (squares) in the net
6 faces
Multiply this number by the area of one face, x × x = x2
The area of the net shown is 6x 2 cm2
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When the net is folded into a cube, the difference between the volume of the cube
and the surface area of the net is eight times the perimeter of the net.
Your notes
(c) Show that x 2 − 6x − 112 = 0 .
First find an expression for the volume of the cube
This will have dimensions x ×x ×x
The volume is x 3
Then find an expression for the difference between the volume and the surface area in
part (b)
Subtract the surface area from the volume
x 3 − 6x 2
Set this difference equal to 8 times the perimeter of the net
Use the answer in part (a)
x 3 − 6x 2 = 8 × 14x
Simplify 8 × 14 and bring all the terms to one side
x 3 − 6x 2 = 112x
x 3 − 6x 2 − 112x = 0
You are nearly at the correct equation given in the question
Cancel both sides by x (as x cannot be zero)
To show this, you can factorise out an x first
x x 2 − 6x − 112
( ) =0
x 2 − 6x − 112 = 0
(d) Hence, find the exact volume of the cube when the net is folded.
Hence means use the previous results
The volume of the cube is x 3 which involves an unknown, x
To find x , solve the equation in part (c), for example using the quadratic formula
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6± −6 2 − 4 × 1 × −112
x=
( ) ( )
2 Your notes
6 ± 484
= 2
6 ± 22
= 2
Find the two possible answers
14 or -8
The side length x cannot be a negative number
x = 14
Substitute this into x 3 to find the volume
143
The question asks for the answer to be exact, so do not round
The volume is 2744 cm3
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