Maths Paper 3

Both Tiers, AQA

Factors and
Multiples
Factor: A number that divides exactly (leaving no remainder /
fraction) into a larger number.
E.g. 6 is a factor of 48.

(Prime factors – factors that are prime numbers)

Multiple: A number is a multiple of a smaller number if in the

same ‘times tables’
E.g. 49 is a multiple of 7
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LCM & HCF

LCM – Lowest common multiple
HCF – Highest common factor
You will be asked to find these between two or more numbers

For simpler questions, list each multiple / factor out:

Find the LCM and HCF of 15 and 9.

This can be applied for buying batches of something (e.g. packs of plates…
for a number of people)
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Factorisation
To answer harder questions (larger numbers) you need to know about prime factorising.
We use a tree, and break down a number into 2 factors at a time, until all factors (at the
bottom) are prime numbers.
If a prime number appears more than once, collect them together, and use the laws of
indices.
Example: Write 212 as a product of its prime factors. Give your answer in index form.

💡You can use your calculator to find the product of prime factors – press ‘SHIFT’ and then
the button with a yellow ‘FACT’ near it.
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Harder Questions
Writing the number as a product of its prime factors is needed to find both
the LCM and HCF
Find the LCM and HCF of 80 and 105
LCM

HCF
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Error Intervals
A field’s length is said to be 80m to the nearest 1m.
What is the smallest and largest length of the field before
rounding? (Lower and Upper Bounds)

As an inequality:

Overall, the lower and upper bounds are half a ‘unit’ (how much
it was rounded by) below or above the rounded value.
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Error Intervals
You may be asked to find the error interval, when two ‘rounded’
values are:
• Added, or Multiplied
• Subtracted, or Divided

Common examples can be:

• Filling bottles with an estimated amount of liquid
• Error interval for area
• Largest / smallest value for an expression
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Adding / Multiplying
with Error Intervals
Suppose we have 2 numbers, and .
(1dp), (nearest whole)
Find the lowest and highest value for:

Practice Question:
A garden measures 15m (to nearest m) by 5.5m (to nearest 0.1m)
Calculate the smallest and largest possible value for the:
• Perimeter

• Area
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Subtracting / Dividing
with Error Intervals
Again, let’s say we have two numbers, and .
(nearest 10), (nearest 0.1)
Find the lowest and highest possible value for:

Practice Question: A business is catering for an event, with an estimated 12,000 to the nearest 100.
They cater for the event using trucks, which can cater for up to 250 to the nearest 10.
Calculate the error interval for the number of trucks needed.
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as fractions
Fraction to recurring decimal:
Convert to a decimal

Recurring decimal to fraction – (fast trick)

Convert 0.42424242… to a fraction

HIGHER TIER
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to fractions
Slightly harder – convert 0.8121212… to a fraction
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Ordering Fractions
Order the following fractions:
Steps:
1 – Convert all fractions to have a common denominator.
(It may be useful to either multiply all the denominators, or find the LCM of all the
denominators, to find this common denominator.)

2 – Order the fractions by looking at the numerator, and then write them as asked by the
question.
Use the original fractions.
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Average speed
General formula:

How can we find the units for average speed?

E.g. a car travels 76km in 90 minutes. Calculate the car’s average

speed in km/h.

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Sharing in a ratio
My method: by ‘parts’
E.g. in the ratio , how many ‘parts’ are shared altogether?

Share £40,000 in the ratio 14:11.

HIGHER: These questions may involve algebra!

800 fuel is shared into 3 tanks, A, B and C. All the fuel is shared, so that:
Tank B gets litres of fuel.
Tank A gets 60 litres more than Tank B
Tank C gets half as much fuel as Tank B.
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percentages
‘Percent’  ‘Per cent’  ‘Per 100 parts’

To convert a fraction to a percentage, you can either:

1 – Find an equivalent fraction with a denominator of 100
This works well for some, like

2 – Multiply the fraction by 100

Convert to a percentage.
(You may use a calculator)
FOUNDATION
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Increase
The ‘multiplier’:
Increase £350 by 12%.
Step 1 – Find the multiplier (to increase by 12%).
Remember that ‘100%’ is the original amount

Step 2 – Multiply by the multiplier

This method is much faster than finding the 12%, and then adding
it on.
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Interest
In a petri dish, there are estimated to be 400 bacteria.
The population of bacteria increase by 11% every hour.
How much bacteria will there be in the dish after 24 hours?

