CHAPTER 5 : ALGEBRAIC FORMULAE

 Variables and Constants

Important Concepts
 A variable is a quantity that changes with different conditions or time.
e.g i. the number of populations of people in Malaysia each year.
ii the temperature of Penang every month.

 A constant is a quantity that does not change.

e.g i the number sides of triangle.
ii the number of days in January.

Example Exercise

1. Determine if the quantity in each of the 1. Determine whether the quantity in each of the
following situations is a variable or a constant. following situations is a variable or a constant.
(a) The amount of sugar sold in a grocery
(a) Number of days in August shop every month
(b) Sum of angles in a triangle
(c) Number of tourists in a week Answer:
(d) Siti’s weight in the year 2006
(b) The number of hours in a day

Answer: Answer:
(a) constant
(b) constant (c) The distance from Ipoh to Johor
(c) variable Bahru
(d) variable
Answer:

(d) The price of a computer for the last

two years

Answer:

 Formulae
Important Concepts
 A formula in general is an equation that shows relationships between a few
variables.
e.g A = r 2  rl is a formula which shows the relationships between variables A,
r and l

 The subject of a formula is the variable of the formula which is expressed in

terms of other variables.

The subject of a formula is a single linear variable written on

the left of the equation and its coefficient is 1

Algebraic Formulae 1
 1
e.g in the formula K = mv 2 , K is written in terms of m and v. Hence , K is the
2
subject of the formula

e.g in the formula p  2m  3 p, p is not the subject of the formula because p is

found on both sides of the equal sign.

Example Exercise
2. Write a formula to show the 2. Write a formula to show the relationships between the
relationships between the variables in variables in each of the following statements.
each of the following statements
(a) The force exerted on an
object, F is the product of
its mass , m and its
acceleration, a

Answer: (a) The potential energy of an object, P is the product of its

(a) Force exerted = mass x mass, m , gravitational acceleration, g and height of the
acceleration object above the ground, h

Hence F = ma
Answer:

(b) The final velocity of an object, v, is equal to the initial

velocity, u , plus the product of its acceleration, a and the
duration of time it has travelled, t

Answer:

(c) The area of a triangle, A is equal to half of the product of

the base length, b and the height, h , of the triangle
Answer:

Algebraic Formulae 2
 Example Exercise

3. Construct a formula for each of the 3. Miss Lim has RMx. She uses the money to buy p books
following: costing RM6 each, and still has a balance of Rmy. Write a
formula for the amount of money she has left
(a) The sum of two numbers r and s is 10
Answer:
(b) The area of a square with sides of x cm
each is A cm2

Answer:
(a) r + s = 10

(b) A = x  x
= x2

4. Determine the subject of the following 4. State the subject in each of the following formulae
formulae

k
p
(a) v (a) vu
a
t
1
L ( a  b)t
(b) 2 Answer:

(c) v  u  at  3v 1 2
s  ut  at
(b) 2
Answer: Answer:

(a) p is the subject of the formula

(b) L is the subject of the formula (c) m(v  u )  I

(c) There is no subject of the formula

Answer:

(d) 4r 2  A

Answer:

(e) m(v  u )
F
t

Answer:

Exercise Exercise

Algebraic Formulae 3
5. State whether the variable p in each of
the following formulae is the subject.

(a) p  mq  r (c). mr  y
p
d

Answer: Answer:

(b) mp  q (d) p  y 2  pr
p
r

Answer: Answer:

Example Exercise
6. In each of the following formulae , 6. Change each of the following formulae so that the
express m as the subject. variable stated in brackets becomes the subject.

(a) p  m3 (a) k  pl [l]

Solution: Solution:
p  m3
p 3  m33 Add 3 to each side
Therefore , m  p  3

(b) k  mq (b) m  qd [q]

Solution: Solution:
k  mq
k q  mqq Minus q to each side
Therefore , m  k  q

Example Exercise

Algebraic Formulae 4
(c) m (c) m  p  2q [p]
u
4

Solution: Solution:
m
u
4
m
4  u4 Multiply each side by 4
4
Therefore , m  4u

(d) mh  t (d) 6m  3n  2t [n]

Solution: Solution:
mh  t
mh t
 Divide each side by h
h h
t
Therefore , m 
h

(e) z  y 2  3x (e) 5k  h  3 p 2 [p]

Express y as the subject

Solution: Solution:
y 2  3x  z
y 2  z  3x
y z  3x

(f) 3k  2 (f) e f g 7
2m 
3
Express g as the subject
Express k as the subject

Solution :

(g) m p t

Algebraic Formulae 5
 3k  2
 2m Express t as the subject
3
3k  2
 ( 2 m) 2 Solution:
3
3k  2  3(4m 2 )
3k  12m 2  2
12m 2  2
k 
3
Example Exercise
7. Evaluate each of the following 7.

