Algebraic Proof (OCR GCSE Maths)

Exam Questions

3 hours42 questions
1
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove algebraically that

         left parenthesis 2 n space plus space 1 right parenthesis squared space minus space left parenthesis 2 n space plus space 1 right parenthesis is an even number

for all positive integer values of n.

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Show that open parentheses n plus 3 close parentheses squared space minus space open parentheses n minus 3 close parentheses squared  is an even number for all positive integer values of n.

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator
4 marks

n is an integer greater than 1

Prove algebraically that  n squared space minus space 2 space minus space open parentheses space n minus 2 close parentheses squared is always an even number.

Did this page help you?

4
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove that the mean of any four consecutive even integers is an integer.

Did this page help you?

5
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Bethany says that (2x)2 is always greater than or equal to 2x.

Decide whether she is correct or not.
Show your working to justify your decision.

Did this page help you?

6
Sme Calculator
4 marks

n is a positive integer.

Prove that 13 n space plus space 3 space plus space open parentheses 3 n space minus 5 close parentheses open parentheses 2 n plus 3 close parentheses  is a multiple of 6.

Did this page help you?

7
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove that the difference between two consecutive square numbers is always odd.

Did this page help you?

8a
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove that the sum of four consecutive whole numbers is always even.

8b
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Give an example to show that the sum of four consecutive integers is not always divisible by 4.

Did this page help you?

9
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove that the difference between two consecutive square numbers is always an odd number.
Show clear algebraic working.

Did this page help you?

10
Sme Calculator
3 marks

N is a multiple of 5

table row cell A space end cell equals cell space N space plus space 1 end cell row cell B space end cell equals cell space N space – space 1 end cell end table

Prove, using algebra, that A squared – space B squared is always a multiple of 20

Did this page help you?

11
Sme Calculator
2 marks

E space equals space n squared plus space n space plus space 5

Ali thinks that the value of E will be a prime number for any whole number value of n.

Is Ali correct?
You must give a reason for your answer.

Did this page help you?

12
Sme Calculator
4 marks

p is a positive number.

n is a negative number.

For each statement, tick the correct box.

  Always true Sometimes true Never true
p plus n is positive square square square
p minus n is positive square square square
p squared plus n squared is positive square square square
p cubed divided by n cubed is positive square square square

Did this page help you?

13
Sme Calculator
4 marks

x is an integer.

Prove that  35 space plus space left parenthesis 3 x space plus space 1 right parenthesis squared space – space 2 x left parenthesis 4 x space – space 3 right parenthesis  is a square number.

Did this page help you?

14
Sme Calculator
3 marks

space k space equals space n squared space plus space 9 n space plus space 1

Mo says,

   k will be a prime number for all integer values of n from 1 to 9”

Show that Mo is wrong.
You must show that your value of k is not prime.

Did this page help you?

15
Sme Calculator
1 mark

Tick whether the following statement is true or false.

Give a reason for your answer.

When n space is a positive integer, the value of 2 n is always a factor of the value of 20 n.

True    square      False    square

Did this page help you?

1
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove that

open parentheses 2 n space plus space 3 close parentheses squared space minus space open parentheses 2 n space minus space 3 close parentheses squared  is a multiple of 8 

for all positive integer values of n.

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove that the square of an odd number is always 1 more than a multiple of 4

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove that , for all positive values of n,

fraction numerator open parentheses n space plus 2 space close parentheses squared space minus space open parentheses n space plus 1 close parentheses squared over denominator 2 n squared space plus space 3 n end fraction space equals space 1 over n

Did this page help you?

4
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove algebraically that the difference between the squares of any two consecutive integers is equal to the sum of these two integers.

Did this page help you?

5a
Sme Calculator
6 marks

Prove that  (2x + 1)(3x + 2) + x (3x + 5) + 2  is a perfect square.

5b
Sme Calculator
1 mark

Gemma says

   The equation (2x + 1)(3x + 2) + x (3x + 5) + 2 = -12 has no solutions.

Explain Gemma’s reasoning.

Did this page help you?

6a
Sme Calculator
1 mark

n is an integer.

Explain why 2n + 1 is an odd number.

6b
Sme Calculator
5 marks

Prove that the difference between the squares of two consecutive odd numbers is a multiple of 8.

Did this page help you?

7
Sme Calculator
3 marks

The lengths of the sides of a right-angled triangle are all integers.
Prove that if the lengths of the two shortest sides are even, then the length of the third side must also be even.

Did this page help you?

8a
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Express as a single fraction.

fraction numerator m plus 1 over denominator n plus 1 end fraction minus m over n

Simplify your answer.

8b
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Using your answer to part (a), prove that if m and n are positive integers and m space less than space n, then

fraction numerator m plus 1 over denominator n plus 1 end fraction minus m over n greater than 0

Did this page help you?

9
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove algebraically that the product of any two odd numbers is always an odd number.