Step 1 – Multiplier

Step 2 – Use formula

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‘Number Machines’ /
Functions
A function will have an input, do something with it, and then
output another number.
Example: , then square ().
Input = 3, Output =
Input = 0, Output =

HIGHER:
Input = , Output =
If this function is labelled ‘f’, what is ?
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Composite
Functions
There are 2 functions, and .
, and

1 – Write these as number machines

2 – Calculate the value of . Then, put the result of this into

You have just calculated .

It might be better to visualise it as .
3 is inputted into function , and then the result into function .
HIGHER
Composite
Functions Cont.
, and
Calculate:

Extension: Solve
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Expressions
Basic rules:
• Only collect like terms:
Simplify .

• If multiplying/dividing, follow the laws of indices:

Simplify:

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Brackets)
To ‘expand’ means to ‘multiply out’ some brackets, such as:

Common mistake – negatives!

️️

Simplify

Remember to look at the previous rules, and ‘tidy up’ the expression by collecting like
terms.
You may be given more terms or brackets to expand.
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(Multiple Brackets)
Method 1: FOIL (Best for 2 brackets with 2 terms in each)
‘FOIL’ stands for ‘First, Outer, Inner, Last’

Method 2: Grid (Better for various numbers of terms)

Test each method, by simplifying:

Expanding 3+
brackets
Simplify
You can still use either FOIL or the grid, but you have to expand
two of the brackets first:
• E.g. expand

• Then multiply with

HIGHER
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single brackets
Step 1 – Highest common factor for the numbers
Step 2 – HCF for all letters (one at a time)
Step 3 – Divide each term by the numbers and letters
Step 4 – Check if fully factorised
Example 1: Factorise

Example 2: Factorise

Example 3: Factorise

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quadratics
Easier type:
List out the factors or numbers that multiply to make ‘’
• If ‘c’ is positive –you can have + + (two positives) or - - (two negatives)
• If ‘c’ is negative – you have a + and – (one positive and one negative)
Pick the combination that adds to make ‘’

Example 1: Factorise

Example 2: Factorise

Example 3: Factorise

HIGHER
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quadratics
Harder type:
List the factors that make up ‘’
Pick the combination that adds up to make ‘’
Split ‘’ with the factors
Factorise each ‘half’, then put them together
Example 1: Factorise

Example 2: Factorise
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Square
Expand:
- what do you notice?

Completing the square involves putting the expression into the form ‘’.

Example 1: Manipulate to complete the square

Therefore, the expression becomes

Turning Points
1 – From a graph 2 – From an equation
Find the turning point of
This is the easiest Step 1: Complete the square
way! This means in the form ‘’
Note: line of
symmetry & 2 roots

Step 2: Substitute ‘’,

so that ‘’

Step 3: Coordinates

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Roots
A root on a graph is where it crosses the -axis – the value (s) of
when this happens is the root(s) themselves.
You can find the roots by using the equation, substituting , and
then solving.

Line of symmetry: = turning point

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Sketching graphs
️L️ ook for certain points the question tells you about (intercepts,
roots, turning points…)
Linear

Quadratic
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Sketching Graphs
Reciprocal graph (e.g. )

HIGHER: Exponential graph

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Equations
Method 1 – Factorising
This only works if you have factorised, where you have set the
expression equal to 0, like this:

Since anything multiplied by 0 equals 0, set each bracket equal to

0:

HIGHER
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Equations
Method 2: Quadratic formula
Use this when the question asks to give your answers to a decimal (e.g. 2dp), as it’s hard
to factorise.
You will be given the formula on the sheet,
But you need to make sure you have simplified everything, and put it onto one side, in the
form (a, b, and c are numbers)
Example: Solve
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Equations
Based on the advance information, these questions will contain a ‘linear’
equation, and a ‘quadratic’ equation:

Usually, you would make two of the variables match, then add / subtract to
eliminate them. This could work, but not always.
You may need to be familiar with the ‘substitution’ method.

You should be able to work with both methods.

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By elimination
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By substitution
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Arithmetic
These sequences will increase or decrease the same amount, term
to term.
E.g. 22, 19, 16, 13…
Try and find the ‘nth term’ of the sequence above.

Use the answer to find:

• The 50th term

• If -80 is in the sequence

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Geometric
This is where each number is multiplied or divided by the same number, from term to term.
Example: 0.75, 3, 12, 48…

Find the next 3 terms in the sequence.

HIGHER: Geometric sequences may involve surds.

