CHAPTER 7 : LINEAR INEQUALITIES

Identifying relationship ‘greater than ( > )’ and ‘less than ( < )’

i) Integer Number

SMALL BIG

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

DESCRIPTION INEQUALITIES EXAMPLES QUESTIONS

(Write ‘<’ or ‘>’)
y is greater than x big small big small -2 5
y > x 6 > -1 6 0
big small -5 -1
-1 > -6 -2 2
y is less than x small big small big 4 5
y < x -1 < 6 -3 -2
Small big -10 1
-6 < -1 7 -20

ii) Fraction Number

TYPE OF INEQUALITIES QUESTION 1 QUESTION 2

FRACTION (Write ‘<’ or ‘>’) (Write ‘<’ or ‘>’)
SAME
DENOMINATOR 7
> 5
> 3 3 2 1 8 5 2
9 9 9 5 5 5 9 9 9
2
11
3
- 11 5
- 11 - 53 0 1
5
1 2 3
5 < 5 < 5

DIFFERENT 1 1 1
2 3 4
DENOMINATOR 1 1 1 1 1
4 6 8 6 5
1
3
6 4 3
12 12 12
( same denominator)

6 4 3
12 > 12 > 12

1 1 1
2 > 3 > 4

Linear Inequalities 1
 5 4 1
6 5 2
1 2 3 2 3
2 5 10 12 8
25 24 4
30 30 6
15
30
( same denominator)

25
30 > 24
30 > 15
30

5 4 4
6 > 5 > 5

Representing a linear inequality on number line

INEQUALITY DESCRIPTION NUMBER LINE LIST OF INTEGER

x>0 x is greater than 0 o
1 , 2 , 3, 4, ………
0 1 2 3 4

x>5

x  0 x is greater or equal to 0 
0 , 1 , 2, 3 , 4 , ….
0 1 2 3 4

x  -3

x<8

x 5

Representing the simultaneous linear inequalities on number line

Number Line Inequality List Of Integers

x  2, x  2
 2  x, x  2 -2, -1, 0, 1, 2
2 x 2

Linear Inequalities 2
 Number Line Inequality List Of Integers

x < 2, x>-2
-2<x, x >2 -1, 0, 1
-2<x<2

x < 2, x  2
 2  x, x  2 -2, -1, 0, 1
2 x  2

x  2, x  2 -1, 0, 1, 2
 2  x, x  2
2 x  2

Linear Inequalities 3
Solving linear inequalities by adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

INEQUALITIES METHOD NUMBER LINE LIST OF INTEGER

x-2>5
x-2+2>5+2 Add 2 from the both 7 , 8 , 9 , ……..
x>7 sides 7 8 9 10 11
x – 4  -1

x -10 < 16

x+2>5
x+2–2>5-2 Substract 2 to the 3 , 4 , 5 , …….
x>3 both sides 3 4 5 6 7
x + 4  -1

x + 10  16
2x > 6
2x 6 Divide the both sides
> by 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 2
x>3
-3x < 15

5x  40
x
<2 Multiply both side
2
x with 2
(2)< 2(2)
2
x<4
x
9
3
x
<4
5

Solving using a combination of operation

INEQUALITIES METHOD NUMBER LINE LIST OF INTEGER

4x + 12 > 8 
4x + 12 – 12 > 8 – 12 Substract 12 both sides
4x > -4 -1 0 1 2 3 -1 , 0 , 1 , …..
Linear Inequalities 4
 4x  4 Divide both side by 4
>
4 4
x > -1
3x + 8  11

5x - 3 < 17

x
-1<3
2
x
- 1+ 1 < 3 + 1 Add 1 both sides
2
x
<4
2
x
(2) < 4(2)
2 Multiply both side with 2
x<8

x
+ 5 < -3
2

x
-8  -7
5

Solve each of the following pairs of simultaneous inequalities

INEQUALITIES METHOD NUMBER LINE LIST OF INTEGER

2x + 3< 9
2x + 3 -3 < 9 – 3  -2 , -1 , 0 , 1 , 2
2x < 6 
2x 6
<
2 2 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
x<3

x
- 4  -5
2
x
- 4 + 4  -5 + 4
2
x
 -1
2
x
(2)  -1(2)
2
x  -2

Linear Inequalities 5
 x
+5  7
2

3x – 5 > -8

INEQUALITIES METHOD NUMBER LINE LIST OF INTEGER

3x
+ 2  11
4

2x – 3 > 7

3x + 5 > 20

2x – 11  7

2x – 1 < 19 < 3x – 5

3x -2  10  5x

Questions based on examination format

1. List all the integers x that satisfy both the inequalities x  5 and 9 – 3x < 3.
A. 3 , 4 C. 3 , 4 , 5
B. 4 , 5 D. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5
m
2. The solution for - 2  m + 4 is
3
A. m  -9 C. m  -9
B. m  -9 D. m  9

Linear Inequalities 6
3. Given that x – 3 < 6  2x – 8 , find the smallest integer that satisfy the inequalities.
A. 6 C. 8
B. 7 D. 9

4. Given that the solution for 3 – w < 8 and 3w – 2 < 1 is e < w < f . Find the value of e and f.
A e=5,f=1 C. e = -5 , f = 1
B. e = 5 , f = 3 D. e = -5 , f = 3

