WA Apps1and2 Ch01

1 Computation and
practical arithmetic
In this chapter Syllabus references

1A Order of operations Topic: Applications of rates and
1B Directed numbers percentages
1C Powers and roots Subtopics: 1.1.4 – 1.1.6
1D Approximations, decimal places and
significant figures
1E Currency exchange rates
1F Percentages
1G Percentage increase and decrease
1H Ratio
1I Expressing ratios in their simplest form
1J Unit cost method
Chapter summary and review
This chapter revises basic methods of computation used in general mathematics. It will
allow you to carry out the necessary numerical calculations for solving problems. We will
begin with the fundamentals.
Cambridge Senior Maths for Western Australia ISBN 978-1-009-25891-3 c Jones et al. 2023 Cambridge University Press
Mathematics Applications 1&2 Photocopying is restricted under law and this material must not be transferred to another party.
2 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic
1A Order of operations
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and squaring are some examples of operations
that are used in mathematics. When carrying out a sequence of arithmetic operations, it
is necessary to observe a definite sequence of rules. These rules, defining the order of
operations, have been devised and standardised to avoid confusion.
Order of operation
The rules are to:
always complete the operations in brackets first
then carry out the multiplication and division operations (in order, from left to right)
then carry out the addition and subtraction operations (in order, from left to right).
These rules can also be remembered by using BIMDAS.

B Brackets come first
I If Indices are involved (powers, square roots), you complete that next
MD Multiplication and Division, working left to right across the page
AS Addition and Subtraction, working left to right across the page
A calculator, with algebraic logic, will carry out calculations in the correct order of
operations. However, particular care must be taken with brackets.
Pronumeral
A number or pronumeral (letter) placed in front of a bracket means that you multiply
everything in the bracket by that number or pronumeral.
4(8) means 4 × 8 = 32
5(x − 9) = 5x − 45
a(3a + 6) = 3a2 + 6a
Example 1 Using correct order of operation
Evaluate the following.

a 3+6×8 b (3 + 6) × 8 c 8÷2−2 d 23 − (8 − 5)
e (4) 3 − 2 f 3 + 5(x − 1) g (3 × 8.5 − 4) − (4.1 + 5.4 ÷ 2)
Solution
a 3 + 6 × 8 = 3 + 48 b (3 + 6) × 8 = 9 × 8
= 51 = 72
1A 1B Directed numbers 3
c 8÷2−2 =4−2 d 23 − (8 − 5) = 23 − 3
=2 = 20
e (4)3 − 2 = 12 − 2 f 3 + 5(x − 1) = 3 + 5x − 5
= 10 = 5x − 2
g (3 × 8.5 − 4) − (4.1 + 5.4 ÷ 2) = (25.5 − 4) − (4.1 + 2.7)
= 21.5 − 6.8
= 14.7
Exercise 1A
Example 1a–d 1 Evaluate the following, without using a calculator.
a 5+4×8 b 4×3−7
c 7×6−4+4×3 d 15 ÷ 3 + 2
e 3 + 12.6 ÷ 3 f 4 × (8 + 4)
g 15 − 9 ÷ 2 + 4 × (10 − 4) h (3.7 + 5.3) ÷ 2
i 8.6 − 3 × 2 − 6 ÷ 3 j (3 × 4 − 3) ÷ (2 − 3 × 4)
Example 1g 2 Use your calculator to find the answers to the following.

a (8.23 − 4.5) + (3.6 + 5.2) b (17 − 8.7) − (73 − 37.7)
c (6.2 + 33.17) × (6.9 − 6.1) d (3.2 + 0.5 ÷ 2.5) ÷ (8.6 − 1.3 × 4)
Example 1f–g 3 Evaluate the following.

a 9(3) b 2(x − 7) c 10(5 − y) d w(8 − 2)
e k(k + 8) f 27(2) − 3(8) g (5 − 3)x + 7(2) h 3(5) × 2 − 8
i 3(x + 1) − 8 j 4 − 2(x + 3)
1B Directed numbers
Positive and negative numbers are directed numbers and can be shown on a number line.
Addition and subtraction

It is often useful to use a number line when adding directed numbers.
−5 − 4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Adding a positive number means that you move to the right.

Example: −4 + 6 = 2
−5 − 4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Adding a negative number means that you move to the left.

Example: 1 + (−3) = −2
−5 − 4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4 5
When subtracting directed numbers, you add its opposite.

Example: −2 − 3 is the same as −2 + (−3) = −5
Example: 7 − (−9) = 7 + 9 = 16
Multiplication and division

Multiplying or dividing two numbers with the same sign gives a positive value.
Multiplying or dividing two numbers with different signs gives a negative value.
Multiplication and division with directed numbers
+×+=+ +×−=− −×−=+ −×+=−

+÷+=+ +÷−=− −÷−=+ −÷+=−
Example 2 Using directed numbers
Evaluate the following.

a 6 − 13 b (−5) − 11 c 9 − (−7) d (−10) − (−9)
e 5 × −3 f (−8) × (−7) g (−16) ÷ 4 h (−60) ÷ (−5)
2
i (−100) ÷ (−4) ÷ (−5) j (−3)
Solution
a 6 − 13 = 6 + (−13) = −7 b (−5) − 11 = (−5) + (−11)
= −16
c 9 − (−7) = 9 + 7 d (−10) − (−9) = (−10) + 9
= 16 = −1
e 5 × −3 = −15 f (−8) × (−7) = 56
g (−16) ÷ 4 = −4 h (−60) ÷ (−5) = 12
i (−100) ÷ (−4) ÷ (−5) = 25 ÷ (−5) j (−3) 2 = (−3) × (−3)
= −5 =9
1B 1C Powers and roots 5
Exercise 1B
Example 2a–d 1 Without using a calculator, find the answers to the following.
a 6−7 b −10 + 6 c −13 + (−3) d −7 + 10
e −7 − 19 f (−18) − 7 g (−9) − 3 h 4 − (−18)
i 18 − (−4) j 15 − (−17) k 16 − (−12) l (−3) − (−13)
m (−12) − (−6) n (−21) − (−8)
Example 2e–j 2 Without using a calculator, find the answers to the following.
a (−6) × 2 b (−6)(−4) c (−10) ÷ (−4) d 15 ÷ (−3)
e (5 + 2) × 6 − 6 f −(−4) × (−3) g −7(−2 + 3) h −4(−7 − (2)(4))
i −(3 − 2) j −6 × (−5 × 2) k −6(−4 + 3) l −(−12 − 9) − 2
m −4 − 3 n −(−4 − 7(−6)) o (−5)(−5) + (−3)(−3)
2
p 8 + 4(0.5)(8)(6)
1C Powers and roots

Squares and square roots
When a number is multiplied by itself, we call this the square of the number.
4 × 4 = 42 = 16
16 is called the square of 4 (or 4 squared).
4 is called the square root of 16.
√ √
The square root of 16 can be written as 16 = 4. ( is the square root symbol)
Cubes and cube roots

When a number is squared and then multiplied by itself again, we call this the cube of the
number.
4 × 4 × 4 = 43 = 64
64 is called the cube of 4 (or 4 cubed).
4 is called the cube root of 64.
√3 √
The cube root of 64 can be written as 64 = 4. ( 3 is the cube root symbol)
Other powers
When a number is multiplied by itself a number of times, the values obtained are called
powers of the original number.
6 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic 1C
For example, 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 = 1024 = 45 , which is read as ‘4 to the power of 5’.