Example: A sequence starts with ‘’, and multiplies by every term. Generate the next 5
terms of the sequence. Give your surds in their simplest form.
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Compound Shapes
Any combination of shapes may come up – you could be asked
for the perimeter and / or area of the whole shape
There will often be ‘shared sides’
Example: Find the area and perimeter of this shape:

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Cylinders
1 – Sketch out a cylinder, and label its faces. Try and draw its ‘net’

2 – Calculate the formula for its:

• Surface area
• Volume

HIGHER: A cylinder’s height is 2 times larger than its diameter. The volume of this
cylinder is 54. Calculate the height of the cylinder.
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Trigonometry
Right-angled triangles: SOH CAH TOA
Formula triangles?

Calculate the length of the side, labelled ‘’.

Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
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Vector arithmetic
Coordinates are often written like (2,6) - the form (x,y)
They can be written vertically, like vectors:

Transformations can be described by their direction

They can also be written vertically, like vectors.
A point goes through two transformations, represented with the vectors:

Calculate the vector for the overall transformation

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Symmetry
Via a line: The shape is identical, when ‘flipped’ over the line.
Many shapes have a line of symmetry down the centre

Rotation: The number of times the shape looks the same compared to the start, within 1 full rotation.

For both, you can use tracing paper:

• Lines – trace the shape onto the paper, and see if you can ‘fold’ the shape where the lines will meet
up (e.g. folding a square down the centre, in half). Once done, count the number of lines / creases
going through the shape

• Rotation – trace the shape onto the paper, and place a dot in one of the corners, on both the
diagram and paper. Rotate the shape slowly, recording how many times the shape looked identical
compared to the start. You could compare it to the original shape. Stop recording when the dot
reaches its original corner

FOUNDATION
Sine/Cosine rule
Use these when you don’t have a right-angled triangle.
Before the formulas make sense, you need to be able to label each side:

Angles are represented by CAPITALS

Sides are represented by lowercase

Angles and sides with the ‘same’ letter are opposite each other

HIGHER
The formulae
Sine Rule Cosine Rule
To find the length:

The formula still works the opposite way Don’t forget to square root!
around.
Put what you want to find (angle or length) Rearrange to find the angle:
on the top of each fraction.
If finding the angle, don’t forget to use
Don’t forget to use
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Bearings
Rules for writing bearings:
• 3 figures
• Measure in a clockwise direction, from the north line, to the directional line.
E.g. Bearing 080 sketch:

You may be given diagrams, and be told to find unknown bearings by using:
• A protractor, ruler, and pencil
• Angle rules
• Co-interior angles
• Alternating angles
• Angles on a straight line or point
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2-way tables
Rump Sirloin TOTAL
Rare 8
Medium- 58
Rare
Medium 4 10
TOTAL 35 80

Complete the table above

FOUNDATION:
Try and represent this in a frequency tree (similar to tree diagrams)

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charts
Bar charts are used for categoric data – non numeric data – colours, names
– groups of anything.
Ideally, a bar graph should have:

Vertical line charts are similar to bar charts, except they use numeric data.
Example: Number of drinks cans sold every year
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Tree Diagrams
Example:
There are 10 sweets in a bag, which are either red or yellow. 4 sweets are red.
I take out one, and then eat it.
I take another one out, and eat it.

Calculate the probability of:

• Eating 1 of each sweet
• Eating at least 1 red sweet
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Histograms
These are like bar charts, but:
• They are used for numeric data, specifically grouped data – this can be with uneven widths
• Frequency ‘density’ is used instead, as this takes into account the width of each class of grouped
data.
Formula for frequency density?
Complete the table, and sketch a histogram for it:
Marks (m) Frequency
0 15 12
15 25 9
25 30 18
30 35 25
35 45 21
45 60 9
HIGHER
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Box Plots
Median and Quartiles
These split a list of (ordered) data into quarters.
1, 3, 6, 8, 12, 19, 30, 37, 39, 40, 43, 44, 45, 56, 58, 59

Now that we know the median and quartiles, draw a box plot to
represent this data.
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Line of Best fit

Usually after plotting data on a graph, you may be asked to draw a line of best fit.
The line should follow the general trend of the data, with half as many points on each side of the line.
IGNORE OUTLIERS
*For plotting, remember they have a strict tolerance of ½ a square, so draw crosses with a sharp pencil.

You could then be asked to make estimations using your line (e.g. if someone practiced for 2 hours,
what mark would they get?)…

But if you are asked to estimate outside your data range (e.g. the range of heights surveyed), the
estimations aren’t accurate, as you don’t know if the link is true.
Common exam question!
️️

Example: Estimate the weight of a human that is 3 metres tall.