HSC Maths Extension 1 2023
Worked solutions to every question in the 2023 HSC Mathematics Extension 1 exam. Multiple-choice answers with a one-line reason, and a 'Show worked solution' model answer for each Section II question, aligned to the official NESA marking guidelines.
- Marks
- 70
- Time
- 120 min
- Authority
- NESA
- Updated
Every question from the 2023 HSC Mathematics Extension 1 exam, with full worked solutions. Section II solutions are tucked behind a Show worked solution toggle, so you can attempt a question first and reveal the model answer when you are ready.
How to use this page
- Questions are from the 2023 HSC Mathematics Extension 1 exam, copyright NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). Open the official PDF (button above) for the original stimulus diagrams and graphs.
- Answers are original model responses by ExamExplained (Claude Opus 4.8), written to the official marking guidelines, not copied from NESA's sample answers.
- Each Section II solution shows the mark split and a short Marker's note from the HSC marking feedback.
Structure and timing
70 marks in 120 minutes is about 1.7 minutes per mark.
- Section I (10 marks): 10 multiple-choice. Allow about 15 minutes.
- Section II (60 marks): Questions 11 to 14, short and extended response. Allow about 1 hour and 45 minutes, in proportion to the marks. Show relevant mathematical reasoning and calculations, and round only at the final step.
Section I - Multiple choice
- Q1
- The temperature degrees C of an object at time seconds is modelled using Newton's Law of Cooling, . What is the initial temperature of the object? A. B. C. D.
Answer: D - at , . - Q2
- A standard six-sided die is rolled 12 times. Let be the proportion of rolls with an outcome of 2. Which expression is the probability that at least 9 of the rolls have an outcome of 2? A. B. C. D.
Answer: A - at least 9 of 12 is . - Q3
- The diagram shows the direction field of a differential equation; a solution passes through . Where does that solution cross the -axis? A. B. C. D.
Answer: C - following the field tangents from across to tracks the curve up to about . - Q4
- For graphs and it is given that , and . What is the area between and from to ? A. B. C. D.
Answer: C - , and the area is with above throughout. - Q5
- Which is the value of given that ? A. B. C. D.
Answer: B - here and lies in , the range of . - Q6
- For non-zero vectors and , let be the projection of onto . What is the projection of onto ? A. B. C. D.
Answer: C - the projection depends linearly on the first vector and only on the direction of the second, so scaling by gives . - Q7
- Which statement is always true for real and where ? A. B. C. D.
Answer: B - is strictly increasing, so gives . - Q8
- The diagram shows the graph of a function with a V-shape vertex at opening downward. Which is its equation? A. B. C. D.
Answer: A - the vertex is at and the graph opens downward, matching . - Q9
- The graph of a cubic is given. Which function has an inverse relation whose graph has more than 3 points with an -coordinate of ? A. B. C. D.
Answer: D - the inverse relation reflects in ; meets the line in more than three points, so its reflection has more than three points with . - Q10
- A group of 5 students and 3 teachers is arranged in a circle. In how many ways if no more than 2 students sit together? A. B. C. D.
Answer: B - seat the 3 teachers in a circle ( ways) creating 3 gaps, place students so at most 2 are together, which works out to arrangements.
Section II - Short and extended response
Question 11 (16 marks)
(a) The parametric equations of a line are and . Find the Cartesian equation of this line in the form . (2 marks)
(b) In how many different ways can all the letters of the word CONDOBOLIN be arranged in a line? (2 marks)
(c) Consider the polynomial , where and are real numbers. It is given that is a factor of and that, when is divided by , the remainder is . Find and . (3 marks)
(d) Find . (2 marks)
(e) Solve for . (3 marks)
(f) A recent census found that 30% of Australians were born overseas. A sample of 900 randomly selected Australians was surveyed. Let be the sample proportion of surveyed people who were born overseas. A normal distribution is to be used to approximate .
(i) Show that the variance of the random variable is . (2 marks)
(ii) Use the standard normal distribution and the table provided to approximate , giving your answer correct to two decimal places. (2 marks)
Show worked solution
- (a) [2 marks]
- From , . Substitute into :
- (b) [2 marks]
- CONDOBOLIN has 10 letters with 3 Os and 2 Ns repeated:
- (c) [3 marks]
- By the factor theorem :
By the remainder theorem :
Adding and : , so , and then . - (d) [2 marks]
- Rewrite to match the inverse-sine form :
- (e) [3 marks]
- Use the auxiliary-angle form. Write , so
For , the argument ranges over , giving . Hence - (f)(i) [2 marks]
- Let , so and . The sample proportion is approximately normal with
- (f)(ii) [2 marks]
- The standard deviation is . The -score is
From the table , so .