Did this page help you?

10a
Sme Calculator
1 mark

Show that x left parenthesis x space minus space 1 right parenthesis space open parentheses x space plus space 1 close parentheses equals space x cubed space minus space x

10b
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove that the difference between a whole number and the cube of this number is always a multiple of 6.

Did this page help you?

11
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Prove algebraically that the difference between the squares of any two consecutive odd numbers is always a multiple of 8.

Did this page help you?

12
Sme Calculator
4 marks

n is the middle integer of three consecutive positive integers.

The three integers are multiplied to give a product.

n is then added to the product.

Prove that the result is a cube number.

Did this page help you?

13
Sme Calculator
4 marks

Expressions for consecutive triangular numbers are

fraction numerator n open parentheses n plus 1 close parentheses over denominator 2 end fraction and fraction numerator open parentheses n plus 1 close parentheses open parentheses n plus 2 close parentheses over denominator 2 end fraction

Prove that the sum of two consecutive triangular numbers is always a square number.

Did this page help you?

14
Sme Calculator
3 marks

n is a positive integer.

Prove algebraically that  2 n squared open parentheses 3 over n plus space n close parentheses space plus space 6 n space open parentheses n squared space minus 1 close parentheses is a cube number.

Did this page help you?

15
Sme Calculator
3 marks

c is a positive integer.

Prove that  fraction numerator 6 c cubed plus 30 c over denominator 3 c squared plus 15 end fraction  is an even number.

Did this page help you?

1
Sme Calculator
3 marks
i)
Factorise         2 t squared space plus space 5 t space plus 2
[2]

ii)
t is a positive whole number.

The expression  2 t squared space plus space 5 t space plus 2 can never have a value that is a prime number.

Explain why.

[1]

Did this page help you?

2
Sme Calculator
2 marks

n is an integer.

Prove algebraically that the sum of  1 half space n left parenthesis n space plus space 1 right parenthesis and 1 half space left parenthesis n space plus space 1 right parenthesis left parenthesis n space plus space 2 right parenthesis is always a square number.

Did this page help you?

3
Sme Calculator
6 marks

Here are the first five terms of an arithmetic sequence.

7      13      19      25      31 

Prove that the difference between the squares of any two terms of the sequence is always a multiple of 24.

Did this page help you?

4
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Given that n can be any integer such that n space greater than space 1, prove that n squared space minus space n is never an odd number.

Did this page help you?

5
Sme Calculator
3 marks

The product of two consecutive positive integers is added to the larger of the two integers.

Prove that the result is always a square number.

Did this page help you?

6a
Sme Calculator
2 marks

The diagram shows a cross placed on a number grid.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60

L is the product of the left and right numbers of the cross.
T is the product of the top and bottom numbers of the cross.
M is the middle number of the cross.

Show that when M space equals space 35 comma space L space – space T space equals space 99.

6b
Sme Calculator
5 marks

Prove that, for any position of the cross on the number grid above, L space – space T space equals space 99.

Did this page help you?

7
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove that when the sum of the squares of any two consecutive odd numbers is divided by 8, the remainder is always 2
Show clear algebraic working.

Did this page help you?

8
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Using algebra, prove that, given any 3 consecutive whole numbers, the sum of the square of the smallest number and the square of the largest number is always 2 more than twice the square of the middle number.

Did this page help you?

9
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Using algebra, prove that, given any 3 consecutive even numbers, the difference between the square of the largest number and the square of the smallest number is always 8 times the middle number.

Did this page help you?

10a
Sme Calculator
2 marks

Here are the first four terms of a sequence of fractions.

1 over 1 space space space space space space 2 over 3 space space space space space space 3 over 5 space space space space space space space 4 over 7

The numerators of the fractions form the sequence of whole numbers 1 space 2 space 3 space 4 space...
The denominators of the fractions form the sequence of odd numbers 1 space 3 space 5 space 7 space...

Write down an expression, in terms of n, for the n th term of this sequence of fractions.

10b
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Using algebra, prove that when the square of any odd number is divided by 4 the remainder is 1.

Did this page help you?

11
Sme Calculator
4 marks

The table gives information about the first six terms of a sequence of numbers.

  Term number 1 2 3 4 5 6
  Term of sequence fraction numerator 1 space cross times space 2 over denominator 2 end fraction space fraction numerator 2 space cross times space 3 over denominator 2 end fraction space fraction numerator 3 space cross times space 4 over denominator 2 end fraction space fraction numerator 4 space cross times space 5 over denominator 2 end fraction fraction numerator 5 space cross times space 6 over denominator 2 end fraction fraction numerator 6 space cross times space 7 over denominator 2 end fraction

Prove algebraically that the sum of any two consecutive terms of this sequence is always a square number.

Did this page help you?

12
Sme Calculator
3 marks

Prove that x squared space plus space x space plus space 1 is always positive.

Did this page help you?