TOPICS, QUESTIONS AND TACKLING TECHNIQUES FOR 9709 PAPER 1

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

1. Quadratic functions 1. Express 3 – 4x – 2x2 in the form of a – b(x + c)2,
and use the result to find
(a) Maximum and minimum (a) the range of the functions, which is defined
points by completing square for all real values of x.
method and state its range (b) the the maximum value that f(x) can take and
f(x). the corresponding value of x.

(b) Solving quadratic inequalities 2. Solve the inequality (a) 2x2 – 3x + 1 < 0 (b)
x (x + 1) > 12.

(c) Finding quadratic functions, 3. Restrict the domain of the function to x ≥ k,

domain, x, range f(x) and f(x) = x2 – 2x, so that an inverse function exists.
converting the function into a (a) Find the least possible value of k.
one-one function and hence (b) Find an expression for f-1.
find the inverse of the 4. The function f(x) = x2 – 4x +3 which is defined
function and the domain x, for all real values of x, and x ≤ k.
-1
range f (x). (a) Find the greatest possible value of k.
(b) Determine the range of f.
(c) Find the inverse function f-1 and state its
domain and range.
(d) Sketch the graphs of y = f(x) and f-1(x).
 Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers
2. Quadratic equations
12
(a) Recognising and turning an 5. Solve the equation (a) t = 4 + t (b) y6 – 7y3 = 8.
equation into quadratic
equation.
(b) Solving equations by using
factorization or formula.

(c) Discriminant b2 – 4ac for 6. (a) Find the values of k for -3 + kx – 2x2 = 0 has a
equal roots, real and distinct repeated root.
roots, unreal roots (b) Find the range of k for kx2 – 2x – 7 = 0 has two
real roots.

(d) Application of b2 – 4ac to 7. Show that the line y = 3x – 3 and the curve
intersection of a curve and a y = (3x + 1)(x + 2) do not meet.
line, tangent, intersects at two 8. Find the value of k for which the line x + 2y = 3
points and no intersections. and the curve 2x2 + ky2 = 4 has two points of
intersections.
 Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers
3. Functions, composite, inverse, 9. Given that f(x) = x2 and g(x) = 3x – 2, for all
domain and range values of x, find a, and b such that
(a) finding composite functions: (a) fg(a) = 100
ff(x) , fg(x), gf(x) (b) gg(4) = b.

(b) finding the inverse of the x+2

10. Find the inverse of the function, f ( x ) =
-1
functions f (x) and its domain x−2
x, and range f - 1(x)
where x ∈ ℜ, and x ≠ 2 .

(c) sketch the graph of a function 11. Sketch the graph of g(x) = 3x – 2 and g-1(x) for x
and its inverse and state the ≥ 0.
relationship between them.
 (reflection of one another in
the line y = x)

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

4. Surds 12. In the triangle PQR, Q is a right angle, PQ =
(a) Adding, subtracting, (6 − 2 2 ) cm and QR = (6 + 2 2 ) cm.
multiplying surds
(b) Rationalise the denominator (a) Find the area of the triangle.
(c) Pythagoras theorem and
(b) Show that the length of PR is 2 22 cm.
trigonometric ratio to get sides
of a triangle

5. Indices
(a) Zero, negative, fractional 13. Solve the equation 42x × 8x-1 = 32.
indices
 (5b) −1 1 1
(b) Multiplying, dividing indices 14. Simplify (a) 6 3
1
(b) (2 x 6 y 8 ) 4 × (8 x −2 ) 4
(law of indices) (8b )

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

6. Coordinate Geometry
(a) Finding distance between two 15. Points A and B are (3,2) and (4, -5) respectively.
points, midpoints of two Find the coordinates of the mid-point of AB and
points the gradient of AB. Hence find the equation of the
(b) perpendicular bisector of line perpendicular bisector of AB.
joining two points

(c) Finding equation of a line 16. Find the equation of a line through the point
using two points, a point and (-2, 3) with gradient -1.
its gradient 17. Find the equation of the line joining the points
(d) Finding equation of a (3, 4) and (-1, 2).
perpendicular to line 1 using a 18. Find the equation of the line through (4, -3)
point and the equation of the parallel to y + 2x = 7.
line 1. 19. Find the equation of the line through (1, 7)
parallel to the x-axis.
 (e) finding y-intercept or x- 1
20. The curve y = 1 +
intercept of a line (x = 0, y = 2 + x crosses the x-axis at A
0) and y-axis at B.
(f) finding interception points of (a) Calculate the coordinates of A and B.
two lines or a line and a curve (b) Find the equation of the line AB.
simultaneously (c) Calculate the coordinates of the point of
intersection of the line AB and the line with
equation 3y = 4x.

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

7. Sequences
(a) AP: Term and sum of nth term 21. The sum of the first two terms of an arithmetic progression
(b) GP: term , sum of nth term, is 18 and the sum of the first four terms is 52. Find the sum
sum to infinity of the first eight terms.

22. In a sequence, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2,…, 99.9, 100.0, each number

after the first is 0.1 greater than the preceding number. Find
(a) how many numbers there are in the sequence,
(b) the sum of all the numbers in the sequence.

