Maths Methods Unit 1 Practice Exams

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 VCE Unit 1 Mathematical Methods

EXAMINATION Paper 1

Question and Answer Booklet

STUDENT NAME:

TEACHER(S):

TIME ALLOWED: Reading time 10 minutes

Writing time 60 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS

All questions are to be answered.

All answers are to be written on the examination paper.
Write your answers clearly with relevant working shown

Materials Permitted:
No calculators are allowed to be used
No reference materials are allowed

STRUCTURE OF BOOKLET / MARKING SCHEME

Number of questions to be Total marks

Exam Section
answered
A 11 40

Students are not permitted to bring mobile phones and / or any other unauthorised
electronic devices into the examination room.
 Instructions
Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
Unless otherwise specified, an exact answer is required to a question.
In questions where more than one mark is available, appropriate working must be shown.
Unless otherwise indicated, the diagrams in this exam are not drawn to scale.

Question 1 (6 marks)
Solve the following for x.
x −3 2x
(a) +2= (b) 2( x + 1)3 + 16 =
0
2 5

2 marks 2 marks

(c) ( x − 4)( x + 1)( x + 3) > 0

2 marks

Question 2 (4 marks)
Find the equation of the rule given the following descriptions:
1
(a) the line that is perpendicular to =
y x − 3 and passes through the point (4, 2).
2

2 marks
(b) the quadratic with x-intercepts at 3 and 5 and passes through the point (2, 6).

2 marks

Question 3 (6 marks)
Consider the polynomial P( x) = 2 x3 − x 2 − 13 x − 6 .

(a) State the degree of the polynomial.

1 mark

(b) Show that ( x + 2) is a factor of P ( x) using the factor theorem.

2 marks

(c) Hence, factorise P( x) into linear factors.

3 marks
Question 4 (3 marks)
For which value(s) of k (where k ∈ R ) do the equations 3 x + ky =
8 and (k − 4) x − y =−1 have a unique
solution?

3 marks

Question 5 (4 marks)
Complete the following.
(a) Find the maximal (implied) domain of f ( x=
) 2 x − 4 +1

1 mark

(b) Sketch the graph of g : (1, ∞) → R, g ( x)= x 2 − 4 x + 6 labelling any endpoints and turning
points with coordinates and state the range of g .

3 marks
Question 6 (4 marks)
4
Let=
f ( x) −1.
( x − 2) 2
(a) Sketch the graph of f ( x) labelling intercepts with coordinates and asymptotes with their
equation.

3 marks

(b) Explain why the inverse function of f ( x) does not exist.

1 mark

Question 7 (3 marks)
2
( x)
Find the rule for the inverse function, g −1 ( x) , if g= − 4 and state its domain.
x+3

3 marks
Question 8 (3 marks)
x +1
State a sequence of transformations that map y = x to its image y = − .
2

3 marks

Question 9 (3 marks)
Consider f ( x)= 4 x 2 − x + 10 .
(a) Find f '( x) .

1 mark

(b) Hence, find the x-coordinate of the point on the curve y = f ( x) where the tangent to the curve is
parallel to the line with equation =
y 3 x + 2.

2 marks

Question 10 (2 marks)
dy 7 x5 − 6
Find for y = .
dx x2

2 marks
Question 11 (2 marks)
The graph of f ( x) is shown below.

Sketch the graph of the gradient function f ′(x), labelling known features.

2 marks

END OF EXAMINATION
 VCE Unit 1 Mathematical Methods

EXAMINATION 2

Question and Answer Booklet

STUDENT NAME:

TEACHER(S):

TIME ALLOWED: Reading time 10 minutes

Writing time 90 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS

All questions are to be answered.

All answers are to be written on the examination paper.
Write your answers clearly with relevant working shown.
Exact answers are required unless specified otherwise.

Materials permitted:
One bound reference.
One CAS calculator and, optionally, one scientific calculator.

STRUCTURE OF BOOKLET / MARKING SCHEME

Number of questions to be Total marks

Exam Section
answered
A 15 15
B 4 45
Total: 60

Students are not permitted to bring mobile phones and / or any other unauthorised
electronic devices into the examination room.
Section A Multiple Choice Questions 15 marks

Instructions for Section A

Answer all questions by circling the letter corresponding to the correct response.
A correct answer scores 1; an incorrect answer scores 0.
Marks will not be deducted for incorrect answers.
Unless otherwise indicated, the diagrams in this book are not drawn to scale.
No marks will be given if more than one answer is selected for any question.

