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school. “Paper 42” means Paper 4, variant 2.
Practice questions
Original questions written by HomiLabs in the style of the exam, with answers and mark schemes. They are not
Cambridge past paper questions and have not been reviewed by Cambridge. Try each one before opening the answer.
Q1Definitions & identities · Core · Paper 2 style · 5 marks
(a)Using the definitions of sinh x and cosh x in terms of exponentials, prove that cosh²x − sinh²x = 1.[3]
(b)Given that sinh x = 3/4, find the exact value of cosh x and of tanh x.[2]
Q8Definitions & identities · Standard · Paper 2 style · 6 marks
(a)Prove that arsinh x = ln(x + √(x² + 1)).[4]
(b)Hence find the exact value of arsinh(3/4) − arsinh(−4/3).[2]
Show answer
(a) Proof (see working).
M1: let y = arsinh x, so x = sinh y = (e^y − e^(−y))/2.M1: e^(2y) − 2x e^y − 1 = 0, a quadratic in e^y.A1: e^y = x ± √(x² + 1).A1: e^y > 0 rejects the minus sign, so y = ln(x + √(x² + 1)).
Q9Definitions & identities · Standard · Paper 2 style · 6 marks
(a)Prove that arcosh x = ln(x + √(x² − 1)) for x ≥ 1.[4]
(b)Find the exact value of arcosh(5/3) + arcosh(17/8), simplifying your answer to a single logarithm.[2]
Show answer
(a) Proof (see working).
M1: y = arcosh x (y ≥ 0), x = (e^y + e^(−y))/2.M1: e^(2y) − 2x e^y + 1 = 0.A1: e^y = x ± √(x² − 1).A1: y ≥ 0 needs e^y ≥ 1; the product of the roots is 1, so the larger root x + √(x² − 1) is taken.
Q17Definitions & identities · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 7 marks
(a)Using the result for tanh(x + y) in terms of tanh x and tanh y, which you should first prove from the addition formulae for sinh and cosh, show that tanh 2x = 2 tanh x/(1 + tanh²x).[4]
(b)Given that tanh 2x = 4/5, find the exact value of tanh x.[3]
Show answer
(a) Proof (see working).
M1: tanh(x + y) = (sinh x cosh y + cosh x sinh y)/(cosh x cosh y + sinh x sinh y).M1: divide top and bottom by cosh x cosh y.A1: = (tanh x + tanh y)/(1 + tanh x tanh y).A1: put y = x: tanh 2x = 2 tanh x/(1 + tanh²x).
(b) tanh x = 1/2
M1: 4(1 + t²) = 10t ⇒ 2t² − 5t + 2 = 0.A1: t = 1/2 or 2.A1: |tanh x| < 1, so tanh x = 1/2.
Q18Definitions & identities · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 6 marks
(a)Express 5 cosh x + 3 sinh x in the form R cosh(x + α), where R > 0, giving R exactly and α as a logarithm.[4]
(b)State the minimum value of 5 cosh x + 3 sinh x and the value of x at which it occurs.[2]
Show answer
(a) 4 cosh(x + ln 2)
M1: R cosh x cosh α + R sinh x sinh α: R cosh α = 5, R sinh α = 3.A1: R² = 25 − 9 = 16, R = 4.M1: tanh α = 3/5 ⇒ α = (1/2) ln((1 + 3/5)/(1 − 3/5)).A1: α = (1/2) ln 4 = ln 2.
(b) Minimum 4 at x = −ln 2
B1: minimum of cosh is 1 when x + ln 2 = 0.B1: value 4 at x = −ln 2.
Q19Definitions & identities · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 6 marks
(a)Prove that sinh x + sinh y = 2 sinh((x + y)/2) cosh((x − y)/2).[4]
(b)Hence show that sinh 3x + sinh x = 0 has only one real solution.[2]
Show answer
(a) Proof (see working).
M1: let p = (x + y)/2, q = (x − y)/2, so x = p + q, y = p − q.M1: RHS = 2 × (e^p − e^(−p))/2 × (e^q + e^(−q))/2.M1: = (e^(p+q) + e^(p−q) − e^(−p+q) − e^(−p−q))/2.A1: = (eˣ − e⁻ˣ)/2 + (e^y − e^(−y))/2 = sinh x + sinh y.
