Oxford Academy 1

"Full Coverage": Solving Quadratic Equations

Total Marks: 64

Question 1
Skill involved: 200g: Solve a two-step equation involving a power of a variable.

[Edexcel GCSE June2009-1F Q30a, June2009-3H Q8a]

2𝑥2 = 72

Find a value of 𝑥.

Input note: enter a single value

𝑥 = …………………………

(2 marks)

Question 2
Skill involved: 367b: Solve quadratic equations given in the form 𝐱 𝟐 ± 𝐛𝐱 ± 𝐜 = 𝟎, solvable by
factorisation.

[Edexcel GCSE June2006-3I Q22b, June2006-5H Q10b]

Solve

𝑥2 + 6𝑥 + 8 = 0

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(1 mark)

Question 3
Skill involved: 367e: Solve quadratic equations given in the form 𝐚𝐱 𝟐 ± 𝐛𝐱 ± 𝐜 = 𝟎, requiring
rearrangement and factorising.

[Edexcel GCSE Jun2016-1H Q22]

Solve 𝑥2 = 4(𝑥 − 3)2

𝑥 = ...........

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 2

or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(3 marks)

Question 4
Skill involved: 435g: Solve an equation involving a composite function, leading to a quadratic
equation.

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 1 Autumn 2016 3H Q20c]

For all values of 𝑥

𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 − 3 and 𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑥2 + 2

(c) Solve 𝑓𝑔(𝑥) = 𝑔𝑓(𝑥)

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(4 marks)

Question 5
Skill involved: 367d: Solve quadratic equations given in the form 𝐚𝐱 𝟐 ± 𝐛𝐱 ± 𝐜 = 𝟎, requiring
factorising.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2013-2H Q22b Edited]

The diagram shows a trapezium.

All the measurements are in centimetres.

The area of the trapezium is 351 cm2.

Given that 2𝑥2 + 𝑥 − 351 = 0, work out the value of 𝑥.

𝑥 = ...........
(3 marks)

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 3

Question 6
Skill involved: 367d: Solve quadratic equations given in the form 𝐚𝐱 𝟐 ± 𝐛𝐱 ± 𝐜 = 𝟎, requiring
factorising.

[Edexcel IGCSE Jan2014-4H Q18b Edited]

A rectangular lawn has a length of 3𝑥 metres and a width of 2𝑥 metres.

The lawn has a path of width 1 metre on three of its sides.

The total area of the lawn and the path is 100 m2

It can be shown that 6𝑥2 + 7𝑥 − 98 = 0

Calculate the area of the lawn.

………………………… m 2

(5 marks)

Question 7
Skill involved: 462d: Solve an equation requiring addition or subtraction of algebraic fractions,
leading to a quadratic equation.

[Edexcel IGCSE May2012-4H Q21 Edited]

Solve
5 9
(𝑥+2)
+ (𝑥−2) = 2

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 4

(5 marks)

Question 8
Skill involved: E463: Algebraic probability problems involving independent/dependent events

[Edexcel GCSE Jun2015-1H Q19a Edited]

There are 𝑛 sweets in a bag.

6 of the sweets are orange.
The rest of the sweets are yellow.

Hannah takes at random a sweet from the bag.

She eats the sweet.

Hannah then takes at random another sweet from the bag.

She eats the sweet.
1
The probability that Hannah eats two orange sweets is 3.

It can be shown that 𝑛2 + 𝑎𝑛 + 𝑏 = 0, where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are integers. Determine the values of
𝑎 and 𝑏.

𝑎 = ...........,𝑏 = ...........
(3 marks)

Question 9
Skill involved: 158f: Determine the unknown power in an expression involving index laws with
positive indices given its numeric equivalent.

[Edexcel IGCSE May2014(R)-3H Q20 Edited]

Solve the equation

(𝑛2 )
2
=1
2𝑛 ×26

𝑛 = ...........
or 𝑛 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(3 marks)

Question 10
Skill involved: 417b: Solve a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula or by completing the
square to get numeric solutions.

[Edexcel IGCSE Jan2013-4H Q18 Edited]

Solve 5𝑥2 + 2𝑥 − 4 = 0

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 5

Give your solutions correct to 3 significant figures.

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(3 marks)

Question 11
Skill involved: 417b: Solve a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula or by completing the
square to get numeric solutions.

[Edexcel IGCSE May2013-3H Q20b Edited]

Solve 𝑥2 − 10𝑥 + 18 = 0
Give your solutions correct to 3 significant figures.

