GCSE Maths – Algebra

Forming and Solving Equations

Worksheet

NOTES SOLUTIONS

This worksheet will show you how to work out different types of questions involving
forming and solving equations. Each section contains a worked example, a
question with hints and then questions for you to work through on your own.

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 Section A

Worked Example

Clara, Marty and Karen each win a share of a raffle prize. Clara wins twice as much
as Marty, and Karen wins £50 less than Clara.

If the total prize money was £400, how much money did Marty win?

Step 1: Identify the unknown value which we are trying to find.

We are looking for the amount of money won by Marty.

𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑒 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

Step 2: Use the information in the question to express Clara and Karen’s winning in an expression
involving 𝑥𝑥.

Clara wins twice as much as Marty. So, Clara wins £2𝑥𝑥.

Karen wins £50 less than Clara, so Karen wins £(2𝑥𝑥 − 50).

Step 3: Create an equation using the amount won by each winner and other information we are
given.

The total prize money is £400, so the sum of Marty, Clara and Karen’s winnings must be
£400.

𝑥𝑥 + 2𝑥𝑥 + (2𝑥𝑥 − 50) = 400

Step 4: Solve the linear equation to find 𝑥𝑥.

𝑥𝑥 + 2𝑥𝑥 + (2𝑥𝑥 − 50) = 400

5𝑥𝑥 − 50 = 400
5𝑥𝑥 = 450
450
𝑥𝑥 =
5
𝑥𝑥 = 90

Marty won £90.

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 Guided Example

Consider the triangle shown on the right.

The area of the right-angled triangle is 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓 𝐜𝐜𝐦𝐦𝟐𝟐 .
Find the exact length of the hypotenuse.

Step 1: Create an equation for the area of the triangle in terms of 𝑥𝑥.

We know the formula for area of triangle:

1
𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 = 𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 × 𝐻𝐻𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒ℎ𝑡𝑡 ×
2

Step 2: Solve the quadratic equation you have created to find 𝑥𝑥.

Step 3: Substitute the value for 𝑥𝑥 into the base and height lengths.

Step 4: Use Pythagoras’ Theorem to find the length of the hypotenuse.

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 Now it’s your turn!
If you get stuck, look back at the worked and guided examples.

1. Consider the square below. Calculate the length of the side.

2. Rose, David and Rani work for an advertising company, and are tasked with selling
festival tickets. Rose sells 100 more than David and Rani sells three times as much
as David. All together they sell 800 tickets. How many tickets did David sell?

3. I am thinking of a number. I add four to the number, and then multiply the result by 8.
I then divide the result by 3. The final result is 48. Form an equation to show the
process the starting number has gone through and use it to calculate what number I
started with.

4. Michelle is saving up for a handbag costing £108. She works for one week at £6.50
per hour, and at the end of the week, her grandmother gives her £17. If by this time
she has the exact amount to purchase the handbag, how many hours did she work
that week?

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 Section B

Worked Example

Marge thinks of two positive integers. One number is four times the other, and the
product of the two numbers is 64.

Step 1: Identify the unknown values we are trying to find as letters.

𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑒 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = 𝑎𝑎

𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝑡𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑒 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 = 𝑏𝑏

Step 2: Express the relationships between 𝑎𝑎 and 𝑏𝑏 as equations.

EQUATION 1
We know one number is four times the other:

4𝑎𝑎 = 𝑏𝑏

EQUATION 2
We know the product of the numbers is 64:

𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 64

Step 3: Solve the simultaneous equations.

Substitute Equation 1 into Equation 2 to find 𝑎𝑎:

𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 = 64
𝑎𝑎(4𝑎𝑎) = 64
4𝑎𝑎2 = 64
𝑎𝑎2 = 16
𝑎𝑎 = ±4

We know the values are positive integers, so 𝒂𝒂 = 𝟒𝟒.

Substitute 𝑎𝑎 = 4 into Equation 1:

4𝑎𝑎 = 𝑏𝑏
4(4) = 𝑏𝑏
𝒃𝒃 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏

Marge thought of the numbers 4 and 16.

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 Guided Example

A lawn is a rectangular shape and has a length twice as long as its width. The area
of the lawn is 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 𝐦𝐦𝟐𝟐 . What is the perimeter of the lawn?

Step 1: Label the unknown length and width as letters.

Step 2: Create an equation using the information in the question about the size and area of the
lawn.

Step 3: Solve the equation and find the value of x. Substitute x into the equations in Step 1 to find
the length and width. Then, find the perimeter of the lawn.

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 Now it’s your turn!
If you get stuck, look back at the worked and guided examples.

5. Martin and Jason have a 39-year age gap between them. If Marten is four times
Jason’s age, how old is Jason?

6. Amelia and Peter are preparing their children for school. Amelia purchases four
blazers and four skirts and spends £300. Peter needs to buy one blazer and three
skirts and spends £121. Use the information to calculate the price of one blazer and
one skirt.

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7. Polly thinks of a number. She doubles the number and adds six.
Queenie thinks of a different number. She multiplies the number by eight and
subtracts six.
Polly and Queenie both end on the same number. The number Polly starts with is
twice Queenie’s.
Use the information to find what number Polly and Queenie started with.

8. Kelly and Sam take their 2 children to play crazy golf. The total cost is £33. Billy
takes his 3 children to play crazy golf and the total cost is £27.50. Calculate the price
of a child's ticket and an adult's ticket.

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