Formula sheets for

Mathematics examinations
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TRIM: 2010/5118[V4]

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

Formula sheets for examinations

The list of permissible items for use in WACE mathematics examinations no longer includes the
Curriculum Council revised Mathematical formulae and Statistical tables book.
Instead a Formula Sheet will be provided to candidates.
This document includes formula sheets for each pair of units in Mathematics which have a
WACE examination.

Mathematics: Units 2A and 2B

Formula Sheet
Number and algebra

Equation of a line: y = mx + c, where m = gradient; c = yintercept

Space and measurement

In a right triangle:

sin

opposite
hypotenuse

cos

adjacent
hypotenuse

tan

opposite
adjacent

Pythagoras Theorem :
In a right triangle ABC , where a, b are the short sides and c is the hypotenuse

Circle :

c2 a 2 b2
C 2 r D, where C is the circumference, r is the radius and D is the diameter

A r 2 , where A is the area

1

Triangle:

Parallelogram:

A bh

Trapezium :

1
2

b h, where b is the base and h is the perpendicular height

( a b)h, where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides

and h is the perpendicular height

Prism:

V Ah, where V is the volume, A is the area of the base and

h is the perpendicular height

Pyramid:

1
V Ah
3

Cylinder :

S 2 r h 2 r 2 , where S is the total surface area

V r 2h

Cone :

S r s r 2 , where s is the slant height

V

Sphere :

1
3

r 2h

S 4 r 2
V

4
3

r3

Gradient of line, m, through the points ( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) is given by m

y2 y1
x2 x1

Distance, d , between the points ( x1, y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) is given by d ( y2 y1 ) 2 ( x2 x1 ) 2

Note: Any additional formulas identified by the examination panel as necessary will be
included in the body of the particular question
TRIM: 2010/5118[V4]

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

Mathematics: Units 2C and 2D

Formula Sheet
Number and algebra

Index laws:

For any numerical value a 0 and integers m and n,

am an am n
am an am n

Simple interest :
I P r t , where P is the principal, r is the rate per year and t is the time in years
Space and measurement

In a right triangle:

sin

opposite

cos

hypotenuse

adjacent
hypotenuse

tan

opposite
adjacent

Pythagoras Theorem:
In right triangle ABC , where a, b are the short sides and c is the hypotenuse
c2 a 2 b2
In any triangle ABC :
a
sin A
2

b
sin B

c
sin C

a b c 2 b c cos A
A

Circle :

1
2

cos A

b2 c2 a2
2bc

a b sin C , where A is the area

C 2 r D, where C is the circumference, r is the radius and D is the diameter

A r 2 , where A is the area
1

Triangle:

Parallelogram:

A bh

Trapezium :

1
2

b h, where b is the base and h is the perpendicular height

( a b)h, where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides

and h is the perpendicular height

Prism:

V Ah, where V is the volume, A is the area of the base and

h is the perpendicular height

Pyramid:

1
V Ah
3

Cylinder :

S 2 r h 2 r 2 , where S is the total surface area

V r 2h

TRIM: 2010/5118[V4]

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

Cone :

S r s r 2 , where s is the slant height

V

Sphere :

1
3

r 2h

S 4 r 2
V

4
3

r3

Space and measurement

Gradient of line, m, through the points ( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) is given by m

y2 y1
x2 x1

Distance d , between the points ( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) is given by d ( y2 y1 ) 2 ( x2 x1 ) 2

Lines are perpendicular if m1 m2 1
Chance and Data

P ( A) P ( A) 1
Note: Any additional formulas identified by the examination panel as necessary will be
included in the body of the particular question.

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

Mathematics: Units 3A and 3B

Formula Sheet
Number and algebra

Index laws:

For a , b 0 and m ,n real,

a m b m ( a b) m

m
an

Simple interest :
Compound interest :

am
am n
n
a

1
am

am
n

am an am n

am

(a m )n a m n
a0 1

for m an integer and n a positive integer

I P r t , where P is the principal, r is the rate per year and t is the time in years
A P 1 r compounded annually
t

A P (1 ) nt compounded n times a year

n

dy

Differentiation:

If f ( x) y, then f ( x)

Powers:

If f ( x) x n , then f ( x) n x n 1

or

If y x n , then

Product rule:

