GRAPHS OF FUNCTIONS AND

GRAPHICAL SOLUTIONS
Topic 7

Asif Soomro
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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 7 : Graphs of Functions and Graphical Solutions

1 Jun 2011 Paper 2 Q 9

The table below shows some of the values of x and the corresponding values of y for
y = (2x – 3)(x + 2).

(a) Complete the table. [1]

(b) On the axes below, plot the points from the table and join them with a smooth curve.

[2]
(c) Use your graph to
(i) solve the equation (2x – 3)(x + 2) = 2, [1]
(ii) find the minimum value of y, [1]
(iii) find the gradient of the curve at (2 , 4). [2]

(d) (i) Show that the x-coordinates of the points where y = (2x – 3)(x + 2) and y = 1 – 2x
would intersect are the solutions of the equation 2 x 2  3x  7  0 . [1]
(ii) Solve algebraically the equation 2 x 2  3x  7  0 ,
giving each answer correct to 2 decimal places. [4]

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2 Nov 2011 Paper 2 Q 8

Two companies, A and B, were started 10 years ago. Initial investments of $25 or multiples of $25
could be made when Company A started business.
(a) The table shows the value of an initial investment of $25 at the end of each of the next 10 years.

(i) Calculate the value of an initial investment of $500 after 8 years. [1]

(ii) On the grid, plot the points given in the table and join them with a smooth curve. [2]

(iii) Using your graph, find x when the value of an initial investment of $100 had increased to
$168. [1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 7 : Graphs of Functions and Graphical Solutions

(b) An initial investment of $25 was made when company B started business.
The value, y dollars, after x years, is given by the equation y = 3.75x + 25.
(i) Calculate the value of an initial investment of $500 after 8 years. [1]

(ii) On the grid, draw the graph of y = 3.75x + 25. [2]

(c) Using your graphs, find the value of x when an initial investment of $25 had increased to the
same value in each company. [1]

(d) (i) By drawing a tangent to the graph representing an investment in company A,

find the rate of increase of this investment when x = 7. [2]

(ii) State the rate of increase of an investment in company B. [1]

(iii) By drawing another tangent to the graph representing an investment in company A, find
the value of x when the rates of increase of investments in each company were the same.
[1]

3 Jun 2012 Paper 2 Q 12

4 3
[The volume of a sphere = r ]
3

A solid consists of a sphere on top of a square-based cuboid. The diameter of the sphere is x cm. The
base of the cuboid has sides of length x cm. The sum of the height of the cuboid and one of the sides of
the base is 8 cm.
(a) By considering the height of the cuboid, explain why it is not possible for this sphere to
have a radius of 5 cm. [1]

(b) By taking the value of π as 3, show that the approximate volume, y cm3, of the solid is given by
x3
y  8x2  . [2]
2

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x3
(c) The table below shows some values of x and the corresponding values of y for y  8 x 2  .
2

(i) Complete the table. [1]

x3
(ii) On the grid below, plot the graph of y  8 x 2  for 1  x  7 . [3]
2

(iii) Use your graph to find the height of the cuboid when the volume of the solid is
120 cm3. [2]

(d) A cylinder has radius 3 cm and length x cm. By drawing a suitable graph on the grid, estimate
the value of x when the solid and the cylinder have the same volume.
Take the value of π as 3. [3]

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4 Nov 2012 Paper 2 Q 8

The variables x and y are connected by the equation y  1  2 x 2  x 3 .
The table below shows some values of x, and the corresponding values of y, correct to 1 decimal
place where appropriate.