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(3 marks)

Question 12
Skill involved: E654: Projectile motion in 2D

[Edexcel IGCSE Jan2014(R)-3H Q18ii]

Ivan is a shot putter.

The formula ℎ = 2 + 6𝑡 − 5𝑡2 gives the height, ℎ metres, of the shot above the ground 𝑡
seconds after he has released the shot.

The equation 2 + 6𝑡 − 5𝑡2 = 0 has for solutions 𝑡 = −0.272 and 𝑡 = 1.47, correct to 3
significant figures.

The shot hits the ground after 𝑇 seconds.

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 6

Write down the value of 𝑇.

Give your answer correct to 3 significant figures.

𝑇 = ………………………… seconds

(1 mark)

Question 13
Skill involved: 417b: Solve a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula or by completing the
square to get numeric solutions.

[Edexcel IGCSE May2014(R)-4H Q16b]

Here is a hexagon.

In the diagram, all the measurements are in centimetres.

All the corners are right angles.

The area of the hexagon is 40 cm2.

Solve 4𝑥2 + 9𝑥 − 47 = 0

Give your solutions correct to 3 significant figures.

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(3 marks)

Question 14
Skill involved: 462d: Solve an equation requiring addition or subtraction of algebraic fractions,
leading to a quadratic equation.

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 7

[Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 2 Spring 2017 3H Q21c]

1 1
𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥+2 + 𝑥−3

Given that 𝑓(𝑥) = 4

(c) find the possible values of 𝑥.

𝑝±√𝑞
Give your answer in the form 𝑟
where 𝑝, 𝑞 and 𝑟 are positive integers.

Input Note: You can find the ± symbol under the 'Symbs' tab on the algebraic keyboard.

…………………………

(5 marks)

Question 15
Skill involved: 417d: Determine the original quadratic equation given use of the quadratic formula.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2015-2H Q22]

Alison is using the quadratic formula to solve a quadratic equation.

She substitutes values into the formula and correctly gets

−7±√49−32
𝑥= 4

Work out the quadratic equation that Alison is solving.

Give your answer in the form 𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 = 0, where 𝑎, 𝑏 and 𝑐 are integers.

…………………………

(3 marks)

Question 16
Skill involved: 418h: Form a quadratic equation using sides of a right-angled triangle where the
perimeter is known.

[Edexcel IGCSE Jan2016-3H Q22]

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 8

The diagram shows a rectangle.

The width of the rectangle is 𝑥 cm.

The length of a diagonal of the rectangle is 12 cm.

The perimeter of the rectangle is 28 cm.

Find the possible values of 𝑥.

Give your values correct to 3 significant figures.

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(7 marks)

Question 17
Skill involved: 462b: Solve an equation with a single algebraic fraction on one side of the equation,
leading to a quadratic equation.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2011-4H Q19]

Find the exact solutions of

3
𝑥+𝑥=7

𝑥 = ...........
or 𝑥 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(3 marks)

Question 18
Skill involved: 417c: Solve quadratic equations using the quadratic formula, requiring
rearrangement.

[Edexcel GCSE Nov2012-2H Q22b Edited]

Given that the solutions to 2𝑥2 + 9𝑥 − 7 = 0 are 𝑥 = 0.676 or 𝑥 = −5.18 to 3 significant

figures,

solve
2 9
𝑦2
+𝑦−7=0

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 9

Give your solutions correct to 3 significant figures.

𝑦 = ...........
or 𝑦 = . . . . . . . . . . .
(2 marks)

Question 19
Skill involved: 421e: Draw a line to determine approximate solutions to a quadratic equation
requiring rearrangement.

[Edexcel GCSE Jun2016-1H Q19aii]

The diagram shows the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑥2 − 4𝑥 − 2

Use the graph to find estimates for the solutions of 𝑥2 − 4𝑥 − 6 = 0

𝑥 = …………………………
𝑥 = …………………………

(2 marks)

Question 20
Skill involved: 421f: Draw a straight line to determine approximate solutions to a cubic equation,
which may require rearrangement.

[Edexcel IGCSE May2015(R)-4H Q15d Edited]

The graph of 𝑦 = 𝑥3 −3𝑥2 + 5 is drawn below.

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 10

By drawing a suitable straight line on the grid, find an estimate for the solution of the
equation 𝑥3 −3𝑥2 + 2𝑥 + 4 = 0

𝑥 = …………………………

(3 marks)

For IGCSE Preparation

Oxford Academy 11

For IGCSE Preparation