Question 1

4− x x+2
The solution to the inequality > is:
3 5

1
A. x > −
4
7
B. x <
4
1
C. x <
4
9
D. x <
2
7
E. x >
4

Question 2

If the two lines 3 x − y + 4 =0 and ax + 2 y − 3 =0 are parallel, then a is equal to:

A. −6
B. −3
C. −0.5
D. 3
E. 6

Question 3

(2,1) is the midpoint of the line joining the points with coordinates (−4, y ) and ( x, −6) . The value
of x + y is:

A. 0
B. 2
C. 8
D. −8
E. 16
Question 4

Which one of the following could be the graph of y = ax 2 + bx + c , where a, b, c > 0?

A. B.

C. D.

E.

Question 5

For the function f ( x) = ax 2 + 4 x − 5 , the values of a for which f ( x) will have two x-intercepts are:

4
A. a ≥
5
4
B. a = −
5
4
C. a ≤ −
5
4
D. a <
5
4
E. a > −
5
Question 6

The turning point of y = x 2 + bx + 40 is at x = −7 . The value of b is:

A. −7
7
B.
2
C. 14
D. 7
E. −14

Question 7

If 2 x 3 + x 2 − 5 and x3 − 6 x + k both leave the same remainder when divided by (x – 1), then k is
equal to:

A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
D. −1
E. −5

Question 8

A possible equation for the cubic graph shown below is:

y

A. y = x( x − 1)( x + 3)
B. y =( x + 1)( x − 3) 2
C. y = x( x + 1)( x − 3)
−1
D. y=
( x + 1) 2 ( x − 3)
0 3 x
E. y=
( x + 1) 2 ( x − 3) 2

Question 9

Which one of the following is not a function?

3
A. y =
x
B. y =3 x 2 − 3 x, x > 0
C. y = 3 x
D. x 2 + y 2 =3
E. y − 3 x = 0
Question 10

 x 3 + 1, for x ≥ 0
The range of f ( x) =  is:
 1 − x, for x < 0

A. [1, ∞)
B. R
C. [2, ∞)
D. R+
E. (1, ∞)

Question 11

A circle has the equation ( x − 1) 2 + y 2 + 4 y =

5 . The coordinates of the centre and the radius are
respectively:

A. (1, −4) and 1

B. (1, 2) and 5
C. (1, −2) and 5
D. (1, −4) and 3
E. (1, −2) and 3

Question 12

1
The equation of the image when y = is translated by 2 units in the positive direction of the x-
x2
axis and 3 units in the negative direction of the y-axis is:

−3
A. y =
( x − 2) 2
1
=
B. y +2
( x − 3) 2
1
=
C. y −3
( x − 2) 2
1
=
D. y −3
( x + 2) 2
1
E. y= −
3( x − 2) 2
Question 13

A bushwalker’s position s km is given by the rule s = t 2 − 2t + 5 where time t is in hours. The

bushwalker’s average velocity in the first 3 hours is:

A. 2 km/h
B. 1 km/h
C. 0.5 km/h
D. 3 km/h
E. 0.6 km/h

Question 14

The gradient of a tangent line at any point on the curve with the equation y = 4 x 2 − 3 is given by:

4( x + h) 2 − 4 x 2
A.
h
4( x + h) 2 − 4 x 2 − 6
B.
h
C. lim 4( x + h) 2 − 4 x 2
h →0

4( x + h) 2 − 4 x 2 − 6
D. lim
h →0 h
4( x + h) − 4 x 2
2
E. lim
h →0 h

Question 15

Part of the graph of y = f ( x) is shown below. f '( x) < 0 for:

1 
A. x ∈ (−2, 0) ∪  , ∞ 
3 
 100 
B. x ∈  −9, 
 27 
1 
C. x ∈ (−∞, −2) ∪  , ∞ 
3 
 1
D. x ∈  −2, 
 3
E. x ∈ (−∞, −2] ∪ (1, ∞ )

EXAM CONTINUES OVER THE PAGE

 Section B Extended Response Questions 45 marks

Instructions for Section B

Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
In all questions where a numerical answer is required, an exact value must be given unless otherwise
specified.
In questions where more than one mark is available, appropriate working must be shown.
Unless otherwise indicated, the diagrams one this exam are not drawn to scale.

