VCE Methods Question Thread!

[VanillaRice]

Hi,

For this Q https://imgur.com/a/ffr3c

How is the answer getting tantheta = 1/2?

This is the very last Q of VCAA 2011 E1 if you need more context.

Thanks

From part c, we know that BD and CD are in the ratio 1:2. The triangle is also right-angled. The ratio itself is sufficient to be able to use the pythagorean theorem.
If you're still not sure how this can be true, consider that since the ratio of BD:CD is always 1:2, then their lengths can be written as k and 2k respectively, where k is any positive real number. The hypotenuse side will also remain in ratio with these two sides.

So, using pythagoras' theorem


Divide both sides by k²

and we can get our result as desired.

Hope this helps

[QueenSmarty]

No, if you see anything with | |, its not in the study design, but still a fairly simple question, if you want, just replace the absolute function with round brackets.

Thank you, I was referring to section 2 though haha, my bad.

[Eric11267]

Thanks Yueni and plsbegentle!

Is question 3 from 2010 exam 2 still part of the study design?

Thank you, I was referring to section 2 though haha, my bad.

Technically it is since its using trigonometry and calculus, which are both part of the study design.

[atar.notes.user]

Hi guys,

what do u think is the best way to prepare for the exam with only a week left? i do methods, spec maths and unfortunately they're all one after another
throughout the year, i went pretty good in methods, but i havent given it much time as i focused on eng

what should i do now? (ive done around 4 exams)
stressing out heaps

[Eric11267]

Hi guys,

what do u think is the best way to prepare for the exam with only a week left? i do methods, spec maths and physics and unfortunately they're all one after another
throughout the year, i went pretty good in methods, but i havent given it much time as i focused on eng

what should i do now? (ive done around 4 exams)
stressing out heaps

Do some practice exams to refamiliarise yourself with the types of questions
Find any areas which need improvement and revise them/do more of those questions
Identify stupid mistakes you make and make a note of them

[atar.notes.user]

Do some practice exams to refamiliarise yourself with the types of questions
Find any areas which need improvement and revise them/do more of those questions
Identify stupid mistakes you make and make a note of them

thanks for the reply
how many exams do u think i should do? and when should i stop doing prac exams?

[keltingmeith]

thanks for the reply
how many exams do u think i should do? and when should i stop doing prac exams?

There is no magic number - enough that you feel confident, but not so many that you feel complacent. After a while, each exam will only teach you one extra thing that probably won't come up (again, this number varies - but if you walk out of each exam only learning one new thing, and it was at the end of the extended response questions, you've definitely hit that mark). However, if you do so many that you get overconfident, forgetting one small thing can send you into over-stress, and all you can think of is "but I did 50 exams, why can't I remember anything?!"/you forget the little things because you suddenly feel like you understand and have it all in the bag.

[Sine]

thanks for the reply
how many exams do u think i should do? and when should i stop doing prac exams?

depends on what you are aiming imo sure there are those cases where people do 1-2 exams and end up with 50's but generally speaking your study score will be proportional to the number of prac exams you do especially for MATHS. Maybe upto a study score of 45 then 45-50 is just luck tbh.

I think 15 sets is a good minimum (encompasses basically all the vcaa past exams from 2002) but definitely helpful to do more .

[snowisawesome]

Can you lose a mark for adding "+c+ for "an anti derivative"?
Unit 2 methods btw

[Opengangs]

Can you lose a mark for adding "+c+ for "an anti derivative"?
Unit 2 methods btw

I don't do VCE, but my understanding with antiderivatives is that they are the integral of the function F'(x). Indefinite integrals should have the constant of integration, as we create a family of graphs that all have the same derivative. Definite do not, since they are evaluated over an interval. In any case, you should always add the constant.

Definite integral constants will just vanish when we evaluate it.

[snowisawesome]

Thanks

[snowisawesome]

Is it possible to do a unit 3/4 methods exam with just unit 1/2 knowledge?

[Eric11267]

Is it possible to do a unit 3/4 methods exam with just unit 1/2 knowledge?

You can do most of it except for probability and also some of the calculus questions such as ones that require integration by recognition

[Perryman]

What are the essentials to know for the tech free exam?
As in what things are we most likely to get?
Any tips will be great thanks!

[uhoh]

For y=-5cost(pi*t/8)+5, why do we let cos(pi*t/8)=-1 to find t, when y is first at its maximum?

I thought max of cos(x) was 1, not -1