*P6*

Pre-Leaving Certificate Examination, 2024

Mathematics
(Option A)
Higher Level
Paper 1
2 hours 30 minutes
300 marks

Name: For examiner

Question Mark
School:
1
Address: 2
Class: 3
4
Teacher:
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total

Grade

Running total
Instructions

There are two sections in this examination paper.

Section A Concepts and Skills 150 marks 6 questions

Section B Contexts and Applications 150 marks 4 questions

Answer questions as follows:

• any five questions from Section A – Concepts and Skills
• any three questions from Section B – Contexts and Applications

Write your answers in blue or black pen. You may use pencil in graphs and diagrams only.
Anything that you write outside of the answer areas may not be seen by the examiner.
Write all answers into this booklet. There is space for extra work at the back of the booklet.
If you need to use it, label any extra work clearly with the question number and part.
The superintendent may give you a copy of the Formulae and Tables booklet. You must return it at
the end of the examination.
In general, diagrams are not to scale.
You will lose marks if your solutions do not include relevant supporting work.
You may lose marks if the appropriate units of measurement are not included, where relevant.
You may lose marks if your answers are not given in simplest form, where relevant.

Write the make and model of your calculator(s) here:

2
Section A Concepts and Skills 150 marks

Answer any five questions from this section.

Question 1 (30 marks)

2𝑥𝑥−7
(a) Find the range of values of 𝑥𝑥 for which ≤ 1, where 𝑥𝑥 ∈ ℝ and 𝑥𝑥 ≠ −3.
𝑥𝑥+3

3
 2√𝑎𝑎
(b) If 𝑥𝑥 = , express 𝑎𝑎 in terms of 𝑥𝑥.
�(1−𝑎𝑎)

(c) Solve √3𝑥𝑥 2 − �2 + √3�𝑥𝑥 + 2 = 0. Give the exact value for your answers.

4
Question 2 (30 marks)

(a) 2𝑥𝑥 − 1 is a factor of 2𝑥𝑥 3 + 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 + 6.

(i) Find the value of 𝑘𝑘.

(ii) Hence, find the three roots of 2𝑥𝑥 3 + 𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘 + 6 = 0.

5
(b) Prove by induction that 8𝑛𝑛 − 3𝑛𝑛 is divisible by 5 for all 𝑛𝑛 ∈ ℕ.

6
Question 3 (30 marks)

(a) Show that 𝑎𝑎2 + 25 + 𝑏𝑏 2 ≥ 2𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 for all values of 𝑎𝑎, 𝑏𝑏 ∈ ℝ.

1 1
(b) Given that − = 𝑘𝑘√5, find the value of 𝑘𝑘.
3√5 2√20

7
(c) Solve the simultaneous equations:
𝑥𝑥 + 3𝑦𝑦 = −5
2𝑥𝑥 2 + 𝑦𝑦 2 = 41
where 𝑥𝑥, 𝑦𝑦 ∈ ℤ.

8
Question 4 (30 marks)

(a) Given that 1 is a root of the equation 𝑧𝑧 3 − 1 = 0, find all of the roots.
Any complex solutions should be given in the form 𝑎𝑎 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏, where 𝑖𝑖 2 = −1.

(b) Use de Moivre’s theorem to find the cubic roots of the equation 𝑧𝑧 3 = 1, in polar form.

9
(c) (i) These values are called the cubic roots of unity and are written as 1, ω and ω 2 .
Show that 1 + ω + ω 2 =0.

(ii) Draw the unit circle on the given Argand diagram and show the points 1, ω and ω 2 .

Im

Re
−1 1

−1

10
Question 5 (30 marks)

(a) Differentiate 5𝑥𝑥 2 − 3𝑥𝑥 + 8 with respect to 𝑥𝑥 from first principles.

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
(b) (i) Given that 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑥𝑥cos2𝑥𝑥, 𝑥𝑥 ∈ ℝ, find .
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

11
(b) (ii) Using your answer to part (i), or otherwise, find
𝜋𝜋
2

�(−2𝑥𝑥sin2𝑥𝑥)𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑.
0

12
Question 6 (30 marks)

(a) (i) The change of base law states that for any positive numbers 𝑎𝑎, 𝑏𝑏 and 𝑐𝑐, where 𝑎𝑎 ≠ 1
log c b
and b ≠ 1, then log a b = .
log c a
1
Using this law, show that log 9 (3𝑥𝑥 + 2) = 2 log 3 (3𝑥𝑥 + 2).

(ii) Hence, solve the equation

log 9 (3𝑥𝑥 + 2) = log 3 (𝑥𝑥 + 1),
Give your answers in surd form.

13
(b) Find the area of the shaded region enclosed by the curves 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑒𝑒 2𝑥𝑥 , 𝑦𝑦 = 𝑒𝑒 𝑥𝑥 and the line
𝑥𝑥 = 2. Give your answer in square units, correct to 2 decimal places.

y = e2 x

y = ex

0 2

14
 Section B Contexts and Applications 150 marks

Answer any three questions from this section.

Question 7 (50 marks)

The magnitude of an earthquake, M, is measured on the logarithmic scale known as the Richter
Scale. If an earthquake has intensity, 𝐼𝐼, measured in millimetres, then the magnitude is defined as
𝐼𝐼
𝑀𝑀 = log10 � �
𝐼𝐼0
where 𝐼𝐼0 is the “threshold quake intensity”, which is a movement that can barely be detected, with
an amplitude of 1 micron, where 1 micron = 10−3 millimetres.

(a) Calculate the magnitude of an earthquake with an intensity of 500 mm.

Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

(b) (i) The famous San Francisco earthquake of 1906 measured 8∙25 on the Richter scale.
Calculate the intensity, 𝐼𝐼, of the earthquake, correct to 2 decimal places.

