VCE Methods Question Thread!

[keltingmeith]

CA is a line - lines have length, not area, as they're only one dimensional.

You want to find the area under CA, draw it out and you'll see it's a trapezium.

[Rod]

With 3b, you would have found the time it takes to get the antidote whilst here you would use the formula:

Distance = Speed x Time (Transpose to make Time the subject)

And then you do it for the time it takes to run from the jungle and beach and you will see that the time it takes will not be enough for him to get his antidote

Woops sorry wrong question man. I meant 4b xD

[keltingmeith]

I don't blame you for being confused - that is some fucked wording... Basically, they want you to find the values of x that give the same result as f'(pi/2).

First, the obvious answer - pi/2. Now, the rest...

Graph the derivative - you will see that the graph has the same y-coordinate when x=-pi/2, 3pi/2 and 5pi/2. You could also go through the intense algebra to solve it if you want.

[IndefatigableLover]

Woops sorry wrong question man. I meant 4b xD

Haha well in 4b just find the derivative and then sub in and you should find that it equals 1.

From there you equate the two and then solve within each of the domains (I don't know how to put in union on the CAS but just do it twice for each domain I guess) and you should rock up with your answers

EDIT: Beaten by EulerFan101 but hey if you have your CAS on you then use it!

[keltingmeith]

EDIT: Beaten by EulerFan101 but hey if you have your CAS on you then use it!

^This is actually some exceptionally good advice. One of the biggest mistakes you'll make in VCE maths is not being well acquianted with your calculator. You won't ever use it again after VCE (yes - even if you go into a course entirely structured around mathematical sciences), so make the most of it while you can.

[IndefatigableLover]

Quick question but say if I had a really weird quadratic equation and although the solutions say I should 'complete the square' to attain the answer, if I used the Quadratic Formula would I still get a Method Mark since I still end up with the same answer (or rather is using the Quadratic Formula a valid method)?

For instance, if I was looking to find the inverse function for:


Am I allowed to use the quadratic formula when I get to:



Or would I have to use 'Complete the square' and work from there to get my Method mark?
(I let y= x(t) and yes I do know that it isn't a one-to-one function normally since I restricted the domain to )

[JHardwickVCE]

Quick question but say if I had a really weird quadratic equation and although the solutions say I should 'complete the square' to attain the answer, if I used the Quadratic Formula would I still get a Method Mark since I still end up with the same answer (or rather is using the Quadratic Formula a valid method)?

For instance, if I was looking to find the inverse function for:


Am I allowed to use the quadratic formula when I get to:



(I let y= x(t) and yes I do know that it isn't a one-to-one function normally since I restricted the domain to )

Yes you would be allowed to do that, as far as I am aware you are allowed to use any method (even spesh or uni maths techniques) to acquire an answer as long as the question does not specifically state 'find by completing the square.'

[keltingmeith]

Yes you would be allowed to do that, as far as I am aware you are allowed to use any method (even spesh or uni maths techniques) to acquire an answer as long as the question does not specifically state 'find by completing the square.'

On top of this, it's pretty cool to note that you can complete the square on the quadratic to prove the quadratic formula, so when you use the quadratic formula, it's no different to completing the square. You should also try proving the formula if you have the time, it's quite a journey!

[IndefatigableLover]

Haha sweet thanks JHardwickVCE and EulerFan101

[lzxnl]

On top of this, it's pretty cool to note that you can complete the square on the quadratic to prove the quadratic formula, so when you use the quadratic formula, it's no different to completing the square. You should also try proving the formula if you have the time, it's quite a journey!

Pretty cool to note? How else do you reckon they derived the formula?

[keltingmeith]

Pretty cool to note? How else do you reckon they derived the formula?

Your average year 12 won't realise that this is how the formula is derived, hence why I said it was "pretty cool to note". I mean, normally when you tell a high school student to take something as gospel, it's because they can't figure it out themselves - but this time, they actually can!

[IndefatigableLover]

Do you guys know any good Exam 2 Integration problems by any chance?

[keltingmeith]

There were two good ones in last year's exam 1 - the first at the very end, and the other was an integration by recognition somewhere in the middle. The second was a probability question, though, so don't do that until you've done continuous.

Anything from exam 2 I wouldn't worry about integration-wise - you can do them all on your calculator. Except for the ones where they say , but you'll find a million of those in your textbook for practice.

Integration isn't really that big a thing in methods - it's more a means to an end, so that they can cover areas under curves, since that opens up a bajilliontynine new types of questions they can ask you.

[IndefatigableLover]

There were two good ones in last year's exam 1 - the first at the very end, and the other was an integration by recognition somewhere in the middle. The second was a probability question, though, so don't do that until you've done continuous.

Anything from exam 2 I wouldn't worry about integration-wise - you can do them all on your calculator. Except for the ones where they say , but you'll find a million of those in your textbook for practice.

Integration isn't really that big a thing in methods - it's more a means to an end, so that they can cover areas under curves, since that opens up a bajilliontynine new types of questions they can ask you.

Haha thanks for that EulerFan101! I just have an Integration Analysis Task tomorrow so I'm kind of paranoid and doing extra questions for revision/putting questions into my bound reference

[keltingmeith]

Rule 1) Don't do practice questions the day before you have a SAC/exam UNLESS you have solutions available to you.
Rule 2) See Rule 1
Rule 3) Sleep
Rule 4) Sleep some more
Rule 5) Don't study instead of sleeping - sleeping is good.

However, if you can do integration by recognition, areas under and between curves and know your basic kinematics, you'll be fine.