4 is the fifth root of 1024.
√5
1024 means the fifth root of 1024.
√ 1
Another way of writing 16 is 16 2 , which is read as ‘16 to the half’.
1 √3
Likewise, 8 3 , read as ‘8 to the third’, means 8 = 2.
Powers and roots of numbers can be evaluated on the calculator by using the ^ button.
Example 3 Finding the power or root of a number using a calculator

1
a Find 83 . b Find 8 3 .
Solution
a b
8∧ 3 8∧ (1/3)
512 2
Exercise 1C
Example 3 1 Find the value of the following.
√ √3
a 104 b 73 c 25 d 8
1 1
e 26 f 124 g 92 h 169 2
1 1 1
i 1 000 000 2 j 64 3 k 32 5
2 Find the value of the following.

√ √ √
a 102 + 242 b 392 − 362 c 122 + 352
p √ p
d (4 + 2)2 − 11 e 10(3 + 5) − ( 9 − 2) f (3 + 2)2 − (5 − 2)2
1D Approximations, decimal places and significant

figures
Approximations occur when we are not able to give exact numerical values in mathematics.
Some numbers are too long (e.g. 0.573 128 9 or 107 000 000 000) to work with and they are
rounded to make calculations easier. Calculators are powerful tools and have made many
tasks easier that previously took a considerable amount of time. Nevertheless, it is still
important to understand the processes of rounding and estimation.
Some questions do not require an exact answer and a stated degree of accuracy is often
sufficient. Some questions may only need an answer rounded to the nearest tenth,
hundredth etc. Other questions may ask for an answer correct to two decimal places or to
three significant figures.
1D Approximations, decimal places and significant figures 7
Rules for rounding

Rules for rounding
1 Look at the value of the digit to the right of the specified digit.
2 If the value is 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, round the digit up.
3 If the value is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, leave the digit unchanged.
Example 4 Rounding to the nearest thousand
Round 34 867 to the nearest thousand.

Solution ⇓
1 Look at the first digit after the thousands. It is an 8. 34 867
2 As it is 5 or more, increase the digit to its left by one. So 35 000
the 4 becomes a 5. The digits to the right all become zero.
Write your answer.
Note: 34 867 is closer to 35 000 than 34 000
Scientific notation (standard form)

When we work with very large or very small numbers, we often use scientific notation, also
called standard form.
To write a number in scientific notation we express it as a number between 1 and 10
multiplied by a power of 10.
Scientific notation
Large numbers Small numbers
2 4 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 = 2.49 × 100 000 000 000 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 = 2.0 ÷ 1 000 000 000
= 2.49 × 1011 = 2.0 × 10−9
The decimal point needs to be moved The decimal point needs to be moved
11 places to the right to obtain the basic 9 places to the left to obtain the basic
numeral. numeral.
Multiplying by 10 positive power gives the Multiplying by 10 negative power gives the
effect of moving the decimal point to the effect of moving the decimal point to
right to make the number larger. the left to make the number smaller.
Example 5 Writing a number in scientific notation
Write the following numbers in scientific notation.

a 7 800 000 b 0.000 000 5
Solution
a 1 Write 7 800 000 as a number 7 800 000 = 7.8 × 1 000 000
between 1 and 10 (7.8) and decide 6 places
what to multiply it by to make 7 8 0 0 0 00
7 800 000.
2 Count the number of places the Decimal point needs to move 6 places to
decimal point needs to move and the right from 7.8 to make 7 800 000.
whether it is to the left or right.
3 Write your answer. 7 800 000 = 7.8 × 106
b 1 Write 0.000 000 5 as a number 0.000 000 5 = 5.0 ÷ 10 000 000

between 1 and 10 (5.0) and decide 7 places
what to divide it by to make 0. 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
0.000 000 5.
2 Count the number of places the Decimal point needs to move 7 places to
decimal point needs to move and the left from 5.0 to make 0.000 000 5.
whether it is to the left or right.
3 Write your answer. 0.000 000 5 = 5.0 × 10−7
Example 6 Writing a scientific notation number as a basic numeral
Write the following scientific notation numbers as basic numerals.

a 3.576 × 107 b 7.9 × 10−5
Solution
a 1 Multiplying 3.576 by 107 means that 3.576 × 107
the decimal point needs to be moved 7 places
7 places to the right. 3. 5 6 7 0 0 0 0 × 107
2 Move the decimal place 7 places = 35 760 000
to the right and write your answer.
Zeros will need to be added as
placeholders.
b 1 Multiplying 7.9 by 10−5 means that 7.9 × 10−5
the decimal point needs to be moved 5 places
5 places to the left. 0. 0 0 0 0 7 9 × 10−5
2 Move the decimal place 5 places to = 0.000 079

the left and write your answer.
1D Approximations, decimal places and significant figures 9
Significant figures
The first non-zero digit, reading from left to right in a number, is the first significant figure.
It is easy to think of significant figures as all non-zero figures, except where the zero is
between non-zero figures. The number of significant figures is shown in red below.
For example:
Significant
Number figures Explanation
596.36 5 All numbers provide useful information.
5000 1 We do not know anything for certain about the hundreds,
tens or units places. The zeros may be just placeholders or
they may have been rounded off to give this value.
0.0057 2 Only the 5 and 7 tell us something. The other zeros are
placeholders.
0.00570 3 The last zero tells us that the measurement was made
accurate to the last digit.
8.508 4 Any zeros between significant digits are significant.
0.00906 3 Any zeros between significant digits are significant.
560.0 4 The zero in the tenths place means that the measurement
was made accurate to the tenths place. The first zero is
between significant digits and is therefore significant.
Rules for significant figures

1 All non-zero digits are significant.
2 All zeros between significant digits are significant.
3 After a decimal point, all zeros to the right of non-zero digits are significant.
Example 7 Rounding to a certain number of significant figures
Round 93.738 095 to:

a two significant figures b one significant figure c five significant figures
Solution
a 1 Count the significant figures in There are eight significant figures.
93.738 095.
2 For two significant figures, start counting 93.738 095
two non-zero numbers from the left.
3 The next number (7) is 5 or more so we = 94 (two significant figures)
increase the previous number (3) by one
(making it 4). Write your answer.
b 1 For one significant figure, count one 93.738 095

non-zero number from the left.
2 The next number (3) is less than 5 so we = 90 (one significant figure)
leave the previous number (9) as it is and
replace the 3 with 0 to make only one
significant figure.
Write your answer.
c 1 For five significant figures, start counting 93.738 095

five non-zero numbers from the left.
2 The next number (0) is less than 5 so = 93.738 (five significant figures)
do not change the previous number (8).
Write your answer.
Example 8 Rounding to a certain number of significant figures
Round 0.006 473 5 to:

a four significant figures b three significant figures c one significant figure
Solution
a 1 Count the significant figures. There are five significant figures.
2 Count four non-zero numbers starting
0.006 473 5
from the left.
3 The next number (5) is 5 or more. = 0.006 474 (four significant
Increase the previous number (3) by figures)
one (4). Write your answer.
b 1 For three significant figures, count three 0.006 473 5
non-zero numbers from the left.
2 The next number (3) is less than 5 so we = 0.006 47 (three significant
leave the previous number (7) as it is. figures)
Write your answer.
c 1 For one significant figure, count one 0.006 473 5
non-zero number from the left.
2 The next number (4) is less than 5 so = 0.006 (one significant figure)
do not change the previous number (6).
Write your answer.
1D 1D Approximations, decimal places and significant figures 11
Decimal places
23.798 is a decimal number with three digits after the decimal point. The first digit (7) after
the decimal point is the first (or one) decimal place. Depending on the required accuracy we
round to one decimal place, two decimal places, etc.
Example 9 Rounding correct to a number of decimal places
Round 94.738 295 to:

a two decimal places b one decimal place c five decimal places
Solution
a 1 For two decimal places, count two places 94.738 295
after the decimal point and look at the
next digit (8).
2 As 8 is 5 or more, increase the digit to = 94.74 (to two decimal places)
the left of 8 by one. (3 becomes 4)
Write your answer.
b 1 For one decimal place, count one place 94.738 295
next digit (3).
2 As 3 is less than 5, the digit to the left of = 94.7 (to one decimal place)
3 remains unchanged. Write your answer.
c 1 For five decimal places, count five places 94.738 295
next digit (5).
2 As the next digit (5) is 5 or more, the = 94.738 30 (to five decimal places)
digit to the left of 5 needs to be increased
by one. As this is a 9, the next higher
number is 10, so the previous digit
also needs to change to the next higher
number. Write your answer.
Exercise 1D
Example 4 1 Round to the nearest whole number.
a 87.15 b 605.99 c 2.5 d 33.63
Example 4 2 Round to the nearest hundred.