Marker's note. In (a) change the subject for and eliminate the parameter cleanly. In (b) identify the repeated letters (the Os and Ns) and divide by their factorials. In (c) apply both the factor and remainder theorems to form two equations, then solve them simultaneously. In (d) rewrite the integrand to match the Reference Sheet inverse-sine form before integrating. In (e) name the correct auxiliary or formula and solve over the full domain. In (f) connect the given information to , then compute the -score and read the table correctly.
Question 12 (15 marks)
(a) Evaluate using the substitution . (3 marks)
(b) Use mathematical induction to prove that for all integers . (3 marks)
(c) A gym has 9 pieces of equipment: 5 treadmills and 4 rowing machines. On average, each treadmill is used 65% of the time and each rowing machine 40% of the time.
(i) Find an expression for the probability that, at a particular time, exactly 3 of the 5 treadmills are in use. (2 marks)
(ii) Find an expression for the probability that, at a particular time, exactly 3 of the 5 treadmills are in use and no rowing machines are in use. (1 mark)
(d) It is known that for all integers such that (do NOT prove this). Find ONE possible set of values for and such that . (2 marks)
(e) The region bounded by the hyperbola , the line and the coordinate axes is shown. Find the volume of the solid of revolution formed when is rotated about the -axis. Leave your answer in exact form. (4 marks)
Show worked solution
(a) [3 marks]. With , , , and the limits change to (at ) and (at ):
Integrating:
(b) [3 marks]. Let be the given statement.
Base case : LHS ; RHS . So holds.
Inductive step. Assume : . Then
Combine the last two terms:
This is , so by induction holds for all integers .
- (c)(i) [2 marks]
- Each treadmill is independently in use with probability , so the count in use is binomial with :
- (c)(ii) [1 mark]
- No rowing machine in use has probability , independent of the treadmills:
- (d) [2 marks]
- Combine the first two terms using the given identity:
Also . Then
So and is one possible solution. - (e) [4 marks]
- Rotating about the -axis, take the total as the hyperbola's solid plus a cylinder. From , , and the curve runs from (at ) to (at ). The hyperbola volume is
Integrating:
The cylinder below has radius and height : . Hence
Marker's note. In (a) keep brackets around , change the limits to values, and integrate the fractional powers carefully. In (b) test on both sides, use the index laws, and write a clear conclusion. In (c) apply binomial probability and, in (ii), include the independent rowing-machine factor. In (d) use the symmetry together with Pascal's rule. In (e) split the solid into the hyperbola revolution plus a cylinder, write in terms of , and apply the logarithm laws.
Question 13 (15 marks)
(a) A hemispherical water tank has radius cm and a hole at the bottom that drains water. Initially the tank is empty. Water is poured in at a constant rate of cm s, where is a positive constant. After seconds the height of water is cm and the volume is cm. It is known that (do NOT prove this). While water flows in and also drains out, the rate of change of volume is .
(i) Show that . (2 marks)
(ii) Show that the tank is full of water after seconds. (2 marks)
(iii) The instant the tank is full, water stops flowing in but continues to drain out as before. Show that the tank takes 3 times as long to empty as it did to fill. (3 marks)
(b) Particle A is projected from the origin with initial speed m s at angle to the horizontal. At the same time, particle B is projected horizontally with initial speed m s from a point metres above the origin. The position vectors are and (do NOT prove these). The angle is chosen so that , and the two particles collide.
(i) By first showing that , verify that . (2 marks)
(ii) Show that the particles collide at time . (1 mark)
(iii) When the particles collide, their velocity vectors are perpendicular. Show that . (3 marks)
(iv) Prior to the collision, the trajectory of particle A was a parabola (do NOT prove this). Find the height of the vertex of that parabola above the horizontal plane, in terms of . (2 marks)
Show worked solution
- (a)(i) [2 marks]
- Differentiate with respect to : . By the chain rule , so
Since , ; dividing gives . - (a)(ii) [2 marks]
- Separate the variables, with at and when the tank is full at :
Hence . - (a)(iii) [3 marks]
- Once inflow stops, (only the drainage term remains). Then
Separate, with at and at :
The left side is , so , giving . The tank takes 3 times as long to empty. - (b)(i) [2 marks]
- Since with in the first quadrant, the right triangle has opposite , adjacent and hypotenuse , so . The particles collide, so their -coordinates are equal: , giving . Hence .