(c) Applications of AP and GP to 23. Melisa is given an interest-free loan to buy a car. She repays
daily life situation the loan in unequal monthly instalments; these start at $30
in the first month and increase by $2 each month after that.
She makes 24 payments.
 (a) Find the amount of her final payment.
(b) Find the amount of her loan.

24. The population of pythagora is decreasing steadily at a rate

of 4% each year. The population in 1998 was 21000.
Estimate
(a) the population in 2002
(b) the population in 1990.

25. Sera’s grandparents put $1000 into a savings bank account

for her every year since her age of 10. The account pays
interest at 6% per year. (a) How much money is in the
account at her age of 18. (b) Find the estimate age in year,
that the amount in the account exceeding $20,000.

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

8. Circular measure 26. The diagram shows two intersecting circles of
radius 6cm and 4cm with centres 7cm apart. Find
(a) conversion between radians
the perimeter and area of the shaded region
and degrees common to both circles.
(b) length of arc and area of the
sector, area of triangle, area of
a segment
 Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers
9. Binomial expansion
(a) Expand (a + bx)n, where n >0 27. Expand (3x +2)2(2x+3)3, in ascending power of x
up to and including the term in x3.

(b) Finding the binomial 28. Find the coefficient of x6y6 in the expansion of
coefficients of xr, for (a + bx)n, (2x + y)12.
(c +dx) (a + bx)n 29. Find the coefficient of x2 in the expansion of
 3
 4 4
x +  .
 x
30. Given that the expansion of (1 + ax)n begins 1 +
36x + 576x2, find the values of a and n.

(c) Finding the rth power of a 31. Simplify (1 – x)8 + (1 + x)8. Substitute a suitable
decimal number by binomial value of x to find the exact value of 0.998 + 1.018.
expansion

(d) Expanding (a + bx)n involving

a or b in surds
(
32. Expand 2 2 + 3 ) 4
in the form of a + b 6 , where

a and b are integers.

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

10. Trigonometry
(a) Finding the exact value of the 1
33. Given that cos θ = - , find all the possibles value
trigonometric ratios, either in 3
form of fraction or surds. of sin θ and tan θ.
 (b) Draw or sketch the graph of 34. Sketch the following functions for all x, where
the sine, cosine and tangent 0°≤ x ≤360° and state its maximum and minimum
functions and determine its values of each functions and state the values of x
maximum and miniumum at which they occur.
(a) y = 2 + sinx
(b) y = 5 + 8cos2x
(c) y = 7 – 4cosx

(c) Solving trigonometric 1 cos θ

35. Prove that − sin θ ≡
equations for angles in all sin θ tan θ and hence solve
quadrants. 1
the equation sin θ − sin θ = 2 for θ ≤ θ ≤ 180°.
(d) Proving identities

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

11. Vectors
(a) Addition and subtraction of 36. Points A and B have coordinates (2, 7) and (-3,
 vectors -3) respectively. Use a vector method to find
(b) Unit vector, position vectors (a) C, where the point C is such that AC = 3AB.
(b) a unit vector which is in the same direction as
AB.

 3  − 2
(c) Parallel and perpendicular 37. Show that the vectors   and   are
 2  3 
vectors (Dot product and
scalar common factor) perpendicular.

(d) Angles between two vectors
38. OABCDEFG, shown in the figure, is a cuboid.
The position vectors of A, C and D are 4i, 2j and
3k respectively.Calculate,
(a) |AG|
(b) The angle between AG and OB.

Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers

12. Differentiation 39. Differentiate the following functions:
(a) Composite/chain rule  1 
2
1− r3
(b) Product rule (a) (1 + x ) (b) 
2 x  1 − 
 (c) r 2
 x
(c) Quotient rule
(d) Increasing or decreasing 40. For each of the following functions f(x), find f’(x) and
functions using differentiation any intervals in which f(x) is (i) decreasing and (ii)
increasing.
(a) 2x3 – 18x + 5 (b) x4 – 4x3

(e) Stationary points
(f) Second derivatives for nature
of stationary points
41. Find the coordinates of the stationary point on the
1 3
graph of the function y = − 2 and find whether
x x
the point is maxima or minima.

(g) Equation of tangent and 42. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve y=
normal line to the curve when 2 6
(x – 5) at the point (2, 1).
given a point and the equation 43. The equation of a curve is y = 2x2 – 5x + 14. The
of the curve, or the gradient normal to the curve at the point (1, 11) meets the
and the equation of the curve, curve again at the point P. Find the coordinates of P.
or the equation of the curve
and a parallel/perpendicular
line to the curve.

(h) Rate of change 44. The length of the side of a square is increasing at a
constant rate of 1.2m/s. At the moment when the
length of the side is 10cm, find
(a) the rate of increase of the perimeter,
(b) the rate of increase of the area.
 Syllabus/ topics Sample Questions Expected Answers
13. Integration
(a) Finite and infinite integration 45. Evaluate the following:

 1 2 4
(a) ∫  x 3 + x  dx (b) ∫ 2 x + 1 dx
  0

(b) Area under the curve by 46. The diagram shows the curve y = (x – 2)2 + 1 with
integration minimum point at P. The point Q on the curve is
(c) Volume under the curve by such that the gradient of PQ is 2.
integration (a) Find the area of the shaded region between PQ and
the curve.

(b) Find the volume generated when the region

bounded by PQ and the x-axis between P and Q is
rotated through 360° about the x-axis.