a 6827 b 46 770 c 79 999 d 313.4
12 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic 1D
Example 6 3 Write these scientific notation numbers as basic numerals.

a 5.3467 × 104 b 3.8 × 106 c 7.89 × 105 d 9.21 × 10−3
e 1.03 × 10−7 f 2.907 × 106 g 3.8 × 10−12 h 2.1 × 1010
Example 5 4 Write these numbers in scientific notation.

a 792 000 b 14 600 000 c 500 000 000 000 d 0.000 009 8
e 0.145 697 f 0.000 000 000 06 g 2 679 886 h 0.0087
5 Express the following approximate numbers,

using scientific notation.
a The mass of the Earth is
6 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 kg.
b The circumference of the Earth is 40 000 000 m.
c The diameter of an atom is 0.000 000 000 1 m.
d The radius of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is
150 000 000 km.
6 For each of the following numbers, state the number of significant figures.
a 89 156 b 608 765 c 900 000 000 000 d 0.709
e 0.10 f 0.006 g 450 000 h 0.008 007
Example 7 7 Round the following to the number of significant figures indicated in each of the
Example 8 brackets.
a 4.8976 (2) b 0.078 74 (3)
c 1506.892 (5) d 5.523 (1)
8 Calculate the following and give your answer correct to the number of significant
figures indicated in each of the brackets.
a 4.3968 × 0.000 743 8 (2) b 0.611 35 ÷ 4.1119 (5)
c 3.4572 ÷ 0.0109 (3) d 50 042 × 0.0067 (3)
Example 9 9 Use a calculator to find answers to the following. Give each answer correct to the
number of decimal places indicated in the brackets.
a 3.185 × 0.49 (2) b 0.064 ÷ 2.536 (3)
c 0.474 × 0.0693 (2) d 12.943 ÷ 6.876 (4)
e 0.006 749 ÷ 0.000 382 (3) f 38.374 306 × 0.007 493 (4)
10 Calculate the following, correct to two decimal places.

√ √ √
a 72 + 142 b 3.92 + 2.62 c 48.712 − 292
1E Currency exchange rates 13
1E Currency exchange rates

The money that you use to pay for goods and services in one country cannot usually be used
in any other country. If you take Australian dollars to New Zealand, for example, they must
be exchanged with, or converted to, New Zealand dollars. Even though the Australian dollar
(AUD) and the New Zealand dollar (NZD) have the same name, they have different values.
The table below shows the rate of exchange between Australian dollars and other currencies
on a particular day, rounded to five decimal places.
Currency exchange: Australian Dollar (AUD)

Country Currency name Symbol Code units per AUD
United States of America Dollar $ USD 0.743 99
European Union Euro € EUR 0.675 97
Great Britain Pound £ GBP 0.522 82
Japan Yen U JPY 84.648 03
South Africa Rand R ZAR 11.417 48
Brazil Real R$ BRL 2.780 55
United Arab Emirates Dirham AED 2.732 69
Source: http://www.xe.com
The numbers in the column ‘units per AUD’ are the exchange rates for each currency and
are used to convert between Australian dollars and other currencies, in a similar way to
converting between units of measurement.
The units per AUD for the Japanese yen is 84.648 03, which means that one AUD will be
exchanged for 84.648 03 yen in Japan.
$1 AUD = 84.648 03 JPY
Ten Australian dollars would be exchanged for ten times this amount.
Converting between currencies

An exchange rate between Australian dollars and other currencies is given as
units per AUD.
Convert Australian dollars to other currencies by multiplying the amount by
the exchange rate.
Convert other currencies to Australian dollars by dividing the amount by
the exchange rate.
In Australia, the dollar consists of 100 cents. Most countries divide their main currency unit
into 100 smaller units and so it is usual to round currency amounts to two decimal places,
even though the conversion rates are usually expressed with many more decimal places
than this.
Example 10 Converting between Australian Dollars and other currencies
Use the table of currency exchange for the Australian dollar (on page 13) to convert.
a 300 AUD into British pounds
b 2500 ZAR into Australian dollars
Solution
a 1 Write the exchange rate for AUD 1 AUD = 0.522 82 GBP
to GBP.
2 Multiply 300 AUD by the exchange 300 AUD = 300 × 0.522 82 GBP
rate to convert to GBP. = 156.846 GBP
3 Round your answer to two decimal $300 AUD is converted to 156.85
places.
b 1 Write the exchange rate for 1 AUD = 11.417 48 ZAR
AUD to ZAR.
2500
2 Divide 2500 ZAR by the exchange 2500 ZAR = AUD
11.417 48
rate to convert to AUD.
= 218.96 2503 109
3 Round your answer to two decimal 2500 ZAR is converted to $218.96 AUD.
places.
Banks and currency exchange services use different rates depending on whether a customer
is wanting to exchange their local currency for foreign currency or vice versa. These rates
are based on what the bank is doing in the exchange, rather than the customer.
Sell rate – The rate at which the bank sells you foreign currency in exchange for your
local currency. For example, when leaving Australia for New Zealand the bank exchanges
your Australian dollars for New Zealand dollars at the sell rate. That is, the bank sells you
the foreign currency.
Buy rate – The rate at which the bank buys your foreign currency in exchange for local
currency. For example, when returning to Australia from Japan the bank exchanges your
remaining Japanese yen for Australian dollars at the buy rate. That is, the bank buys back
the foreign currency.
Generally, this exchange can be thought of as:
Australia Sell rate

Buy rate
The following table displays the current buying and selling rates of one Australian dollar
(AUD) in relation to four different currencies.
1E 1E Currency exchange rates 15
Currency Code Buy Sell

