INEQUALITIES

INEQUALITY STATEMENTS

EXAMPLES

(i) My brother will be away for more than an hour.

Let t represent the time my brother is away.

The algebraic statement is t  1

(ii) The pass mark for an examination is 50. If rita passes the examination, her actual mark
must be: M  50

EXERCISE 1

Rewrite each of the following sentences as an inequality. (Use the variables given in the
question)

(1) The greenhouse temperature must be kept above 25◦C (T)

(2) Many plants require at least 4 hours of sunlight. (T)

(3) The sum of the length (l) and the width (w) of a rectangle is less than 15 mm.

(4) I have no more than $65 in my wallet. (W)

(5) The crowd at the match was smaller than 2000. (C)

(6) The age of the boy, c years, was 15 years or more.

(7) The number of students, n, was less than 25.

(8) My car cannot go faster than 120 km/h. (S)

(9) To join the police force you must not be less than 160 cm tall. (H)

(10) Each cow needs at least 150 m2 of grazing land. (A)

SOLVING INEQUALITIES

The tecniques used to solve equations can also be applied tp solving inequalities. (with one
exception)

EXAMPLES Solve the inequalities

When multiplying, or dividing an inequality

(i) m+7>0 (ii) 7a = – 14 by a negative number the inequality sign
– 14 must be reversed for the statement to
a=  2 remain true.
–7
m>0–7

m>–7

g
6  12
3
g
  12  6
3
g
(iii)   6
3
g  6 x 3
g   18

EXERCISE 2 Solve the following inequalities

x
(1) 4x > 24 (2) 3x  – 3 (3) –5x < 30 (4)  4
10

4 x 1
(5)  (6) 8x + 3x < 15 – 3x (7) 2x + 5 > 5x – 4
5 3

3+x
(8)  5 (9) 5  2(4  x) (10) 3(2x – 6) > 8 + 2(x – 6)
4

2x  7 3
(11) 6(x + 2)  2(3 – 2x) (12)  x  6 (13)  3
3 x

x 3x x
(14) 5 – 2x > (15)  4<  1
2 2 3
(16) The sum of two numbers is at least 35. One number is six times larger than the other
number. Find the least possible values for these numbers.

(17) One number is twice as big as the other. One half of their sum must be no bigger than 15.
Find the greatest possible values for these two numbers.

(18) The length of a rectangle is three times its width and its perimeter is at most 64 cm. Find
the greatest possible dimensions of the rectangle.

(19) Richard is 4 years younger than John. If the sum of their ages is no more than 20 years
find their greatest possible ages.

(20) You are working out a savings plan for a three-week period. At the end of the period you
wish to have saved a total of at least $49. If you save $t in the first week and then double
the savings in each of the next three weeks, calculate the minimum amount you must save
in the first week.

(21) On a journey of 120 km, a motorist averages less than 60 km/h. Will the journey take
more or less than 2 hours?

(22) A book contains 194 pages. A boy reads x complete pages every day. If he has not
finished the book after 10 days, find the highest possible value of x.

(23) A triangle has a base of length 6 cm and an area of less than 12 cm2. What can be said
about its height?

(24) The sides of a triangle are x cm, x + 3 cm and 10 cm. If x is a whole number of cm, find
the lowest value of x.

(25) A rectangle is x cm long and 10 cm wide. Find the range of values of x if the area is not
less than 120 cm2.
ANSWERS

EXERCISE 1

(1) T > 25 ◦C

(2) T  4 hours

(3) l + w < 15 mm.

(4) W  $65

(5) C < 2000 persons

(6) c  15

(7) n < 25

(8) S  120 km/h.

(9) H  160 cm

(10) A  150 m2

EXERCISE 2

(1) x>6 (2) x  –1 (3) x>–6 (4) x   40

5 15
(5) x   (6) x< (7) x <3 (8) x  23
12 14

3 7 3
(9) x  (10) x > (11) x   (12) x  11
2 2 5

10 18
(13) x  1 (14) x < (15) x <
3 7

(16) 5 and 30 (17) 10 and 20 (18) length = 24 cm, width = 8 cm

(19) Richard = 8 years, John = 12 years. (20) $7 (21) over 2 hours

(22) 19 (23) height is less than 4 cm. (24) 4 cm (25) x  12