Question 1 (15 marks)

(a) An arithmetic series has 28 terms. The first term is 5 and the last term is 48. Find the 2
sum of the series.

Solution: We have n = 28, a = 5 and l = 48. Then

28(5 + 48)
S28 =
2
= 742.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 2
• Correct approach with one error 1

Marker feedback:

• Done well.

(b) The limiting sum of a geometric series is 144 and the first term is 108. Find the common 2
ratio.

Solution: We have a = 108 and S∞ = 144. Then

108
144 = ,
1−r
108
1−r = ,
144
1
r= .
4

Criteria Marks
• Correct answer 2
• Correct substitution 1

Marker feedback:

• Done well.

ˆ 2p
(c) (i) Evaluate, to three significant figures, 4 − x2 dx, using the trapezoidal rule 2
0

– 1–
 with 5 function values.
√
Solution: Let f (x) = 4 − x2 . Then

1 3
x 0 2 1 2 2
√
15
√ √
7
f (x) 2 2 3 2 0

By the trapezoidal rule

ˆ 1
√ √ !!
2p
2 15 √ 7
4 − x2 dx ≈ 2+0+2 + 3+
0 2 2 2
= 2.9957..
≈ 3.00

to three significant figures.

Criteria Marks
• Correct answer 2
• Five correct function values 1

Marker feedback:

• Some students used six function values.

• Those who used a table had more success.

(ii) Explain why this value gives an approximation for π. 1

Solution: The function is a quarter-circle with radius 2. Hence, the actual area
is
1
× π × 22 = π.
4
Therefore, the answer in part (i) is an approximation of π.

Criteria Marks
• Correct explanation 1

Marker feedback:

• Often poorly explained.

(d) Amelia wants to build a vegetable garden in her backyard. She has 15 metres of fencing
and will use a wall as one side of the garden. The plan for her garden is shown, where x
metres is the width of her garden.

– 2–
 x metres

(i) Show that the equation of the area of the garden is given by 1

A = x(15 − 2x).

Solution: The perimeter of the garden is x + x + y. Hence

15 = 2x + y,
y = 15 − 2x.

Hence the area of the garden equals

area = xy,
A = x(15 − 2x).

Criteria Marks
• Correct explanation: must explain the perimeter calculation 1

Marker feedback:

• An answer giving 15 − 2x without explanation was not awarded a mark.

(ii) Find the width of the garden that gives the maximum area. 3

Solution: From part (i)

A = 15x − 2x2 ,
dA
= 15 − 4x,
dx
d2 A
= −4.
dx2
dA
Turning points occur when = 0,
dx
15 − 4x = 0,
15
x= .
4
d2 A
Since < 0, by the second derivative test, the turning point is a local maxi-
dx2
mum. Hence, the width of 154 = 3.75 metres gives the maximum area of Amelia’s
garden.

– 3–
 Criteria Marks
• Correct answer 3
• Justifying the local maximum 2
• Correct value of x 1

Marker feedback:

• Students should give a concluding statement which answers the question.

(e) Find the global maximum and minimum values of y = x3 −6x2 +10, where −5 ⩽ x ⩽ 5. 4

Solution: We have
dy
= 3x2 − 12,
dx
d2 y
= 6x − 12.
dx2
dy
Turning points occur when = 0,
dx
3x(x − 4) = 0,

so x = 0 or x = 4. When x = 0, y = 10 and

d2 y
= −12
dx2
so there is a local maximum. When x = 4, y = −22, and

d2 y
= 12
dx2
therefore there is a local minimum at (4, −22). The endpoints are

(5, −265) and (5, −15).

Therefore the global maximum is 10 and the global minimum is −265.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 4
• Evaluates the endpoints 3
• Finds the coordinates of the stationary points 2
• Determines the derivative 1

Marker feedback:

• Some students neglected to check the endpoints of the interval −5 ⩽ x ⩽ 5.