Japanese yen JPY 109.00 102.00
Euro EUR 0.6644 0.6100
Singapore dollar SGD 1.3712 1.2630
New Zealand dollar NZD 1.1646 1.0675
Multiplying by the lower figure, the selling rate, will provide us with foreign currency in
exchange for Australian dollars.
If John wishes to convert 500 Australian dollars (AUD) to Japanese yen (JPY), he will get
500 × 102.00 = 51 000 yen.
Likewise, if Jenny brings 800 AUD with her to New Zealand, she will get 800 × 1.0675 =
854 NZD in return.
On the other hand, to convert foreign currencies to Australian dollars, we need to divide by
the larger number, which is the buying rate.
For example, if John had 11 000 JPY left over on his way back to Australia from Japan, he
11 000
could trade them for = 100.92 AUD.
109.00
Jenny also had 254 NZD left over after her trip to Auckland. How many AUD can she get
if she trades 254 NZD? It comes down to the same maths. We divide by the bigger number,
254
and Jenny can keep = 218.10 AUD.
1.1646
Exercise 1E
Example 10 1 Use the table of currency exchange values on page 13 to convert the following currency
amounts into the currency in brackets. Round your answer to two decimal places.
a $750 AUD (EUR) b $4800 AUD (USD) c $184 AUD (BRL)
d €1500 (AUD) e R$8500 BRL (AUD) f 16 000 AED (AUD)
2 Find the total sum of these measurements. Express your answer in the units given in
brackets.
a 14 cm, 18 mm (mm) b 589 km, 169 m (km)
c 3.4 m, 17 cm, 76 mm (cm) d 300 mm2 , 10.5 cm2 (cm2 )
3 A wall in a house is 7860 mm long. How many metres is this?
4 A truck weighs 3 tonne. How heavy is this in kilograms?
5 An Olympic swimming pool holds approximately 2.25 megalitres of water. How many
litres is this?
16 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic 1E
6 Baking paper is sold on a roll 30 cm wide and 10 m long. How many baking trays of
width 30 cm and length 32 cm could be covered with one roll of baking paper?
7 On a particular day, one Australian dollar was worth 8.6226 Botswana pula (BWP).
How many pula would Tapiwa need to exchange if she wanted to receive $2000 AUD?
8 On a particular day, $850 AUD could be exchanged to €581.40.

How many euros would be exchanged for $480 AUD?
9 The exchange rate between pounds and Australian dollar is £1 = $1.76. Adele converts
$280 into pounds. Calculate the number of pounds Adele receives.
10 The exchange rate between Australian dollars and euros is $1 = €0.85. Ben exchanges
$260 into euros. Calculate the number of euros Ben receives.
11 Abe exchanges New Zealand dollars into Australian dollars. Ren exchanges British
pounds sterling into Australian dollars as well. Given that both received $250 (AUD) in
return for their exchanges, determine how many NZD Abe exchanges and the number
of GBP Ren exchanges.
12 The exchange rate between Australian dollar and Hong Kong dollar is 1 AUD =
7.26 HKD. Nicola travels from Australia to Hong Kong. She changes $450 into Hong
Kong dollars.
a How many Hong Kong dollars does she receive?
b When Nicola returns to Australia she has 81 HKD. How many $ AUD does she
receive in return?
13 On one day the rate of exchange between pounds (£) and Australian dollars ($) was
£1 = $1.85. Calculate
a the number of dollars received in exchange for £150
b the number of pounds received in exchange for $264.
c Yasin buys 24 postcards for £1.30 each. Calculate the total cost, in dollars, of the
postcards.
14 Five items bought at Freddo’s Supermarket are shown on the

receipt. Apples
Roll 1.35
The part showing the cost of the apples is missing.
Mineral water 1.20
a How much did the apples cost? Cheese 1.64
Tomatoes 1.20
b The total cost of $5.90 when converted to euros is €4.80.
Total $ 5.90
Determine the exchange rate that will enable you to
convert dollars ($) to euros (€).
c Use your answer to part b to estimate the cost of cheese in
euros.
1E 1E Currency exchange rates 17
Use the following currency exchange table below for questions 15 – 18.
The following table displays the current buying and selling rates of one Australian dollar
(AUD) in relation to four different currencies.
Currency Code Buy Sell

Japanese yen JPY 109.00 102.00
Euro EUR 0.6644 0.6100
Singapore dollar SGD 1.3712 1.2630
New Zealand dollar NZD 1.1646 1.0675
15 Alex is making plans to go to

Singapore for business. How
many Singapore dollars will he
get in exchange for 2500 AUD?
16 Alex flew back to Perth with 520 SGD left over from his 4-day trip to Singapore. How
many Australian dollars can he receive back for this amount?
17 A few months later, Alex plans to go to Paris again for business. At the Perth
International Airport, he changes 4800 AUD into Euro. Unfortunately, due to a
last-minute change of plans Alex was unable to go, so had to exchange his money back
to Australian dollars from Euros. Determine how much Alex lost on this deal, rounding
your answer to the nearest AUD.
18 Nishioka embarked on a journey to Broome from Japan. When he departed Osaka, he

converted 100 000 JPY to AUD. He had a 10-day holiday and returned to Osaka with
6000 JPY still in his wallet. What was his total Australian dollar expenditure, in AUD?
1F Percentages
Per cent is an abbreviation of the Latin words per centum, which mean ‘by the hundred’.
A percentage is a rate or a proportion expressed as part of one hundred. The symbol used to
indicate percentage is %. Percentages can be expressed as common fractions or as decimals.
For example: 17% (17 per cent) means 17 parts out of every 100.
17
17% = = 0.17
100
Conversions
1 To convert a fraction or a decimal to a percentage, multiply by 100.
2 To convert a percentage to a decimal or a fraction, divide by 100.
Example 11 Converting fractions to percentages
36
Express as a percentage.
90
Solution
Method 1 (by hand)
36 36
1 Multiply the fraction by 100. × 100
90 90
2 Simplify the fraction by dividing both the 36÷9
= × 100
numerator and denominator by a common factor 90÷9
of 9. 4
= × 100
3 Cancel out one zero from both 10 and 100 since 10
4
both values have a common factor of 10. = × 10
1
4 Evaluate and write your answer.
= 40%
Note: The above calculation can be performed on the
ClassPad calculator.
Method 2 (using CAS)

1 Enter 36 ÷ 90 on calculator.
36/90%
2 Press % sign and EXE (Casio) or
40
ENTER (Ti-Nspire).
3 Write your answer. Expressed as a percentage,
36
is 40%.
90
Example 12 Converting a decimal to a percentage
Express 0.75 as a percentage.

Solution
1 Multiply 0.75 by 100. 0.75 × 100
2 Evaluate and write your answer. = 75%
1F Percentages 19
Example 13 Converting a percentage to a fraction
Express 62% as a common fraction.

Solution
62
1 As 62% means 62 out of 100, this can be 62% =
62 100
written as a fraction .
100
62 ÷ 2
2 Simplify the fraction by dividing both the =
100 ÷ 2
numerator and the denominator by 2.
31
=
50
Example 14 Converting a percentage to a decimal
Express 72% as a decimal.

Solution
72
Write 72% as a fraction over 100 = 0.72
100
and express this as a decimal.
Finding a percentage of a quantity

To find a percentage of a number or a quantity, remember that in mathematics ‘of’ means
‘multiply’.
Example 15 Finding a percentage of a quantity
Find 15% of $140.

Solution
Method 1
1 Write out the problem and rewrite 15% as a 15% of 140
fraction out of 100. 15
= of 140
100
2 Change ‘of’ to ‘multiply’. 15
= × 140
100
3 Perform the calculation and write your answer. = 21
Note: The above calculation can be performed on the
CAS calculator.
1 Enter 15%140 on a calculator.
15%140
2 Press EXE (Casio) or ENTER (Ti-Nspire).
21
3 Write your answer. 21
20 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic 1F
Comparing two quantities

One quantity or number may be expressed as a percentage of another quantity or number
(both quantities must always be in the same units). Divide the quantity by what you are
comparing it with and then multiply by 100 to convert it to a percentage.
Example 16 Expressing a quantity as a percentage of another quantity
There are 18 girls in a class of 25 students. What percentage of the class are girls?
Solution
18
1 Work out the fraction of girls in the class. Girls =
25
18
2 Convert the fraction to a percentage by × 100
25
multiplying by 100.
3 Evaluate and write your answer. = 72
72% of the class are girls.
Example 17 Expressing a quantity as a percentage of another quantity with

different units
Express 76 mm as a percentage of 40 cm.