(a) Calculate p. Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place. [1]

(b) On the graph paper opposite, using a scale of 2 cm to represent 1 unit on both axes, draw a
horizontal x-axis for  2  x  3 , and draw a vertical y-axis for  3  y  5 . On your axes, plot
the points given in the table and join them with a smooth curve. [3]

(c) Use your graph to find all the solutions of 1  2 x 2  x3  2 . [2]

(d) By drawing a tangent, find the gradient of the curve at the point where x = – 0.5. [2]

(e) By drawing an appropriate straight line on the grid, solve the equation 1  2 x 2  x3  x . [2]

(f) Find the range of values of k such that 1  2 x 2  x3  k has 3 solutions. [2]

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5 Jun 2013 Paper 2 Q 11

(a) The table shows some values of x and the corresponding values of y for y = 2x3 – 3x2 + 5.

(i) Complete the table. [1]

(ii) Using a scale of 4 cm to represent 1 unit, draw a horizontal x-axis for  1.5  x  2 .
Using a scale of 2 cm to represent 5 units, draw a vertical y-axis for  10  y  10 .
Draw the graph of y = 2x3 – 3x2 + 5 for  1.5  x  2 . [3]

(iii) Use your graph to estimate the gradient of the curve when x = 1.5. [2]
(iv) By drawing a suitable line on your graph, find the solution of the equation
2x3 – 3x2 + 4 = 0. [2]

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(b)

p
The graph shows a sketch of the curve y 
x
Two points on the curve are (3, 0.4) and (q, 2.4).
(i) Find p and q. [2]

(ii) Calculate the gradient of the straight line joining the points (3, 0.4) and (q, 2.4). [2]

6 Nov 2013 Paper 2 Q 9

1
The variables x and y are connected by the equation y  x  .
x
The table below shows some values of x and the corresponding values of y. The values of y are correct
to 2 decimal places where appropriate.

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(a) On the grid, plot the points given in the table and join them with a smooth curve.

[2]
(b) By drawing a tangent, estimate the gradient of the curve when x = 0.75. [2]
1
(c) Let f(x) = x  .
x
(i) Given that f(a) = b, find f(- a)in terms of b. [1]
1
(ii) Hence, or otherwise, complete the table below for y  x  .
x

[1]
1
(iii) On the grid opposite, draw the graph of y  x  for  2  x  0.25 . [1]
x

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(iv) Write down an estimate for the gradient of the curve when x =-0.75. [1]

(d) (i) On the grid opposite, draw the graph of the straight line y  4  x . [1]
(ii) Write down the x-coordinate of each of the points where the graphs of y  4  x and
1
y x intersect. [1]
x

(iii) Find the equation for which these x values are the solutions.
Give your equation in the form Ax2  Bx  C  0 . [2]

7 Jun 2014 Paper 2 Q 10

Adil wants to fence off some land as an enclosure for his chickens.
The enclosure will be a rectangle with an area of 50 m2.

(a) The enclosure is x m long. Show that the total length of fencing, L m, required for the enclosure
100
is given by L  2 x  . [2]
x

(b) The table below shows some values of x and the corresponding values of L, correct to one
100
decimal place where appropriate, for L  2 x  .
x

Complete the table. [2]

(c) On the grid draw a horizontal x-axis for 0  x  20 using a scale of 1 cm to represent 2 m
and a vertical L-axis for 0  L  60 using a scale of 2 cm to represent 10 m.
On the grid, plot the points given in the table and join them with a smooth curve. [3]
(d) Adil only has 40 m of fencing.
Use your graph to find the range of values of x that he can choose. [2]
(e) (i) Find the minimum length of fencing Adil could use for the enclosure. [1]
(ii) Find the length and width of the enclosure using this minimum length of fencing.
Give your answers correct to the nearest metre. [1]

(f) Suggest a suitable length and width for an enclosure of area 100 m2, that uses the minimum
possible length of fencing. [1]

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8 Nov 2014 Paper 2 Q 10

The table below is for y  x 2  4 x  1 .
x –2 –1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
y 4 –1 –4 –5 –4 –1 4
(a) Complete the table. [1]
(b) Using a scale of 2 cm to 1 unit, draw a horizontal x-axis for  2  x  6 .
Using a scale of 2 cm to 5 units, draw a vertical y-axis for  10  y  15 .
Plot the points from the table and join them with a smooth curve.