– 4–
End of Question 1

– 5–
Question 2 (15 marks)

(a) Find the sum of the first 15 terms of the series log10 3 + log10 6 + log10 12 + · · · . 3

Solution: The common difference is

 
6
log10 6 − log10 3 = log10 = log10 2.
3

Then
15

S15 = 2 × log10 3 + 14 log10 2
2
= 15 log10 3 + 105 log10 2.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 3
• Correctly substitutes into the sum formula or similar progress 2
• Finds the difference correctly 1

Marker feedback:

• Some students thought this was a geometric series

• Students did not know how to leave their answer - many different forms were given

ˆ 1
2
(b) Evaluate dx. 3
0 (x + 3)2

Solution:
ˆ 1
1
2(x + 3)−1

2(x + 3)−2 dx =
0 −1 0
 1
2
= −
x+3 0
2 2
=− +
4 3
1
= .
6

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 3
• Substitutes 2
• Integrates correctly 1

– 6–
 Marker feedback:

• Common error was not being able to integrate with the negative index

(c) Two famous pop stars, Billy and Bobby, start a social media account on the same day.
On Day 1, they both start with one follower and the number of followers for each account
doubles each day.

(i) How many followers does each have on Day 25? 2

Solution:

T25 = 1(2)24
= 224
= 16 777 216.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 2
• An attempt to use the correct formula 1

Marker feedback:

• Many students did not recognise that they were finding a term. Some tried
to find the sum of a GP.

(ii) On Day 25, Bobby publicly insults Billy. On each day after day 25, the number 2
of Bobby’s followers is one-third the number from the previous day.
Show that Bobby will have 284 followers on Day 35.

16 777 216
Solution: Day 26 number of followers equals .
3

Day 35 number of followers equals

   9
16 777 216 1
≈ 284.123.
3 3

Hence, there are 284 followers.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 2
• Some progress 1

Marker feedback:

– 7–
 • Students struggled to set up an equation.
• Not good at solving logarithms.

(iii) On what day will Bobby have less than 10 followers? 2

Solution:
 n−1
16 777 216 1
< 10,
3 3
30
log 16 777 216
n−1>
log 31
n − 1 > 12.046
n > 13.046

So n = 14, Day 25 + 14 = Day 39.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 2
• Some progress 1

Marker feedback:

• Some did not add 14 to 25

(d) The diagram show the graphs y = 3 − |x| and y = x2 − 9. 3

3
x
−3 3

−9

Find the area between the two graphs.

– 8–
Solution:
ˆ 3
area = 2 3 − x − (x2 − 9) dx
0
ˆ 3
=2 (3 − x − x2 + 9) dx
0
ˆ 3
=2 (12 − x − x2 ) dx
0
x2 x3 3
 
= 2 12x − −
2 3 0
 
9 27
= 2 36 − − − (0 − 0 − 0)
2 3
= 45.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 3
• Correctly integrates 2
• Forms a correct area statement 1

Marker feedback:

• Many errors - students did not deal with absolute value.

• The negative sign caused some problems in subtracting the functions from each
other.
• Students did not substitute into the integral efficiently.
• Some students treated this as an indefinite integral.

End of Question 2

– 9–
Question 3 (15 marks)

(a) Sally is at point A on a shoreline and would like to travel to B on the other side of the
river. She walks at a speed of 6 km/h and swims at a speed of 3 km/h. The point D is
the position on the shore closest to B and C is a point on the shore that is x km from
point D. The distance from A to D on the shore is 3 km and the distance from B to D
is 2 km.

2 km

x
A C D
3 km

(i) Find the time, to the nearest minute, it would take Sally to swim in a straight 2
line from A to B.

Solution:
p
distance = 32 + 22
√
= 13.
√
13
time =
3
= 1 hour 12 minutes

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution √ 2
• Uses Pythagoras’ theorem to find 13 1

Marker feedback:

• Well answered.
• Final answer must be rounded correctly to be awarded full marks.

(ii) Find the time taken for Sally to run from A to D and then swim to B. Give 2
your answer to the nearest minute.