Solution
1 First convert 40 centimetres to millimetres by 40 cm = 40 × 10
multiplying by 10, as there are 10 millimetres in = 400 mm
1 centimetre.
76
2 Write 76 millimetres as a fraction of
400
400 millimetres.
76
3 Multiply by 100 to convert to a percentage. × 100
400
4 Evaluate and write your answer. = 19%
Exercise 1F
Example 11 1 Express the following as percentages.
Example 12 1 2 3 7
a b c d
4 5 20 10
e 0.19 f 0.79 g 2.15 h 39.57
i 0.073 j 1
1F 1F Percentages 21
Example 13 2 Express the following as:

Example 14 i common fractions, in their lowest terms ii decimals.
a 25% b 50% c 75% d 68% e 5.75%
f 27.2% g 0.45% h 0.03% i 0.0065% j 100%
Example 15 3 Find the following, correct to three significant figures.

a 15% of $760 b 22% of $500 c 17% of 150 m
1
d 13 % of $10 000 e 2% of 79.34 cm f 19.6% of 13.46
2
g 0.46% of €35 h 15.9% of $28 740 i 22.4% of $346 900
j 1.98% of $1 000 000
Example 16 4 From a class, 28 out of 35 students wanted to take part in a project. What percentage of
the class wanted to take part?
5 A farmer lost 450 sheep out of a flock of 1200 during a drought. What percentage of
the flock were lost?
6 In a laboratory test on 360 light globes, 16 globes were found to be defective. What
percentage were satisfactory, correct to one decimal place?
7 After three rounds of a competition, a basketball team had scored 300 points and
360 points had been scored against them. Express the points scored by the team as a
percentage of the points scored against them. Give your answer correct to two decimal
places.
8 In a school of 624 students, 125 are in year 10. What percentage of the students are in
year 10? Give your answer to the nearest whole number.
Example 17 9 Express 75 cm as a percentage of 2 m.

1
10 In a population of 3 million people, 2 115 000 are under the age of 16. Calculate the
4
percentage, to two decimal places, of the population who are under the age of 16.
11 Andrew bought a rare model train for $450. He later sold the train for $600. Calculate:
a the profit Andrew made on the sale of the train
b the profit Andrew made as a percentage of the purchase price of the train correct to
one decimal place.
12 A bookseller bought 8 copies of a book for $12.50 each. They were eventually sold for
$10.00 each. Calculate:
a the loss that the bookseller made on the sale of the books
b the loss that the bookseller made as a percentage of the purchase price of the books.
13 The cost of producing a chocolate bar that sells for $1.50 is 60c. Calculate the profit
made on a bar of chocolate as a percentage of the production cost of a bar of chocolate.
1G Percentage increase and decrease

When increasing or decreasing a quantity by a given percentage, the percentage increase or
decrease is always calculated as a percentage of the original quantity.
Example 18 Calculating the new price following a percentage increase
Sally’s daily wage of $175 is increased by 15%. Calculate her new daily wage.
Solution
Method 1
1 First find 15% of $175 by rewriting 15% as 15% of 175
a fraction out of 100 and changing ‘of’ to 15
= × 175
multiply (or use a calculator). 100
2 Perform the calculation and write your answer. = 26.25
3 As $175 is to be increased by 15%, add $26.25 175 + 26.25
to the original amount of $175. = 201.25
4 Write your answer in a sentence. Sally’s new daily wage is $201.25.
Method 2
1 An increase of 15% means that the new 115% of 175
amount will be the original amount (in other 115
= × 175
words, 100%) plus an extra 15%. 100
Find 115% of 175. = 201.25
2 Perform the calculation.

3 Write your answer in a sentence. Sally’s new daily wage is $201.25.
Example 19 Calculating the new amount following a percentage decrease
A primary school’s fun run distance of 2.75 km is decreased by 20% for students in years
2 to 4. Find the new distance.
Solution
Method 1
1 First find 20% of 2.75 by writing 20% as 20% of 2.75
a fraction out of 100 and changing ‘of’ to 20
= × 2.75
‘multiply’ (or use a calculator). 100
2 Evaluate and write your answer. = 0.55
3 As 2.75 km is to be decreased by 20%, subtract 2.75 − 0.55
0.55 km from the original 2.75 km. = 2.2
4 Write your answer in a sentence. The new distance is 2.2 km.
1G Percentage increase and decrease 23
Method 2
1 A decrease of 20% means that the new amount 80% of 2.75
will be the original amount (100%) minus 20%. 80
= × 2.75
Find 80% of 2.75. 100
= 2.2
2 Perform the calculation.
3 Write your answer in a sentence. The new distance is 2.2 km.
Example 20 Calculating a new price with a percentage discount
If a shop offers a discount of 15% on items in a sale, what would be the sale price of a
pair of jeans originally priced at $95?
Solution
Method 1
15
1 Find 15% of 95. 15% of 95 = × 95
100
= 14.25
2 As jeans are discounted by 15%, this is a 95 − 14.25
decrease, so we need to subtract the discounted = 80.75
price of $14.25 from the original price of $95.
3 Write your answer in a sentence. The sale price would be $80.75.
Method 2
1 A discount of 15% means that the new amount 85% of 95
is 85% of 95. 85
= × 95
100
2 Perform the calculation. = 80.75
3 Write your answer in a sentence. The sale price would be $80.75.
Finding a percentage change

If we are given the original price and the new price of an item, we can find the percentage
change. To find a percentage change, we compare the change (increase or decrease) with the
original number.
Percentage change
change
Percentage change = × 100
original
Thus:
discount
Percentage discount = × 100
original
increase
Percentage increase = × 100
original
Example 21 Calculating a percentage increase
A university increased its total size at the beginning of an academic year by 3000
students. If the previous number of students was 35 000, by what percentage, correct to
two decimal places, did the student population increase?
Solution
1 To find the percentage increase, use the
formula:
increase increase
Percentage increase = × 100 Percentage increase = × 100
original original
3000
Substitute increase as 3000 and original = × 100
35 000
as 35 000.
2 Evaluate. = 8.5714 . . .
3 Write your answer correct to two Student population increased by 8.57%.
decimal places.
Example 22 Calculating the percentage discount
Calculate the percentage discount obtained when a calculator with a normal price of $38
is sold for $32 to the nearest whole per cent.
Solution
1 Find the amount of discount given by Discount = $38 − $32
subtracting the new price, $32, from the = $6
original price $38.
2 To find the percentage discount, use
formula:
discount discount
Percentage discount = × 100 Percentage discount = × 100
original original
Substitute discount as 6 and original 6
= × 100
as 38 and evaluate. 38
= 15.7895 . . .
3 Write your answer to the nearest whole The percentage discount is 16%.
per cent.
1G 1G Percentage increase and decrease 25
Exercise 1G
Example 20 1 A jewellery store has a promotion of 20% discount on all
watches.
a How much discount will you get on a watch marked $185?
b What is the sale price of the watch?
2 A store gave different savings discounts on a range of items in a sale.