Given that y  6 x  3t 2 , find the value

of y when x = 3 and t = 2 (a) Given that y = 3x – z2, find the value of y when x = 5 and
z=3

Solution Solution:

y = 6x + 3t2
= 6(3) + 3(2)2
= 18 + 12
= 30

Exercise Exercise
(b) r 3q (c) RT
Given that p  , find the value Given V  , find the value of T when V=24 and
r2 3 R
of p when q = 12 and r = 4 R=4

Solution: Solution:

(d) Given that y  k  2 p, find the value (e) Given that J  m 2  5k , find the positive value of m
of k when y = 10 and p = 3 when J = 14 and k = 7

Solution: Solution:

Questions based on examination format

Algebraic Formulae 6
1. Given that 3 p  4q  5, then q = 5. 4(5r  t )
Given that  3 , then t =
t
3p 3p  5 20r 5r
A. 5 C. A. C.
4 4 7 4

3p 3p  5 5r 7r
B. 5 D. B. D.
4 4 7 4

2. Given that m 2  n 2  4 p 2 . Express n in terms of 6. Given that T  16  3R 2 , then R =

m and p
A. n  m2  2 p2 16  T 16  T
A. C.
3 3
B. n m2  4 p 2
T  16 T  16
n  m  2p B. D.
C. 3 3

D. n  m  4p

3. 6m  n 7. 3
Given that  2 , then m = Given that w  , then u =
5 3u  2
(100  n) 2 100  n 2w  3 2  3w
A. C. A. C.
6 6 2w 2w
2  3w 3  2w
B. D.
( 20  n) 2 20  n 3w 3w
B. D.
6 6

4. 7 8. 4m
Given that  2, then k = Given that 5 p   2, then p =
3k  h 3
7  2h 7  2h 4m  2 4m  6
A. C. A. C.
3 6 15 15

7h 7h 4m  2 4m  6
B. D. B. D.
3 6 5 5

9. Given the formula m  3(2h  k ) . Express h as 14. Given that the perimeter of a rectangle is P cm
the subject of the formula. and the length is l cm. If the area of the
rectangle is 64 cm 2 , express P in terms of l

Algebraic Formulae 7
 m  3k mk l 2  64
A. C. A. P
6 6 2l
3k  m mk l  128
2
B. D. B. P
3 3 2l
2l  64
2
C. P
l
2l  128
2
D. P
l

m3 x
 4, find the value of p
10. Given the formula p  3 15. Given that
y 1
 4 then y =

if m  5
5 1 x8
A. C. A. x C.
2 4 8
7 5
B. D. x  16
2 4 B. D.
16
x 1
16
p 4
11. Given the formula  5. Express p as the 16. 3
3n If r  , then s =
subject of the formula. 3s  1
A. p  (8n  4) 2 3 r 1 r
A. C.
B. p  (15n  4) 2 3r 3
C. p  8n 2  16 3 r 2
B. D.
D. p  225n 2  16 9 3r

2  m2 r
12. Given that 1  n  3. then m = 17. If 3m   5 , then m =
2
A. 5  3n C. 3n  1 5r 10  r
A. C.
2 5
B. 5  3n D. 3n  1 5r 10  r
B. D.
6 6

1 1 Given that E  mc 2 , find the value of c if

h   , find the value of k if
13. Given that 5 k 18. E  250 and m  10
h5
5 5 A. 2 B. 3 C. 5 D. 25
A. C.
6 4

Algebraic Formulae 8
 5 5
B. D.
26 24
19. A book costing RMx is given a discount of RM2 20. The fare for a journey is RMx for a child and
if paid in cash. If Sarah pays RMQ cash for 6 RMy for an adult. If the total fare for 5
books, then children and 10 adults is RMJ, then

A. Q = 6(x – 2) A. J  5 x  10 y
B. Q = 6x – 2 B. J  5 xy
C. Q = x – 12 C. J  10 x  5 y
D. Q = 2x – 6 D. J  50 xy

Past Year SPM Questions

November 2003
p 5 p 1
1. Given that  , then n =
3 n
3(5 p  1) 2  5 p 1
A. C. 9 
p  p 
3(5 p 2  1)
2
 5 p 1
B. D. 
9 
p2  p 

July 2004

5 2p
2. Given that 1  w  , then p in terms of w is
2
3  2w 7w
A. p  C. p 
2 2
3 w 5  4w
B. p  D. p 
2 2

November 2004
2t
3. Given that  3 , then n =
n 1
2
 2t 
A. 36t  1
2
C.   1
 3
2
 2t 
B.  6t  1 2 D.   1
 3 

Algebraic Formulae 9
July 2005

4. Given that g ( h  1)  3h  5 g , express h in terms of g

1  4g 6g
A. h C. h
2 g 3
1  5g 4g
B. h D. h
3 g g 3

November 2005

w
5. Given that y  , express w in terms of y
1 w
y 1 y
A. w C. w
1 y y
y 1 y
B. w D. w
1 y y
July 2006

4m
6. Given that k  , then m =
4m
4k  4 k 1
A. C.
1 k 1 k
4k  4 k 1
B. D.
1 k 1 k

November 2006

8m  2n
7. Given that  mn  n, express m in terms of n.
3
n 5n
A. m  C. m 
8  3n 3n  8

n 5n
B. m  D. m 
3n  8 8  3n

Algebraic Formulae 10