[3]
(c) By drawing a tangent, estimate the gradient of the curve at x = 3. [2]
(d) (i) Find the least value of y. [1]

(ii) y  4 for a  x  b .
Find the least possible value of a and the greatest possible value of b. [2]

(e) Use your graph to solve the equation x 2  4 x  2  0 .

Show your working to explain how you used your graph. [3]

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Mathematics 4024 Topic 7 : Graphs of Functions and Graphical Solutions

9 Jun 2015 Paper 2 Q 7(b)

(i) Complete the table of values for y  6  x  x 2 , and hence draw the
graph of y  6  x  x 2 on the grid opposite.

[3]

(ii) Use your graph to estimate the maximum value of 6  x  x 2 . [1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 7 : Graphs of Functions and Graphical Solutions

(iii) By drawing the line x  y  4 , find the approximate solutions to the equation
2  2x  x2  0 [2]

(iv) The equation x  x 2  k has a solution x = 3.5.

By drawing a suitable line on the grid, find the other solution.
Label your line with the letter L. [2]

10 Nov 2015 Paper 2 Q 9

48
The distance, d metres, of a moving object from an observer after t minutes is given by d  t 2   20
t
(a) Some values of t and d are given in the table.
The values of d are given to the nearest whole number where appropriate.
T 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 6 7

D 29 14 8 5 5 6 8 11 15 24
Complete the table. [1]
(b) On the grid, plot the points given in the table and join them with a smooth curve.

[2]

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(c) (i) By drawing a tangent, calculate the gradient of the curve when t = 4. [2]

(ii) Explain what this gradient represents. [1]

(d) For how long is the object less than 10 metres from the observer? [2]

(e) (i) Using your graph,

write down the two values of t when the object is 12 metres from the observer.
For each value of t, state whether the object is moving towards or away from the
observer. [2]

(ii) Write down the equation that gives the values of t when the object is 12 metres from the
observer. [1]
(iii) This equation is equivalent to t 3  At  48  0 . Find A. [1]

11 Jun 2016 Paper 2 Q 8

1
The table below shows some values of x and the corresponding values of y for y   2 x .
4

(a) Complete the table. [1]

1
(b) On the grid below, draw the graph of y   2 x .
4

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 7 : Graphs of Functions and Graphical Solutions

[2]
(c) By drawing a suitable line, find the gradient of your graph where x = 4. [2]
1
(d) (i) Show that the line 2x + y = 6 , together with the graph of y   2x ,
4
can be used to solve the equation 2 x  8x  24  0 . [1]
(ii) Hence solve 2 x  8 x  24  0 . [2]
(e) The points P and Q are (2, 3) and (5, 4) respectively.
(i) Find the gradient of PQ . [1]

1
(ii) On the grid, draw the line l, parallel to PQ, that touches the curve y   2 x . [1]
4
(iii) Write down the equation of l. [2]

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12 Nov 2016 Paper 2 Q 3

x 2
(a) Complete the table of values for y  ( x  10) .
20

[1]
x 2
(b) Using a scale of 2 cm to 1 unit on both axes, draw the graph of y  ( x  10) for 0  x  5 .
20

[2]

(c) By drawing a tangent, estimate the gradient of the curve at the point where x = 2.5. [2]
x 2
(d) Use your graph to solve the equation ( x  10)  0 for 0  x  5 . [2]
20
x
(e) The graph of y  ( x 2  10) , together with the graph of a straight line L, can be used to solve
20
the equation x3  10x  80  0 for 0  x  5 .
(i) Find the equation of line L. [2]

(ii) Draw the graph of line L on the grid. [1]

(iii) Hence solve the equation x3  10x  80  0 for 0  x  5 . [1]

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Mathematics 4024 Topic 7 : Graphs of Functions and Graphical Solutions

Answer Key
1 3

2
4

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Answer Key
6 9

10

11

12

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