Copy and complete the following table.
Normal price % Discount Saving Sale price

a $89.99 5
b $189.00 10
c $499.00 15
d $249.00 20
e $79.95 22.5
f $22.95 25
g $599.00 27.5
h $63.50 30
i $1000.00 33
1
3 In a particular shop the employees are given a 12 % discount on any items they
2
purchase. Calculate the actual price an employee would pay for each of the following:
a $486 laptop b $799 HD LED television
c $260 iPod d $750 digital camera
e $246 digital video recorder
4 A clothing store offers 6% discount for
cash sales. A customer who paid cash
purchased the following items:
One pair of jeans $95.95
A leather belt at $29.95
Two jumpers at $45 each
Calculate:
a the total saving
b the actual amount paid for the goods.
5 Which results in the larger sum of money, increasing $50 by 10% or decreasing $60
by 8%?
26 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic 1G
Example 18 6 The production of a particular model

of car is increased from 14 000 by 6%
over a 12-month period. What is the
new production figure?
7 If a new car is sold for $23 960 and

three years later it is valued at $18 700,
calculate the percentage depreciation,
correct to two decimal places.
8 A leading tyre manufacturer claims that a new tyre will average 12% more life than a
previous tyre. The owner of a taxi fleet finds that the previous tyre averaged 24 000 km
before replacement. How many kilometres should the new tyre average?
Example 22 9 Calculate the percentage discount for each of the following, to the nearest whole
number.
Normal price Selling price % Discount

a $60.00 $52.00
b $250.00 $185.00
c $5000.00 $4700.00
d $3.80 $2.90
e $29.75 $24.50
f $12.95 $10.00
10 A second-hand car advertised for sale at $13 990 was sold for $13 000. Calculate,
correct to two decimal places, the percentage discount obtained by the purchaser.
1G 1H Ratio 27
11 A sport shop advertised the following items in their end-of-year sale. Calculate the
percentage discount for each of the items to the nearest whole number.
Normal price Selling price % Discount

a Shoes $79.99 $65.00
b 12 pack of golf balls $29.99 $19.99
c Exercise bike $1099.00 $599.00
d Basket ball $49.99 $39.99
e Sports socks $14.95 $10.00
f Hockey stick $299.00 $250.00
12 Find the percentage increase that has been applied in each of the following:
a a book that is increased from $20 to $25
b an airfare that is increased from $300 to $420
c accommodation costs that are increased from $540 to $580.50.
1H Ratio
Ratios are used to numerically compare the values of two or more quantities.
a
A ratio can be written as a : b (read as ‘a to b’). It can also be written as a fraction .
b
The order of the numbers or numerals in a ratio is important. a : b is not the same as b : a.
Example 23 Expressing quantities as a ratio
In a year 10 class of 26 students there are 14 girls and 12 boys. Express the number of
girls to boys as a ratio.
Solution
As there are 14 girls and 12 boys, the ratio of girls to boys is 14 : 12.
14
Note: This could also be written as a fraction .
12
Example 24 Expressing more than two quantities as a ratio
A survey of the same group of 26 students showed that 10 students walked to school,
11 came by public transport, and 5 were driven by their parents. Express as a ratio the
number of students who walked to school to the number of students who came by public
transport to the number of students who were driven to school.
Solution
The order of the numbers in a ratio is important.
10 students walked, 11 used public transport and 5 were driven so the ratio is 10 : 11 : 5.
28 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic 1H
Example 25 Expressing quantities as a ratio
A cordial bottle has instructions to mix

1 part cordial with 4 parts water.
Express this as a ratio.
Solution
1
The ratio of cordial to water is 1 : 4. This could also be written as .
4
4
Note: The reverse ratio of water to cordial is 4 : 1, which could also be written as .
1
Exercise 1H
Example 23 1 A survey of a group of 50 year 11 students in a school showed that 35 of them have a
part-time job and 15 do not. Express the number of students having a part-time job to
those who do not as a ratio.
Example 23 2 The table below shows the average life expectancy of some animals.
Example 24
Animal Life
expectancy
Chimpanzee 40 years
Elephant 70 years
Horse 40 years
Kangaroo 9 years
Tortoise 120 years
Mouse 4 years
Whale 80 years
Find the ratios between the life

expectancies of the following
animals.
a Whale to horse
b Elephant to kangaroo
c Whale to tortoise
d Chimpanzee to mouse
e Horse to mouse to whale
1I Expressing ratios in their simplest form 29
1I Expressing ratios in their simplest form

Ratios can be simplified by dividing through by a common factor or by multiplying each
term as required.
Example 26 Simplifying ratios
Simplify the follow ratios.

3 5
a 15 : 20 b 0.4 : 1.7 c :
4 3
Solution
a 1 Divide both 15 and 20 by 5. 15 : 20
2 Evaluate and write your answer. 15 20
= :
5 5
=3 : 4
b 1 Multiply both 0.4 and 1.7 by 10 to give 0.4 : 1.7
whole numbers. = 0.4 × 10 : 1.7 × 10
2 Evaluate and write your answer. = 4 : 17
c Method 1
3 5
1 Multiply both fractions by 4. ×4 : ×4
4 3
20
=3:
3
2 Multiply both sides of the ratio by 3. 20
= 3×3 : ×3
3 Write your answer. 3
= 9 : 20
Method 2
3 5 3 5
1 Multiply both and by the :
4 3 4 3
lowest common multiple (LCM) of 3 and 4, 3 5
= × 12 : × 12
which is 12, to eliminate fractions. 4 3
2 Evaluate and write your answer. = 9 : 20
In each of the above examples, the ratios are equivalent and the information is unchanged.
For example, the ratio:
12 : 8 is equivalent to the ratio 24 : 16 (multiply both 12 and 8 by 2)
and
12 : 8 is also equivalent to the ratio 3 : 2 (divide both 12 and 8 by 4).
Ratios
1 When ratios are written in terms of the smallest possible whole numbers, they are
expressed in their simplest form.
2 The order of the figures in a ratio is important. 3 : 5 is not the same as 5 : 3.
3 Both parts of a ratio must be expressed in the same unit of measurement.
Example 27 Simplifying ratios with different units
Express 15 cm to 3 m as a ratio in its simplest form.

Solution
1 Write the ratio. 15 cm : 3 m
2 Convert 3 m to cm, by multiplying 3 m by 100, 15 cm : 3 × 100 cm
so that both parts of the ratio will be in the same = 15 cm : 300 cm
units.
3 Simplify the ratio by dividing both 15 and 300 = 15 : 300
by 15. 15 300
= :
4 Write your answer. 15 15
= 1 : 20
Example 28 Finding missing values in a ratio
Find the missing value for the equivalent ratios 3 : 7 = : 28.
Solution
1 Let the unknown value be x and write the ratios
3 : 7 = x : 28
as fractions.
3 x
2 Solve for x. =
7 28
Method 1 (by hand)
1 Multiply both sides of equation by 28. 3 x
× 28 = × 28
7 28
2 Evaluate and write your answer. x = 12
3 : 7 = 12 : 28
Use the solve function.
3 x
solve = ,x
7 28
x = 12
1I 1I Expressing ratios in their simplest form 31
Exercise 1I
Example 26 1 Express the following ratios in their simplest forms.
a 12 : 15 b 10 : 45 c 22 : 55 : 33 d 1.3 : 3.9
5 1
e 2.7 : 0.9 f : g 18 : 8
3 4
Example 27 2 Express the following ratios in their simplest form after making sure that each quantity
is expressed in the same units.
a 60 L to 25 L b $2.50 to $50 c 75 cm to 2 m
d 5 kg to 600 g e 15 mm to 50 cm to 3 m f 1 km to 1 m to 1 cm
g 5.6 g to 91 g h $30 to $6 to $1.20 to 60c
Example 28 3 For each of the following equivalent ratios find the missing value.
a 1:4= : 20 b 15 : 8 = 135 : c 600 : 5 = :1
d 2 : 5 = 2000 : e 3:7= : 56
4 Which of the following statements are true and which are false? For those that are
false, suggest a correct replacement statement, if possible.
a The ratio 4 : 3 is the same as 3 : 4.
b The ratio 3 : 4 is equivalent to 20 : 15.
c 9 : 45 is equivalent to 1 : 5.
d The ratio 60 to 12 is equivalent to 15 to 3, which is the same as 4 to 1.
e If the ratio of a father’s age to his daughter’s age is 7 : 1, then the girl is 7 years old
when her father is 56.
5
f If my weekly allowance is of that of my friend, then the ratio of my
8
monthly allowance to the allowance of my friend is 20 : 32.
5 The following recipe is for Anzac biscuits.