Question 1 (13 marks)

A parabolic skate ramp has been built at a
local park. It is accessed by climbing a ladder
to a horizontal platform as shown. platform

The platform is 2 m long. x describes the

horizontal distance in metres from the start of
the platform and y is the height above ground ladder ramp
level in metres.

The lowest point on the skate ramp is at (5, 0)

 32 
and the highest point is at  9,  .
 9 

(a) Find the equation of the straight line that represents the ladder.

2 marks

(b) Find the length of the ladder, in metres, correct to one decimal place.

1 mark
(c) Safety regulations deem that the ladder should not make an angle of more than 65° with the ground.
Find, correct to the nearest degree, the angle that this ladder makes with ground.

2 marks

(d) Find the equation of the parabolic skate ramp, in the form=
y a ( x − h) 2 , where a and h are real
numbers.

2 marks

(e) Write a hybrid (piecewise) function rule to define the complete skate ramp system for −1 ≤ x ≤ 9.

3 marks

1 2
(f) A plan for another parabolic skate ramp, has the ramp modelled by y = x − 2 x + 5 . This ramp will
4
have an extra straight-line board that can be placed across the ramp. The board can be modelled by the
rule=
y mx + 1 .
For which values of m will the board meet the ramp in two places?

3 marks

EXAM CONTINUES OVER THE PAGE

Question 2 (11 marks)
A piece of wire 80 m long is used to make the 12 edges of the cuboid (rectangular prism) with dimensions
in metres as shown below.

hm

xm
4x m

(a) Using the above information, write an expression for h in terms of x.

2 marks

(b) Using your result from part (a), show that the volume of the cuboid, V m3, in terms of x is given by
=
V ( x) 20 x 2 (4 − x) .

2 marks

(c) Find the possible values of x for the cuboid to exist.

1 mark

(d) Determine one set of suitable dimensions for a cuboid with a volume of 150 m3. The dimensions need
to be expressed as length, width and height, giving each value in metres correct to one decimal place.

2 marks
(e) Sketch the graph of V ( x) over the domain specified in part (c). Indicate the general shape and label
endpoints appropriately.

2 marks

(f) Find the maximum possible volume of this cuboid, in m3, and the value of x for which it occurs. Give
both answers correct to two decimal places.

2 marks

EXAM CONTINUES OVER THE PAGE

Question 3 (14 marks)
A population of butterflies in an enclosure at a Botanical Gardens is modelled by
150
N (t ) =220 − , t≥0
t +1
where N is the number of butterflies t years after observations of the butterflies commenced.

(a) Find N(0) and state what this represents.

2 marks

(b) How long did it take for the butterfly population to reach 190 butterflies?

2 marks

(c) Sketch the graph of population versus time, label any intercepts and any applicable asymptotes with
their equation. State what happens to the population as t → ∞ .

3 marks

(d) What was the average rate of change of the butterfly population between years 1 and 4, in
butterflies/year?

2 marks
(e) Use CAS to determine when the instantaneous growth rate was 12 butterflies per year. Answer in
years correct to two decimal places.

2 marks

(f) The logo of the Botanical Gardens is shown below right. The dashed line part of the logo, when
plotted on a Cartesian plane, is a transformation of the graph of y = x .
Obtain the rule of this part of the logo by applying the following transformations to y = x :
• a reflection in the y-axis
• followed by a dilation of factor 2 from the x-axis
1
• followed by a dilation of factor from the y-axis.
2

3 marks

EXAM CONTINUES OVER THE PAGE

Question 4 (7 marks)
a
Consider the curve given by f ( x) = where a ∈ Z .
x
 5 a
(a) The point  4,  lies on the curve f ( x) = . Show that a = 5.
 4 x

1 mark

5
Consider the following graph of f : ( 0, ∞ ) → R, f ( x) = .
x

(b) Find the midpoint of the line segment that joins A to B.

1 mark

(c) Find the equation of the line perpendicular to AB that passes through the midpoint of line segment AB.

2 marks
(d) Find f '( x).

1 mark

(e) Hence, find the coordinates of the point P on the curve, at which the tangent line is parallel to the line
segment AB.

2 marks

END OF EXAMINATION