If y f ( x) g ( x)

or

If y uv
dy du
dv
then

vu
dx
dx dx

dx

y f ( x) g ( x) f ( x) g ( x)

then

Integration :

Antiderivative:

Given

x n dx

x n 1
n 1

c, n 1

dy
x n 1
x n then y =
c, n 1
dx
n 1

Space and measurement

In any triangle ABC :

a
sin A

b
sin B

c
sin C

a 2 b2 c 2 2 b c cos A
A

TRIM: 2010/5118[V4]

1
2

cos A

a b sin C , where A is the area

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

b2 c2 a2
2bc

dy
dx

n x n 1

Space and measurement

Circle :

C 2 r D, where C is the circumference, r is the radius and D is the diameter

A r 2 , where A is the area
1

Triangle:

Parallelogram:

A bh

Trapezium :

1
2

b h, where b is the base and h is the perpendicular height

( a b) h, where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides

and h is the perpendicular height

Prism:

V Ah, where V is the volume, A is the area of the base and

h is the perpendicular height

Pyramid:

1
V Ah
3

Cylinder :

S 2 r h 2 r 2 , where S is the total surface area

V r 2h

Cone :

S r s r 2 , where s is the slant height

V

Sphere :

1
3

r 2h

S 4 r 2
V

4
3

r3

Chance and data

P ( A) P( A) 1
In a normal distribution approximately:
68% of values lie within one (1) standard deviation of the mean
95% of values lie within two (2) standard deviations of the mean
99.7% of values lie within three (3) standard deviations of the mean.
Note: Any additional formulas identified by the examination panel as necessary will be
included in the body of the particular question.

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

Mathematics: Units 3C and 3D

Formula sheet
Number and algebra

dy
dx
then f ( x) e x
then f ( x)

If f ( x) y
If f ( x) e x

If f ( x) x n

Product rule:
If
y f ( x) g ( x)
then

y uv
dy du
dv
then

vu
dx
dx dx

or

If

or

If

y f ( x) g ( x) f ( x) g ( x)

then f ( x) n x n 1

Quotient rule:
f ( x)

If

g ( x)

then y

u
v

du
dv
vu
dy
dx
then
dx
2

f ( x) g ( x) f ( x ) g ( x )
( g ( x)) 2

dx

Chain rule:
y f ( g ( x))

If

or

then y f ( g ( x)) g ( x)

Powers:

x dx

If
then

y f (u ) and u =g x
dy dy du

dx du dx

n 1

n 1

c, n 1

Fundamental Theorem of Calculus :

d x
f t dt f x
and
dx a

Incremental formula : y

dy
dx

Exponentials: e dx e x c
x

a f x dx f b f a

Exponential growth and decay :

If

dy
dt

ky , then y Ae kt

TRIM: 2010/5118[V4]

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

Space and measurement

Circle :

C 2 r D, where C is the circumference, r is the radius and D is the diameter

A r 2 , where A is the area
1

Triangle:

Parallelogram:

A bh

Trapezium :

1
2

b h, where b is the base and h is the perpendicular height

( a b) h, where a and b are the lengths of the parallel sides

and h is the perpendicular height

Prism:

V Ah, where V is the volume, A is the area of the base and

h is the perpendicular height

Pyramid:

1
V Ah
3

Cylinder :

S 2 r h 2 r 2 , where S is the total surface area

V r 2h

Cone :

S r s r 2 , where s is the slant height

V

Sphere :

1
3

r 2h

S 4 r 2
V

4
3

r3

Volume of solids of revolution :

V y 2 dx rotated about the x axis
V x 2 dy , rotated about the y axis
Chance and data

Probability laws:
P ( A) P( A) 1
P ( A B ) P ( A) P( B ) P ( A B )
P ( A B ) P ( A) P ( B / A) P ( B ) P ( A / B )
Binomial distributions :
Mean : np

and

standard deviation :

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011

np (1 p )

A confidence interval for the mean of a population is :

x z

x z

where is the population mean, is the population standard deviation and

where x is the sample mean, n is the sample size and
z is the cut off value on the standard normal distribution corresponding to the confidence level.

Note: Any additional formulas identified by the examination panel will be included in the body
of the particular question.

Copyright Curriculum Council 2011