Anzac biscuits (makes 25)
100 grams rolled oats 60 grams desiccated coconut
175 grams plain all-purpose 125 grams soft brown sugar
flour, sifted
125 grams butter 3 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons golden syrup 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of
soda
a What is the unsimplified ratio of rolled oats : coconut : flour : brown sugar : butter?
b Simplify the ratio from part a.
c You want to adapt the recipe to make 75 biscuits. What quantity of each ingredient
do you need?
1J Unit cost method

Many products in a supermarket are sold in packets containing multiple individual items.
For example, chocolate frogs might be sold individually, but also in packets of 12 frogs.
A single chocolate frog in a particular supermarket is sold for 85 cents.
A bag of 12 chocolate frogs is sold in the same supermarket for $5.28.
Would you buy 12 individual chocolate frogs or a bag of 12 chocolate frogs?
We can answer this question by calculating the unit cost, or the cost of one single chocolate
frog from the bag.
cost f or whole bag $5.28
one frog from bag = = = $0.44
12 12
It is obviously better value to buy a bag of frogs because the unit cost of a frog from the bag
is less than the individual price.
Example 29 Using the unit cost method
If 24 golf balls cost $86.40, how much do 7 golf balls cost?

Solution
1 Find the cost of 1 golf ball by dividing $86.40 (the $86.40 ÷ 24 = $3.60
total cost) by 24 (the number of golf balls).
2 Multiply the cost of one golf ball ($3.60) by 7. $3.60 × 7 = $25.20
Write your answer. 7 golf balls cost $25.20
Using the unit cost method to compare items

The unit cost method is used to compare the cost of items using the unit cost of the contents.
This enables us to calculate which item is the best buy.
Example 30 Using the unit cost method to compare items
Two different brands of kitchen plastic wrap are sold in a shop.

Brand A contains 50 metres of plastic wrap and costs $4.48.
Brand B contains 90 metres of plastic wrap and costs $5.94.
Which brand is the better value?
Solution
The ‘unit’ in each pack is a metre of plastic wrap. The prices of both brands can be
compared based on this unit.
$4.48
1 Calculate the unit cost, per Unit cost brand A = = $0.0896 per metre
50m
metre, for each brand by $5.94
dividing the package cost by Unit cost brand B = = $0.066 per metre
90m
the number of units inside.
2 Choose the brand that has the Brand B has the lowest unit cost per metre of
lowest unit cost. plastic wrap so it is the better value brand.
1J 1J Unit cost method 33
Exercise 1J
Example 29 1 Use the unit cost method to answer the following questions.
a If 12 cakes cost $14.40, how much do 13 cakes cost?
b If a clock gains 20 seconds in 5 days, how much does the clock gain in three weeks?
c If 17 textbooks cost $501.50, how much would 30 textbooks cost?
d If an athlete can run 4.5 kilometres in 18 minutes, how far could she run in
40 minutes at the same pace?
2 If one tin of red paint is mixed with four tins of yellow paint, it produces five tins of
orange paint. How many tins of the red and yellow paint would be needed to make
35 tins of the same shade of orange paint?
3 If a train travels 165 kilometres in 1 hour 50 minutes at a constant speed, calculate how
far it could travel in:
1
a 3 hours b 2 hours c 20 minutes
2
3
d 70 minutes e 3 hours and 40 minutes f hour
4
Example 30 4 Ice creams are sold in two different sizes. A 35 g cone costs $1.25 and a 73 g cone costs
$2.00. Which is the better buy?
5 A shop sells 2 L containers of Brand A milk for $2.99, 1 L of Brand B milk for $1.95
and 600 mL of Brand C milk for $1.42. Calculate the best buy.
6 You need 6 large eggs to bake 2 chocolate cakes. How many eggs will you need to
bake 17 chocolate cakes?
7 A car uses 45 litres of petrol to travel 495 kilometres. Under the same driving
conditions calculate:
a how far the car could travel on 50 litres of petrol
b how much petrol the car would use to travel 187 kilometres.
Review 34 Chapter 1 Computation and practical arithmetic
Key ideas and chapter summary
Order of The order of operations is important. Remember BIMDAS

operation Brackets come first
Indices (powers, square roots)
Multiplication and Division come next, working from left to right then
Addition and Subtraction, working from left to right
Directed numbers Multiplying or dividing two numbers with the same sign gives a
positive value.
Multiplying or dividing two numbers with different signs gives a
negative value.
Scientific To write a number in scientific notation express it as a number between

notation 1 and 10 multiplied by a power of 10.
Rounding 5.417 rounded to two decimal places is 5.42 (number after the 1 is 7 so
round up).
Significant All non-zero digits are significant.

figures All zeros between significant digits are significant.
After a decimal point, all zeros to the right of non-zero digits are
significant.
Percentages To convert a fraction or a decimal to a percentage, multiply by 100.

To convert a percentage to a decimal or a fraction, divide by 100.
change
Percentage change = × 100
original quantity or price
Ratios The order of the figures in a ratio is important.

4 : 3 is not the same as 3 : 4.
Ratios can be simplified. For example, 6 : 2 = 3 : 1
Unit cost The cost of a single item, which is used to compare which item is the
best buy.
Chapter 1 review 35
Review
Skills check
Having completed this chapter you should be able to:
use a variety of mathematical operations in the correct order

add, subtract, multiply and divide directed numbers
find powers and roots of numbers
round numbers to specific place values
write numbers in scientific notation (standard form)
understand and use significant figures
express ratios in their simplest form
solve practical problems involving ratios, percentages and the unit cost method
compare the price (cost) of items to calculate the best buy
use currency exchange rates to convert between Australian dollars and other foreign
currencies.
Short-answer questions
1 Evaluate the following.
a 3+2×4 b 25 ÷ (10 − 5) + 5 c 14 − 21 ÷ 3
d (12 + 12) ÷ 12 + 12 e 27 ÷ 3 × 5 + 4 f 4 × (−2) + 3
10 − 8 4(3 + 12) −5 + 9
g h i
2 2 2
2 Calculate the following and give your answer correct to two decimal places where
appropriate.
√ 1 1 √
a 53 b 64 − 5 c 92 + 92 d 8
√ √ 63 √
e 25 − 9 f 25 − 9 g h 62 + 102
(10 ÷ 2)2
3 Write each of the following in scientific notation.
a 2945 b 0.057 c 369 000 d 850.9
4 Write the basic numeral for each of the following.

a 7.5 × 103 b 1.07 × 10−3 c 4.56 × 10−1
5 Write the following correct to the number of significant figures indicated in the
brackets.
a 8.916 (2) b 0.0589 (2) c 809 (1)
6 Write the following correct to the number of decimal places indicated in the brackets.
a 7.145 (2) b 598.241 (1) c 4.0789 (3)
7 On a particular day, one Australian dollar (AUD) can be exchanged for 0.7562 United
States dollars (USD).
a What is the equivalent amount of USD for $350.00 AUD?
b A tourist from the US is visiting Australia. A tour to Phillip Island will cost $140.00
USD per person. What is the cost in AUD ?
8 An internet shop sells computer equipment and lists the prices of items in Australian
dollars, US dollars and British pounds (GBP).
One Australian dollar exchanges for $0.842 USD and £0.53 GBP on a particular day.
If a hard drive is listed with a price of $125.60 AUD, what is the price for a
customer in:
a USA?
b Great Britain?
9 Express the following percentages as decimals.

a 75% b 40% c 27.5%
10 Express the following percentages as fractions, in their lowest terms.

a 10% b 20% c 22%
11 Evaluate the following.