15
(b) (ii) In 1989 an earthquake occurred in Newcastle, Australia which measured 5∙6 on the
Richter scale and was one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, killing 13
people and injuring more than 160. How many times more intense was the San
Francisco earthquake than the one in Newcastle?
Give you answer to 2 significant figures.

(c) The most powerful earthquake ever recorded struck near Valdivia, Chile, in 1960 and was
approximately 18 times more intense than the one that struck San Francisco in 1906.
What did the earthquake measure on the Richter Scale, correct to 1 decimal place?

16
(d) (i) A heavy goods lorry rumbling on a road can cause
a microquake with a rating of up to 3∙3 on the
Richter scale. An at-home seismograph records an
intensity of 40,000𝐼𝐼0 while the owner is away on
holidays. What event was likely to have occurred
while the owner was away, an earthquake or a
heavy goods lorry passing his house?

(ii) What is the maximum amplitude of the seismograph reading to suggest that the
microquake was caused by a heavy goods vehicle?
Give your answer correct to the nearest millimetre.

17
Question 8 (50 marks)

Kristin Harila is a Norwegian mountaineer who set a new record by climbing

the world’s 14 highest peaks in 92 days . She completed her final summit, K2
in Pakistan, in July 2023. On one of the climbs, Kristin started her ascent
from the base camp at an elevation of 5000 metres and climbed according
to a cubic function of time given by:
ℎ(𝑡𝑡) = 5000 + 300𝑡𝑡 − 10𝑡𝑡 3
where 𝑡𝑡 is the time in hours and ℎ is the elevation in metres above sea level.
(a) (i) Find the time it took Kristin to reach the maximum elevation,
correct to 2 decimal places.

(ii) Calculate the maximum elevation she reached during her climb, correct to the
nearest metre.

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(b) (i) Find the rate of change in the elevation over time.

(ii) Using integration, find the average rate of change of Kristin’s elevation from the base
camp to the summit.

19
(c) Mountain climbers ascending a high peak experience a decrease in available oxygen levels, 𝑂𝑂,
as they climb. The oxygen level function 𝑂𝑂(ℎ) is given by:

𝑂𝑂(ℎ) = 21𝑒𝑒 −0.002ℎ

where ℎ represents the elevation in metres above sea level.
(i) At what altitude does the available oxygen level drop to half of its initial value?
Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

(ii) Determine the altitude above sea level at which the oxygen level reaches a critical
value of 5 units. Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.

(iii) Calculate the rate of change of available oxygen with respect to altitude. What does
this rate represent in the context of climbing?

20
Question 9 (50 marks)

Financial institutions use the formula

𝐴𝐴[(1 + 𝑖𝑖)𝑛𝑛 − 1]
𝐵𝐵 = 𝑃𝑃(1 + 𝑖𝑖)𝑛𝑛 −
𝑖𝑖
to calculate the balance, 𝐵𝐵, on a borrowed principal, 𝑃𝑃, at interest rate, 𝑖𝑖 , for 𝑛𝑛 equal monthly
repayments of €𝐴𝐴.

(a) If the balance on the loan 𝐵𝐵 = 0 after the 𝑛𝑛𝑡𝑡ℎ payment, show that the monthly payment
can be written as:
𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃(1 + 𝑖𝑖)𝑛𝑛
𝐴𝐴 =
(1 + 𝑖𝑖)𝑛𝑛 − 1

(b) (i) Sinéad borrows €18,000 at a monthly rate of 0∙65% for three years.
Calculate her monthly repayment, correct to the nearest cent.

(ii) By how much would Sinéad’s monthly repayment decrease if she borrows the money
at the same rate but over a 6 year period?

21
(c) (i) Sinéad decides to borrow the money over a 3 year period. Calculate the balance
of the loan after the 24th payment is made, using the formula:
𝐴𝐴[(1 + 𝑖𝑖)𝑛𝑛 − 1]
𝐵𝐵 = 𝑃𝑃(1 + 𝑖𝑖)𝑛𝑛 −
𝑖𝑖

(ii) Calculate the balance of the loan after 24 months as a percentage of the original
borrowing, correct to the nearest percent.

(d) When an item is being sold:

• the mark up is the profit as a percentage of the cost price, and
• the margin is the profit as a percentage of the selling price.
A shop sells an item with a margin of 27%. Work out the mark up for this item.
Give your answer as a percentage, correct to the nearest percent.

22
Question 10 (50 marks)

(a) A water tower is an elevated structure used to store water. A water

tank in the shape of an inverted cone with a height of 10 metres
has a capacity of 250𝜋𝜋 cubic metres.

(i) Given that 1 cubic metre = 1000 litres, calculate the total
volume of water, in litres, that can be held in the tank when
it is completely full.
Give your answer in 𝑎𝑎 × 10𝑛𝑛 , where 1 ≤ 𝑎𝑎 < 10, correct to 1 decimal place.

(ii) Show that the radius of the cone is 5√3 metres.

(b) (i) Given that 𝑟𝑟 is the radius of the surface of the water in the
tank when the depth is ℎ, show that
𝑟𝑟
3
r= h.
2

23
(b) (ii) Hence, or otherwise, find the volume of water in the tank in terms of ℎ.

(iii) Water is being drained from the tank at a constant rate of 4 cubic metres per minute.
Find the rate at which the depth of the water is decreasing when the depth is 5
metres. Give your answer in terms of 𝜋𝜋.

(iv) How long will it take for the tank to be half full?
Give your answer correct to the nearest minute.

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Page for extra work.
Label any extra work clearly with the question number and part.

25
Page for extra work.
Label any extra work clearly with the question number and part.

26
Page for extra work.
Label any extra work clearly with the question number and part.

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*P6*

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