– 10 –
 Solution:
3 2
time = +
6 3
7
=
6
= 1 hour 10 minutes

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 2
• One leg of the solution correctly determined 1

Marker feedback:

• Well answered.

(iii) Let T be the time taken to walk from A to C and then swim from C to B in a 1
straight line. Show that
√
3−x x2 + 4
T = + .
6 3

Solution:
√ Distance from A to C equals 3 − x. Distance from C to B equals
x + 4. Then
2

distance
time =
speed
√
3−x x2 + 4
= + .
6 3

Criteria Marks
• Correct explanation 1

Marker feedback:

• Students need to show BC 2 = x2 + 22 or equivalent

(iv) Find the minimum possible time for Sally to travel from A to B and the place 4
on the shore that she should start the swim.

Solution:
1 1 1
T = (3 − x) + (x2 + 4) 2
6 3
dT 1 1 2 1
= − + (x + 4)− 2 (2x)
dx 6 6
1 x
=− + √ .
6 3 x2 + 4

– 11 –
 dT
We solve =0
dx
1 x
= √
6 3 x2 + 4
p
x2 + 4 = 2x
x2 + 4 = 4x2
3x2 = 4
4
x2 =
3
2
x = ±√ .
3
√
When x = − √23 , 2x ̸= x2 + 4. Therefore x = √2
3
only. Test

x 1 √2 2
3
dT
−0.01 0 0.069
dx

Thus, a local minimum.

2 !1
   2
1 2 1 2
T = 3− √ + √ +4
6 3 3 3
= 1.077
= 1 hour 5 min

2
Sally should start the swim √ km from D and it will take 1 hour 5 minutes.
3

Criteria Marks
• Correctly calculated time 4
• Justification of minimum turning point 3
dT
• Correct solution of =0 2
dx
dT
• Attempt to find 1
dx

Marker feedback:

• Students need to recognise when it is more efficient to use a table of values

rather than the second derivative test.

(b) Liam is a contestant on Lego Masters. He is constructing a tower in which the first row
contains 400 blocks. Each row contains five fewer blocks than the previous row.

(i) How many rows are in Liam’s tower? 2

– 12 –
 Solution: We have a = 400, d = −5 and Tn+1 = 0. Then

400 + n(−5) = 0,
5n = 400,
n = 80.

Therefore there are 80 rows in Liam’s tower.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 2
• Determines a = 400 and d = −5 1

Marker feedback:

• Many students found n = 81 with T81 = 0, not recognising that this is a

tower with 80 rows.

(ii) How many blocks will Liam use to complete his tower? 1

Solution:
80

S80 = 2 × 400 + 79(−5)
2
= 16 200.

Criteria Marks
• Correct answer 1

(iii) Liam has exactly the number of blocks required to make the tower and places 3
them in a bucket. However, each time Liam builds a row, Hamish steals three
blocks from the bucket. How many complete rows of the tower is Liam able to
build?

Solution: Method One: Let n be the number of rows in the tower.

n

16200 − 3n = 2 × 400 + (n − 1)(−5) ,
2
32400 − 6n = n(800 − 5n + 5),
32400 − 6n = 805 − 5n2 ,
5n2 − 811n + 32400 = 0,
√
811 ± 8112 − 4 × 5 × 32400
n=
10
= 90.96, 71.24.

Since n must be less than 80 the solution 90.95 is not valid. Hence n = 71 and
Liam can complete 71 rows.

– 13 –
Method Two: Consider the number of blocks left over after each row:

16200, 15797, 15399, 15006, . . . .

The sequence 403, 398, 393, . . . is an arithmetic progression with a = 403 and
d = −5.

16200 − (403 + 398 + 393 + · · · ) = 0,

16200 − n2 2 × 403 − 5(n − 1) = 0,

32400 − n(806 − 5n + 5) = 0,
5n2 − 811n + 32400 = 0.

Now proceed as in method one.

Criteria Marks
• Correct solution 3
• Construction and attempt to solve quadratic 2
• Evidence of correct sequence found 1

End of paper

– 14 –