Maths questions
Don't forget to take a ruler and calculator into the exam.
Maths questions often start with the command word 'calculate'. You need to use numbers given in the question to work out the answer.
When an answer to a maths question is marked:
- full marks are given for the right answer
- marks may be given for working, including substitution and rearrangement
- errors carried forward are worked through to give credit for later working
Learn maths skills with Dr Alex Lathbridge
Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds.
Brush up on the maths you need for your exam - percentages, averages and converting units.
Make sure you give answers to a suitable number of significant figures.
Maths questions might ask you to plot or complete a graph or table. When you draw a graph, make sure you:
- plot each point accurately
- draw a best fit straight line or curve, where appropriate
You may be given a grid with axes labelled and scales already given. Sometimes you may be given an empty grid for you to supply your own axes. When you do this:
- put the independent variable on the x-axis and the dependent variable on the y-axis
- choose even scales and make sure that the points cover at least half the given grid
- label the axes with their quantity and unit, eg time (s)
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
Use the information from the table to complete the bar chart.
| Dissolved ion | Mass in mg per dm3 |
| Cl- | 250 |
| Na+ | 200 |
| NO3- | 40 |
| Dissolved ion | Cl- |
|---|---|
| Mass in mg per dm3 | 250 |
| Dissolved ion | Na+ |
|---|---|
| Mass in mg per dm3 | 200 |
| Dissolved ion | NO3- |
|---|---|
| Mass in mg per dm3 | 40 |
[1 mark]
This question is AQA material which is reproduced by permission of AQA.
Draw a bar in the empty gap for NO3-, to 40. [1]
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
The bar chart shows the composition of different carat values of gold.
Give the percentage of silver in 18 carat gold.
[1 mark]
This question is AQA material which is reproduced by permission of AQA.
5% [1]
Sample question 3 - Higher
Question
A student investigated rusting of iron by placing a nail into six test tubes. Three of the test tubes contained different chemicals and an iron nail. The other three test tubes contained some water but the nails in these test tubes were coated with another chemical. The results of the experiment are shown below.
| Test tube | Mass of nail in g | Mass of nail after 6 days in g |
| 1 | 8.45 | 8.91 |
| 2 | 8.46 | 8.46 |
| 3 | 8.51 | 8.51 |
| 4 | 9.65 | 9.65 |
| 5 | 9.37 | 9.45 |
| 6 | 9.79 | 9.79 |
| Test tube | 1 |
|---|---|
| Mass of nail in g | 8.45 |
| Mass of nail after 6 days in g | 8.91 |
| Test tube | 2 |
|---|---|
| Mass of nail in g | 8.46 |
| Mass of nail after 6 days in g | 8.46 |
| Test tube | 3 |
|---|---|
| Mass of nail in g | 8.51 |
| Mass of nail after 6 days in g | 8.51 |
| Test tube | 4 |
|---|---|
| Mass of nail in g | 9.65 |
| Mass of nail after 6 days in g | 9.65 |
| Test tube | 5 |
|---|---|
| Mass of nail in g | 9.37 |
| Mass of nail after 6 days in g | 9.45 |
| Test tube | 6 |
|---|---|
| Mass of nail in g | 9.79 |
| Mass of nail after 6 days in g | 9.79 |
Calculate the difference in percentage increase in mass after 6 days of the nail in test tube 1 and the nail in test tube 5. Give your answer to three significant figures.
[4 marks]
This question is AQA material which is reproduced by permission of AQA.
Test tube 1: Mass change = 8.91 - 8.45 = 0.46, therefore % increase = \(\frac{0.46}{8.45}\) x 100 = 5.444% [1]
Test tube 5: Mass change = 9.45 - 9.37 = 0.08, therefore % increase = \(\frac{0.08}{9.37}\) x 100 = 0.854% [1]
Difference: 5.444 - 0.854 = 4.59% [1]
Answer given to 3 sf [1]
Sample question 4 - Higher
Question
A student is investigating where drinking water comes from in the UK. She finds data on different sources of water, expressed as a total of the water consumed by people living in the UK. What type of graph or chart would be the most appropriate for displaying the data?
[1 mark]
This question has been written by a Bitesize consultant as a suggestion to the type of question that may appear in an exam paper.
A pie chart [1]
