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M3 Pre-Exam thread (edexcel)

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This better not be as hard as M4. Really, I just need one of my mechanics papers to be nice and easy this summer. M2 and M4 did not give me that feeling. Hoping that M3 or M5 will at least.

Reply 41

TheJ0ker

Original post by Zhy

This better not be as hard as M4. Really, I just need one of my mechanics papers to be nice and easy this summer. M2 and M4 did not give me that feeling. Hoping that M3 or M5 will at least.

Well considering that M4 an M2 were apparently really difficult I would assume they have made them all harder than usual.

Reply 42

dzone25

Original post by sweetascandy

But I thought e was the extra extension. so when in equilibrium, are you saying T=(λe)/l and when its pulled extra distance, T=λ(x+e)/l ?
I agree with the latter but isn't the former usually written as T=λx/l ??

Yep thats right and in the hanging questions you'll end up with the equilibrium extension of "e" being equal to "mg" (usually).

Hence if you do F = ma using the extra distance it would be "mg" - T=λ(x+e)/l = ma And the "mg" and λ(x+e)/l would cancel after opening the λ(x+e)/l (I.e how to prove it's doing SHM at a displacement x)

It can be written as T=λx/l but this just means you'll have to call the x in the second part something else. Also if its not hanging then you can just use x to keep it simple (makes no difference).

Original post by TheJ0ker

Well considering that M4 an M2 were apparently really difficult I would assume they have made them all harder than usual.

I have a feeling this year they are trying to distinguish the A*s from the As more, thats why M2 (& M4?) were just silly. M2 was probably the second hardest paper of all time for M2 (after Jan 2010) and it could be argued to be worse as you could lose marks on literally every question whereas Jan 2010 just had two ultra hard questions at the end.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 43

TenaciousMonkey

Original post by Zhy

This better not be as hard as M4. Really, I just need one of my mechanics papers to be nice and easy this summer. M2 and M4 did not give me that feeling. Hoping that M3 or M5 will at least.

This is is exactly what I'm hoping for.

Reply 44

TheJ0ker

I prefer harder papers tbh, if you make a stupid mistake you aren't punished as much.

Reply 45

Benjyxo

I'm hoping for a decent paper, nothing too challenging and nothing too easy so I would lose a lot of UMS if i make a mistake... If i get close to 90 on this one I'm in with a really good shot at getting an A*!

Reply 46

Estelle123

Original post by Zhy

This better not be as hard as M4. Really, I just need one of my mechanics papers to be nice and easy this summer. M2 and M4 did not give me that feeling. Hoping that M3 or M5 will at least.

bloody heck u do m2,m3,m4 and m5?! u must b a genius aha

Reply 47

Tomcrease

Original post by TheJ0ker

I prefer harder papers tbh, if you make a stupid mistake you aren't punished as much.

There's hard papers, which I agree are better than a very easy paper, then impossible papers. Did you sit m4 this year? The whole thing was a punishment.

Reply 48

dzone25

Can someone list a few of the harder M3 papers my mind has sort of merged every paper together and I can't tell which is harder :\

Reply 49

Zhy

Original post by Tomcrease

There's hard papers, which I agree are better than a very easy paper, then impossible papers. Did you sit m4 this year? The whole thing was a punishment.

This. I used to prefer 'harder' papers too. Ones that required a little bit of extra thought. But that paper was just horrible. I didn't hear anyone say that it went well. I think this June's M2 was an example of a 'harder' paper which I would have preferred to sit. But the M4 paper just made me sick. Did anyone in that thread even think they got higher than 55/75? :confused:

Are you doing M5 too, by the way? It's so much easier than M4, too bad it's on the same day as FP3... just need to check I can do all the moments of inertia proofs and should be set. :smile:

Reply 50

Zhy

Original post by Estelle123

bloody heck u do m2,m3,m4 and m5?! u must b a genius aha

I am starting to think it was a bad idea though... I'm sort of taking a gamble because I'm in year 12 so if I mess up I can retake some in year 13. It will be a tough decision to make because I think I can still get 3A*s, but I might be forced to cash in a horrible M4 score... so all I can at the moment is try to get as close as possible to 100 in M3/M5/S3/S4/FP2/FP3 so my E (probably) in M4 will be balanced out by more respectable scores.

Reply 51

TheJ0ker

Original post by Tomcrease

There's hard papers, which I agree are better than a very easy paper, then impossible papers. Did you sit m4 this year? The whole thing was a punishment.

No but I've heard a lot about it, was it really that bad? I know m4 is a hard module anyway.

Reply 52

TheUltimateProof

Anyone else ever forget the volume of a cone and instead just put in an equation of a straight line and workout the volume which forms a cone? Or is that just me eh?

Reply 53

Tomcrease

Original post by Zhy

Are you doing M5 too, by the way? It's so much easier than M4, too bad it's on the same day as FP3... just need to check I can do all the moments of inertia proofs and should be set. :smile:

No i'm not doing M5 thank god. No one in my college thinks they got above 55 and I haven't heard from anyone else. So I can just hope for low boundaries. You must be doing additional further maths then? I could never do that many maths exams. :/

Reply 54

Zhy

Original post by Tomcrease

To be honest I think you could go M5 without M4 quite easily... it might have been better to do that one instead of M4. It's more interesting too in my opinion because it's got a lot of new content!

Yeah, I hope the boundaries are really low, I would like an E at least :frown:

Yes I'm doing additional further maths, hoping to get the 18 modules out of the way so I can chill a bit in Year 13 and prepare for STEP/uni/have sexy times/etc... the only bad thing about it is too many exams and also having to do modules you find tedious, e.g. D2.

Reply 55

Tomcrease

Original post by Zhy

You'll have done all 18 modules by the end of year 12? :redface:

Are you going for A*A*A* then? That's crazy can I just say. You applying for Cambridge then? At least you have time for resits!

Reply 56

Zhy

Original post by Tomcrease

You'll have done all 18 modules by the end of year 12? :redface:

Are you going for A*A*A* then? That's crazy can I just say. You applying for Cambridge then? At least you have time for resits!

I am... doubt I'm going to get that though. Pretty sure I can get 2 A*s at least, the 3rd will be really tough though... it may come down to a difference of 1 UMS! It is a bit crazy, there are people applying who have done much better than me though and probably have 100 UMS in every module. I can't really compete with that so I can just try applying and hope I can get an interview at least.

I really don't want to resit though... but might have to with M4. :frown:

Reply 57

Tomcrease

Original post by Zhy

I can guarantee you will get an interview, and I think most likely an offer. :P I got an interview + rejection with no where near your grades! I'm sure with the A*A* you can get unconditional from most unis :tongue:

and with a year on STEP you will be fine for that. So lucky! What school do you go to which lets you do this?

Reply 58

Zhy

Original post by Tomcrease

and with a year on STEP you will be fine for that. So lucky! What school do you go to which lets you do this?

Not going to reveal, just a sixth form in London that has unfortunately had crappy results for the past 20 years. I think only like 4 people here have got A*s at A-level since it was introduced. They were willing to pay for me to enter them, luckily! (If they didn't there is no way I'd even be able to pay for that many modules to sit.)

Sorry to hear about your rejection, but I'm just worried that my PS looks like total crap compared to other people's. Going to have to do some volunteering this summer...

I hope so! Unconditionals would really relieve the pressure. I did take this into account so I entered the AEA too since I saw that Warwick gave offers which asked for a Distinction in the AEA, so if I meet that then I hope I could get an unconditional. But we'll see, who knows, I could still end up getting something like AEE...

And I really hope I can just get the As in physics + chemistry otherwise I'll look like an idiot.