| Exam Board | OCR MEI |
|---|---|
| Module | C1 (Core Mathematics 1) |
| Year | 2006 |
| Session | June |
| Marks | 2 |
| Paper | Download PDF ↗ |
| Mark scheme | Download PDF ↗ |
| Topic | Factor & Remainder Theorem |
| Type | Single unknown constant |
| Difficulty | Moderate -0.8 This is a straightforward application of the factor theorem requiring only direct substitution of x = -2 into the equation and solving a simple linear equation for a. It's a single-step problem with minimal algebraic manipulation, making it easier than average but not trivial since students must recognize which theorem to apply. |
| Spec | 1.02j Manipulate polynomials: expanding, factorising, division, factor theorem |
| Answer | Marks |
|---|---|
| \(a = \frac{1}{4}\) | 2 marks |
$a = \frac{1}{4}$ | 2 marks |One root of the equation $x^3 + ax^2 + 7 = 0$ is $x = -2$. Find the value of $a$. [2]
\hfill \mbox{\textit{OCR MEI C1 2006 Q2 [2]}}