1
a 30% of 80 b 15% of $70 c 12 % of $106
2
12 A new LED smart television was valued at $1038. During a sale it was discounted
by 5%.
a What was the amount of discount?
b What was the sale price?
13 Tom’s weekly wage of $750 is increased by 15%. What is his new weekly wage?
14 A 15-year-old girl working at a local bakery is paid $12.50 per hour. Her pay will
increase to $15 per hour when she turns 16. What will be the percentage increase to
her pay?
15 A leather jacket is reduced from $516 to $278. Calculate the percentage discount
(to the nearest per cent).
16 After dieting for three months, Melissa who weighed 78 kg lost 4 kg and Jody’s weight
dropped from 68 kg to 65 kg. Calculate the percentage weight loss, correct to two
decimal places, for each girl.
Chapter 1 review 37
Review
17 True or false?
a The ratio 3 : 2 is the same as 2 : 3
b 1 : 5 = 3 : 12
c 20 cm : 1 m is written as 20 : 1 in simplest form
d 3 : 4 = 9 : 12
18 A recipe for pizza dough requires 3 parts wholemeal flour for each 4 parts of plain
flour. How many cups of wholemeal flour are needed if 24 cups of plain flour are used?
19 A supermarket sells Brand A tomatoes in a 580 g tin for $2.50 and Brand B tomatoes in
a 220 g tin for $1.20. Use the unit cost method to determine which of the two brands is
the better value.
20 Georgie needs to buy 3 light-globes to replace broken ones in her house. A pack
containing one light-globe will cost $2.40 but there is a box of three available for
$5.99. How much will Georgie save by buying the box instead of three individual
globes?
21 If 5 kilograms of mincemeat costs $50, how much does 2 kilograms of mincemeat

cost?
22 A truck uses 12 litres of petrol to travel 86 kilometres. How far will it travel on
42 litres of petrol?
Extended-response questions
1 The following are the pricing for three different brands of washing powder.
Brand A Brand B Brand C
400 g ($4.90) 750 g ($8.80) 1.2 kg ($15.00)
a Calculate the price per 100 gram of Brand A.

b Calculate the price per 100 gram of Brand B.
c Calculate the price per 100 gram of Brand C.
d In light of this, arrange the brands in increasing order of price.
2 Powdered milk prices from four different stores are shown below.
Store A Store B Store C Store D
600 g ($3.84) 250 g ($1.60) 2 kg ($12.80) 5 kg ($32.00)
Harry wanted to list the four shops’ pricing in order from least expensive to most
expensive.
a Explain how Harry arrived at the solution of B, A, C, D without resorting to
any computations.
b Calculate the price per 100 g to see how the various stores compare.
3 The table below displays the current buy and sell
exchange rates for the Australian dollar compared
to three other hard currencies.
Currency Buy Sell
USD 0.8030 0.7282
EUR 0.7396 0.6507
GBP 0.6054 0.5448
a Peter’s business travels from London to Australia. What is the total amount of
Australian dollars that he will receive for £900?
b Thomas has a Working Visa and is moving from Sydney to London. His meal cost
him £6.40 when he arrived at Heathrow. To make his purchase, he produced an
Australian twenty-dollar note. How much change would Thomas receive in British
pounds?
c Samantha is departing from Perth International Airport to continue her travels
in Europe. She converts 2000 AUD into Euros. She is then required to convert
her euros into British pounds upon her arrival at London Gatwick Airport due to
unforeseen circumstances.
Given that 1 EUR = 0.83 GBP, determine the overall change in value of Samantha’s
money in British pounds, and state if she has made a profit or loss from these
transactions.
Chapter 1 review 39
Review
4 Visitor numbers to one island resort during the last four years are shown in the
table below.
Year Number of visitors

2018 12 980
2019 13 600
2020 2 800
2021 7 900
a Calculate the percentage increase in visitors

in 2019 compared to 2018. Give your
answer to two decimal places.
b There was a massive decrease in the
number of visitors in 2020 compared to
2019. State a plausible reason for the
change and then calculate the percentage
decrease in the number of visitors from
2019 to 2020. Give your answer to one decimal place.
c In 2018 the percentage of visitors increased by 10% in comparison to 2017.
Calculate the number of visitors in 2017.

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1 Computation and

In this chapter Syllabus references

These rules can also be remembered by using BIMDAS.

Example 1 Using correct order of operation

Evaluate the following.

Example 1g 2 Use your calculator to find the answers to the following.

Example 1f–g 3 Evaluate the following.

Addition and subtraction

Adding a positive number means that you move to the right.

Adding a negative number means that you move to the left.

When subtracting directed numbers, you add its opposite.

Multiplication and division

Multiplication and division with directed numbers

+×+=+ +×−=− −×−=+ −×+=−

Example 2 Using directed numbers

Evaluate the following.

1C Powers and roots

Cubes and cube roots

For example, 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 × 4 = 1024 = 45 , which is read as ‘4 to the power of 5’.

Example 3 Finding the power or root of a number using a calculator

2 Find the value of the following.

1D Approximations, decimal places and signiﬁcant

Rules for rounding

Example 4 Rounding to the nearest thousand

Round 34 867 to the nearest thousand.

Scientiﬁc notation (standard form)

Example 5 Writing a number in scientiﬁc notation

Write the following numbers in scientific notation.

b 1 Write 0.000 000 5 as a number 0.000 000 5 = 5.0 ÷ 10 000 000

Example 6 Writing a scientiﬁc notation number as a basic numeral

Write the following scientific notation numbers as basic numerals.

2 Move the decimal place 5 places to = 0.000 079

Rules for signiﬁcant ﬁgures

Example 7 Rounding to a certain number of signiﬁcant ﬁgures

Round 93.738 095 to:

b 1 For one significant figure, count one 93.738 095

c 1 For five significant figures, start counting 93.738 095

Example 8 Rounding to a certain number of signiﬁcant ﬁgures

Round 0.006 473 5 to:

Example 9 Rounding correct to a number of decimal places

Round 94.738 295 to:

Example 4 2 Round to the nearest hundred.

Example 6 3 Write these scientific notation numbers as basic numerals.

Example 5 4 Write these numbers in scientific notation.

5 Express the following approximate numbers,

10 Calculate the following, correct to two decimal places.

1E Currency exchange rates

Currency exchange: Australian Dollar (AUD)

Converting between currencies

Example 10 Converting between Australian Dollars and other currencies

Australia Sell rate

Currency Code Buy Sell

3 A wall in a house is 7860 mm long. How many metres is this?

4 A truck weighs 3 tonne. How heavy is this in kilograms?

8 On a particular day, $850 AUD could be exchanged to €581.40.

14 Five items bought at Freddo’s Supermarket are shown on the

Currency Code Buy Sell

15 Alex is making plans to go to

18 Nishioka embarked on a journey to Broome from Japan. When he departed Osaka, he

Example 11 Converting fractions to percentages