(b) x = 0 is the only solution
M1: 2 sinh 2x cosh x = 0; cosh x ≥ 1 never zero.A1: sinh 2x = 0 ⇒ x = 0 only.
Q20Definitions & identities · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 7 marks
(a)By writing each side in logarithmic form, show that artanh x = arsinh(x/√(1 − x²)) for −1 < x < 1.[5]
(b)Use this result to find the exact value of x for which artanh x = arsinh(1).[2]
Q25Hyperbolic equations · Standard · Paper 2 style · 5 marks
(a)Solve the equation cosh 2x − 5 sinh x = 4, giving your answers as logarithms in exact form.[5]
Show answer
(a) x = ln(3 + √10) or x = ln((√5 − 1)/2)
M1: use cosh 2x = 1 + 2sinh²x.M1: 2sinh²x − 5 sinh x − 3 = 0.A1: (2 sinh x + 1)(sinh x − 3) = 0, sinh x = 3 or −1/2.A1: x = ln(3 + √10).A1: x = ln(−1/2 + √(5/4)) = ln((√5 − 1)/2).
Q26Hyperbolic equations · Standard · Paper 2 style · 5 marks
(a)Solve the equation 2 cosh 2x − 9 cosh x + 7 = 0, giving your answers in exact logarithmic form where appropriate.[5]
Show answer
(a) x = 0, x = ln 2, x = −ln 2
M1: cosh 2x = 2cosh²x − 1.M1: 4cosh²x − 9 cosh x + 5 = 0.A1: (cosh x − 1)(4 cosh x − 5) = 0.A1: cosh x = 1 ⇒ x = 0.A1: cosh x = 5/4 ⇒ x = ±ln 2.
Q27Hyperbolic equations · Standard · Paper 2 style · 5 marks
(a)Solve the equation 3 sech²x + 4 tanh x + 1 = 0, giving your answer in the form a ln b.[5]
Show answer
(a) x = −(1/2) ln 5
M1: sech²x = 1 − tanh²x.M1: 3tanh²x − 4 tanh x − 4 = 0.A1: (3 tanh x + 2)(tanh x − 2) = 0.A1: tanh x = 2 rejected (|tanh x| < 1); tanh x = −2/3.A1: x = (1/2) ln((1/3)/(5/3)) = −(1/2) ln 5.
Q28Hyperbolic equations · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 6 marks
(a)Express 13 cosh x − 5 sinh x in the form R cosh(x − α), where R > 0 and α is given as a logarithm.[3]
(b)Hence solve 13 cosh x − 5 sinh x = 13.[3]
Show answer
(a) 12 cosh(x − ln(3/2))
M1: R cosh α = 13, R sinh α = 5 ⇒ R = √(169 − 25) = 12.M1: tanh α = 5/13 ⇒ α = (1/2) ln((18/13)/(8/13)).A1: α = (1/2) ln(9/4) = ln(3/2).
(b) x = 0 or x = 2 ln(3/2) = ln(9/4)
M1: cosh(x − ln(3/2)) = 13/12.A1: arcosh(13/12) = ln(13/12 + 5/12) = ln(3/2), so x − ln(3/2) = ±ln(3/2).A1: x = 0 or x = ln(9/4).
Q29Hyperbolic equations · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 5 marks
(a)Given that sinh 3x = 3 sinh x + 4 sinh³x, solve the equation sinh 3x = 7 sinh x, giving the non-zero solutions as logarithms in exact form.[5]
Show answer
(a) x = 0, x = ±ln(1 + √2)
M1: 4sinh³x − 4 sinh x = 0.M1: 4 sinh x (sinh x − 1)(sinh x + 1) = 0.A1: sinh x = 0 ⇒ x = 0.A1: sinh x = 1 ⇒ x = ln(1 + √2).A1: sinh x = −1 ⇒ x = ln(√2 − 1) = −ln(1 + √2).
Q30Hyperbolic equations · Challenge · Paper 2 style · 6 marks
(a)Show that the equation tanh x + sech x = 7/5 can be written as e^(2x) − 5eˣ + 6 = 0.[4]