5. All integers that satisfy the inequalities 10 – 5x < 0 and x – 4  -5 is

A -2 , -1 , 0 , 1 , 2 C -1 , 0 , 1 , 2
B -2 , -1 , 0 , 1 D -1 , 0 , 1

6. The diagram below represents two simultaneous inequalities on a number line.



-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

7. Find inequality which represents the common value of both the inequalities is
A.  2  x  0 C.  2  x  0
B.  2  x  0 D.  2  x  0

8. If 3 x  5  10  2 x  4 , then
A.  5  x  7 C. 5  x  7
B.  5  x  7 D. 5  x  7
2x
9. List all the integer values of x which satisfy both the inequalities 2 x  1  15 and  8.
3
A. 8, 9, 10 C. 8, 9, 10, 11
B. 9, 10, 11 D. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

10. List all the integer value of x which satisfy both the inequalities x < 7 and 16  2 x  8 .
A. 4, 5 C. 5, 6, 7
B. 4, 5, 6 D. 4, 5, 6, 7
p
11. Find the solution for  3 y p  7 .
2
A. p  8 C. p  8 y=x+2
B. p  8 D. p  8

12.

O 3
x + 2y = 3

In the diagram, one of the three inequalities which define the shaded region is
Linear Inequalities 7
 A. x < 3 C. x > 3
B. y < 3 D. y > 3

13. The solution for 2p ─ 1< 9 < 5p + 14 is

A. -1 < p < 3 C. 0 < p < 8
B. -1 < p < 5 D. -2 < p < 8

14. The diagram below represents two simultaneous inequalities on a number line.

-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2
The solution for these two linear inequalities which represents the common
value of both the inequalities is
A. x < 3 C. -4 > x ≥ -7
B. x ≥ -7 D. -7 ≤ x < -3

15. List all the integers t that satisfy the inequalities 2t + 3  2 and 4t > 5t – 4.
A. -1, 0, 1, 2 C. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
B. 0, 1, 2, 3 D. -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4

16. List all the integers m that satisfy the inequalities 4 + 3m ≤ 10 and 5m + 6 > 0.
A. -1, 0, 1 C. -2, -1, 0, 1
B. -1, 0, 1, 2 D. -2, -1, 0, 1, 2

17. List all the integers n that satisfy the following .

3n < 40 and 2(7 – n) ≤ -5
A. 9, 10, 11 C. 9, 10, 11, 12
B. 10, 11, 12 D. 10, 11, 12, 13

18. Given that m < k ≤ n satisfy both two linear inequalities 2k – 5 ≤ 11 and
k
k > 3 + , find the values of m and n.
3
A. m = 4 and n = 7 C. m = 5 and n = 7
B. m = 4 and n = 8 D. m = 5 and n = 8

19. The figure below shows a shaded region that satisfy linear inequalities. The two inequalities
other than x  0 and y  0, which define the shaded regions are.

y
y = 2x + 3

x
O 5
O
A. x < 5 and y < 2x + 3. C. x ≤ 5 and y < 2x + 3
B. x < 5 and y ≤ 2x + 3 D. x ≤ 5 and y ≤ 2x + 3
Linear Inequalities 8
 m
20. The solution for  1  2m  4 is
2
A. m  -2 C. m ≤-2
B. m  2 D. m ≤ 2

Past Year SPM questions

November 2003
3x
1. List all the integers x which satisfy both the inequalities 2x + 1  19 and <9
4
A. 9, 10 C. 9 , 10 , 11
B. 10 , 11 D. 10 , 11 , 12

2. Diagram 1 represents two simultaneous linear inequalities on a number line.



-4 -3 -2
-1 0 1 2 3
Diagram 1
The inequality which represents the common value of both the inequalities is
A.  1  x  2 C. -1 < x ≤ 2
B.  1  x < 2 D. -1 < x < 2

July 2004

3. The solution of the simultaneous inequalities 3-t<5 and 3t -15 ≤ 0 is

A. 0  t  2 C. 5  t  8
B. 2  t  5 D.  2  t  5

November 2004

4. Given that x is an integer , find all the values of x that satisfy both the inequalities x < 4 and
11 – 3x  5.
A 2,3 C. 2 , 3 , 4
B 3,4 D. 3 , 4 , 5

m
5. The solution for +1  2m + 4 is
2
A m  -2 C. m  -2
B m  2 D. m  2

July 2005
1
6. Find the solution of the simultaneous inequalities x  2 and 1  6 x  11 .
3
A. x  2 C. 2  x  6
B. x  6 D. 2  x  6

November 2005

7. List all the integers x that satisfy the inequalities 3x – 8 < x  5 + 4x

A 0,1,2,3 C. -1 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4
B -1 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 D. -2 , -1 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4
Linear Inequalities 9
July 2006

8. List all the integers x that satisfy the inequalities  2  x  2 .

A. -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 C. -1, 0, 1,2
B. -2, -1, 0, 1 D. -1, 1,2

November 2006
x 1
9. List all the integers x which satisfy both inequalities 1 x and  x  4 > x
3 2
A. -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 C. -1, 0, 1
B. 0, 1, 2, 3 D. 0, 1

Linear Inequalities 10