- (b)(ii) [1 mark]
- At collision the -coordinates are equal:
With and , , so and . - (b)(iii) [3 marks]
- The velocity vectors are and . Perpendicular at means :
Using , :
so . With , , giving . - (b)(iv) [2 marks]
- The vertex of A's path is where the vertical velocity is zero: , so . The height there is
Marker's note. In (a)(i) find , link the rates by the chain rule, and cancel with justification. In (a)(ii) and (iii) separate the variables matching the integration variable, evaluate the constants, and show every step. In (b)(i) find in exact form and equate horizontal displacements. In (b)(iii) differentiate to get the velocities, remember is constant so it drops out, and simplify the dot product to a perfect square. In (b)(iv) set the vertical velocity to zero and simplify the height carefully in terms of .
Question 14 (14 marks)
(a) Let , for .
(i) Explain why the inverse of is a function. (1 mark)
(ii) Let . By considering the value of , or otherwise, evaluate . (2 marks)
(b) Consider the hyperbola and the circle , where is a constant.
(i) Show that the -coordinates of any points of intersection are zeros of the polynomial . (1 mark)
(ii) The graphs of for and are shown. By considering the given graphs, or otherwise, find the exact value of such that the hyperbola and the circle intersect at only one point. (3 marks)
(c) (i) Given a non-zero vector , it is known that the vector is perpendicular to and has the same magnitude (do NOT prove this). Points and have position vectors and . Using the given information, or otherwise, show that the area of triangle is . (3 marks)
(ii) The point lies on the circle centred at with radius , such that makes an angle of to the horizontal. The point lies on the circle centred at with radius , such that makes an angle of to the horizontal. Note that and . Using part (i), or otherwise, find the values of , where , that maximise the area of triangle . (4 marks)
Show worked solution
- (a)(i) [1 mark]
- For , , so is strictly increasing and therefore one-to-one. A one-to-one function has an inverse that is itself a function.
- (a)(ii) [2 marks]
- Since , we have . Using ,
- (b)(i) [1 mark]
- A point of intersection satisfies and . Substituting,
Multiply by and simplify:
so the -coordinates are zeros of . - (b)(ii) [3 marks]
- A single intersection point means has a double root, where and . Now
so at or . Since , the double root is . Substituting into :
This gives , so and, taking , - (c)(i) [3 marks]
- Let be the angle between and , so the area of triangle is . Let , which by the given information is perpendicular to with the same magnitude. Then
The angle between and is , so . Taking magnitudes,
Hence the area of triangle is . - (c)(ii) [4 marks]
- From the geometry, and . By part (i),
after expanding and using . Let . Then
Since , the sign of matches , which is positive for , i.e. . The function is odd, so the area is maximised at the turning points
Marker's note. In (a)(i) explain clearly that makes one-to-one, using proper terms. In (a)(ii) relate to and apply the inverse-derivative rule. In (b)(i) show full working with correct signs before reaching the given polynomial. In (b)(ii) recognise that a single intersection means a double root, find it from , and reject . In (c)(i) label the perpendicular vector and the angle cases carefully, ending on exactly the expression asked for. In (c)(ii) build the area from part (i), differentiate, factor, and use the odd symmetry to locate both maximising values of .
General marker feedback
Stronger responses across the paper: showed relevant mathematical reasoning and calculations; read each question carefully so they did not miss key components; recognised the intent of words such as show, solve, evaluate, hence and derive; used the Reference Sheet where appropriate; set out legible solutions in a clear sequence; engaged with stimulus graphs and direction fields and referred to them in the response; checked that the final line answered the question; rounded only at the final step; constructed graphs neatly with all relevant information; and noted any units of measurement supplied in the question.
Use this paper well
- Sit the paper under exam conditions (120 minutes, 70 marks).
- Mark yourself against the official NESA marking notes.
- Compare against the Maths Extension 1 hub to find the syllabus dot points this paper tested.
