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HSC Stuff => HSC Maths Stuff => HSC Subjects + Help => HSC Mathematics Extension 2 => Topic started by: Dragomistress on January 16, 2017, 12:30:23 pm

Title: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: Dragomistress on January 16, 2017, 12:30:23 pm
Does 4 unit mathematics Cambridge textbook encompass the whole extension 1 and extension 2 content for exams? (excluding preliminary content from 3 unit Cambridge)

I am confused as there are so few chapters in the four unit textbook.
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 16, 2017, 12:31:51 pm
Does 4 unit mathematics Cambridge textbook encompass the whole extension 1 and extension 2 content for exams? (excluding preliminary content from 3 unit Cambridge)

I am confused as there are so few chapters in the four unit textbook.
No

4u textbooks are not intended to incorporate 3u content, as opposed to 3u with 2u. The simple reason is that 3u is designed more to build onto 2u, but 4u focuses on teaching you new content. Only bits and pieces of 4u actually build on to 3u.

You must purchase a textbook for 3u separately
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 16, 2017, 12:59:58 pm
The 3U Cambridge textbook is the best 3U textbook for someone who is doing 4U, in my opinion ;D

(I actually really like Maths in Focus, against popular opinion I think, but the 3U/4U Cambridge combo is fantastic) :)
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 16, 2017, 01:23:40 pm
The 3U Cambridge textbook is the best 3U textbook for someone who is doing 4U, in my opinion ;D

(I actually really like Maths in Focus, against popular opinion I think, but the 3U/4U Cambridge combo is fantastic) :)
Gotta say, whilst I'm a fan of 3U Cambridge, I'm not really a fan of the 4U version.

Was probably written ages ago, but it lacks formatting and there's only a FEW questions per chapter. That and the difficulty is out of control (a bit polarised) and only half of them reflect the nature of the exam. It's decent but not really that good if you ask me.
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: Dragomistress on January 16, 2017, 01:42:19 pm
Which four unit textbook would you recommend?
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: jamonwindeyer on January 16, 2017, 01:59:32 pm
Gotta say, whilst I'm a fan of 3U Cambridge, I'm not really a fan of the 4U version.

Was probably written ages ago, but it lacks formatting and there's only a FEW questions per chapter. That and the difficulty is out of control (a bit polarised) and only half of them reflect the nature of the exam. It's decent but not really that good if you ask me.

Oh really? The limited experience I've had with it (not being a 4U student), I liked it. Probably because I wasn't using it for practice questions so much as explanation of concepts :P

Which four unit textbook would you recommend?

If you're looking for a good set of 4U notes, these are worth a look ;D
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: Rathin on January 16, 2017, 02:02:03 pm
I currently use the new 4u Fitzpatrick for questions and its pree good.
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: kiwiberry on January 16, 2017, 02:04:46 pm
Been using the 3U and 4U Fitzpatrick and I think they're really good :) aside from the occasional errors in the answers
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 16, 2017, 06:42:44 pm
Which four unit textbook would you recommend?
Tbh, seeing as though you're from a selective school, you should consider Terry Lee's textbook. It's in depth level of difficulty and its rigour is mostly targeted for selective school students.
Oh really? The limited experience I've had with it (not being a 4U student), I liked it. Probably because I wasn't using it for practice questions so much as explanation of concepts :P

If you're looking for a good set of 4U notes, these are worth a look ;D
I saw it ok for setting the grounds, But that was about it.

I find it more like maths in focus if anything, except unlike MAF the 4u Cambridge book still offers difficulty.
__________________________

Regarding (new) Fitzpatrick: Pretty good but sometimes goes into irrelevant information that can be confusing. Quite well set out and has worked solutions to many problems though.
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: birdwing341 on January 17, 2017, 08:37:13 pm
Which four unit textbook would you recommend?

I used the Sydney Grammar textbook for the majority of my work which I found to be excellent and almost all exam-style questions. Terry Lee is also very good, although sections of it don't reflect the style of exams and are more useful to develop a different style of thinking.

Needless to say, the differences between textbooks isn't going to be reflected too much in your mark as long as you're doing past papers with similarly styled questions :)
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 17, 2017, 09:12:40 pm
The Sydney Grammar textbook is excellent provided you can get your hands on it somehow.
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: ellipse on January 23, 2017, 12:09:10 pm
Which four unit textbook would you recommend?

Personally I use Terry Lee as it has some pretty good questions and a really nice worked solutions. But yeah like others have said, don't spend too much time on textbook questions, past papers all the way!
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 02, 2018, 10:44:30 pm
I have excel extension 2 and phoenix practice questions by topic.. are they good in your opinion?
Excel isn't really the book I'd recommend for homework purposes, but rather revision and potentially warm-ups for studying. The questions aren't that hard but at the same time assume you already know the content. If you're doing it in extra spare time or just for a bit of studying it's quite decent, but that'd be about it.
(That's being said for 4U at least. I remember my teacher said for 3U that the 3U excel book is only really recommended for students who are struggling.)

Haven't heard of the latter. Can you show me a picture of it or a link to where I can find it? (Don't link a PDF though; copyright concerns)
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 03, 2018, 12:57:43 pm
I only have hardcopy of it...  It is published by SK Patel as well and the layout is very similar to that of the 3U excel...  If you google it, the book is purple...  I actually struggle with the questions in them
Oh right, I know what you're talking about now.

That one is also useful for only revision purposes in my opinion.
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: clovvy on January 08, 2018, 12:26:02 pm
I know this is unrelated to the thread...  I always hear from other students that harder 3U is the most difficult topic out of all of them....  I am itching to do those questions early (I have done 4U induction at school and I will be doing harder circle geo on the first day back)..  I am curious with the harder combinatrics and wanted to attempt them (my perms and coms are not too strong and I haven't covered binomial probability in detail...)  what do I need to know to attempt those?
Title: Re: 4 Unit Cambridge Textbook Question
Post by: RuiAce on January 08, 2018, 12:48:25 pm
I know this is unrelated to the thread...  I always hear from other students that harder 3U is the most difficult topic out of all of them....  I am itching to do those questions early (I have done 4U induction at school and I will be doing harder circle geo on the first day back)..  I am curious with the harder combinatrics and wanted to attempt them (my perms and coms are not too strong and I haven't covered binomial probability in detail...)  what do I need to know to attempt those?
In the future, if you don't wish to post in the general questions thread please start your own thread

4U combinatorics basically starts throwing twists into ordinary 3U problems. You can use my lecture handout from last year's trial survival as a starting point. Not all textbooks will 4U combinatorics because it's not explicitly stated in the syllabus, despite the fact it has been examined a lot.

Binomial probability doesn't come up much, but it shouldn't be hard to self-learn as it's just one single thing. You may choose to use this as a guide.