ATAR Notes: Forum

Archived Discussion => VCE Exam Discussion 2020 => Exam Discussion => Victoria => Science Exams => Topic started by: AlexandraM55 on November 07, 2020, 03:29:28 pm

Title: Using calculus in physics exams
Post by: AlexandraM55 on November 07, 2020, 03:29:28 pm

Does anyone know if in the physics exam we are allowed to use calculus we know from methods to get working marks? For a lot of motion questions which would be done using SUVAT equations, I find it a lot easier to just use integration, so I was just wondering if I would still get the full marks for questions since the answers are the same?

Title: Re: Using calculus in physics exams
Post by: Bri MT on November 07, 2020, 04:11:42 pm

My advice is don't do it.

Having physics students not be disadvantaged in exams if they didn't take methods has had a fairly big deal made of it in the past. I'm also struggling to think of when this would be genuinely helpful.

Conversely, as long as you use them appropriately (e.g. acceleration must be constant) you can use the SUVAT formulas in methods