Name: Date:

Marks: = ________%=_____
𝟒𝟐

Cubic models.

1. A section of a toy rollercoaster is in the shape of a cubic curve with equation

5
𝑓(𝑥) = −𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 2 + 5 6 𝑥 + 5, where f(x) is the height in metres.

a. [4 marks] Sketch the graph of y = f(x).

b. [2 marks] Find the local maximum and minimum values of the function
c. [2 marks] Calculate the difference in height between the maximum and minimum points.

2. Mannie starts working as a police constable at the age of 20. He Works for 40 years and retires at
the age of 60.
His annual salary, P (in thousands of UK pounds), is given by the formula
𝑃(𝑡) = 0.0045(𝑡 − 30)3 + 0.1215(𝑡 − 30)2 + 0.3585𝑡 + 23,
where t is the number of years Mannie has been working for the police force.
a. [2 marks] Find Mannie's starting salary.
b. [2 marks] Find Mannie's maximum salary over the course of his working life
c. [3 marks] Find the times (to the nearest whole number of years) when Mannie's salary was
UKE35 000.
d. [3 marks] Over what proportion of his working life was Mannie's salary increasing?

3. A rock falls off the top of a cliff. Let h be its height above ground in
metres, after t seconds. The table gives values of h and t Jane thinks
that the functions 𝑓(𝑡) = −0.25𝑡 3 − 2.32𝑡 2 + 1.93𝑡 + 106.
Is a suitable model for the data. Use Jane’s model to:
a. [1 mark] Write down the height of the cliff
b. [2 marks] Find the height of the rock after 4.5 seconds
c. [2 marks] Find after how many seconds the height of the rock is 30m

Kevin thinks that the functions 𝑔(𝑡) = −5.2𝑡 2 + 9.5𝑡 + 100 is a better model for the data
 d. [2 marks] Use Kevin’s model to find the point at which the rock hits the ground.
e. [2 marks] Create graphs of f, g, and the data given. By comparing the graphs of f and g with the
plotted data, explain which functions is a better model for the height of the falling rock.

4. An efficient way to stack cannonballs is as a pyramid with a

square base, as shown in Figure.

The balls are stacked such that there is 1 ball on the first layer, 4
balls on the second layer, 9 balls on the third layer, and so on

a. [2 marks] Complete the table

The total number of balls, B, can be modelled by a cubic function 𝐵 = 𝑎𝑛3 + 𝑏𝑛2 + 𝑐𝑛.

b. [3 marks] Using your GDC, or otherwise, find the exact values of a, b and c.
c. [2 marks] Find the total numbers of balls in a stack with 10 layers.
d. [2 marks] Find the numbers of layers required to stack 819 balls.

5. Consider the function𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑝𝑥 3 + 𝑞𝑥 2 + 𝑟𝑥 . Part of the

graph of f is shown opposite.
The graph passes through the origin O and the points
A(−2, −8), B(1, −2) and C(2, 0).
a. [3 marks] Write down three linear equations in p, q and r.
b. [3 marks] Hence find the value of p, of q and of r.