[JohnyTheLad]

I've done the first four chapters of FP3 they were quite straightforward, though is it just me or the mixed exercise in chapter 2 are a lot more difficult than the exercise before them? Now I am procrastinating on doing chapters 5 and 6, as I think vectors and matrices are too dry to do by myself. I saw i x j = k, j x i = -k, and I closed the book. These topics just kill my motivation.

[Dreamweaver]

(Original post by JohnyTheLad)
I've done the first four chapters of FP3 they were quite straightforward, though is it just me or the mixed exercise in chapter 2 are a lot more difficult than the exercise before them? Now I am procrastinating on doing chapters 5 and 6, as I think vectors and matrices are too dry to do by myself. I saw i x j = k, j x i = -k, and I closed the book. These topics just kill my motivation.

I was in exactly the same position as you a couple of weeks ago. Chapter 2 mixed is painful. Thankfully, the actual exam questions don't seem to be too bad.

Yeah the last 2 chapters are hard to self teach. Livemaths seems really good for this. Matrices aren't as bad as Vectors (IMHO) so it might be worth starting with those although vectors do pop up in one or two of the questions. How are you finding the integration?

[Dreamweaver]

(Original post by Groat)
I hate how I aced the June 2009 paper, but failed the June 2010 paper which had higher boundaries!

FP3 Loci questions vary so much!

Hate those ones :/ I'm going to do the review exercises before doing all the papers. Seems to work well for me.

[Dreamweaver]

(Original post by Groat)
I recommend you take a look at transformation of lines when they are given in cartesian form! I hadn't a clue how to do it and fudged my way through an awful method.

Thanks for the advice. I'm alright on matrices but i absolutely hate finding the intersection of two planes in Cartesian form. I've seen different methods of doing it but i always end up with something different.

[Rahul.S]

gonna subscribe

[Mr Tough]

Just started learning FP2 myself even though im not doing the exam this june , is FP3 a big step up?

[Rahul.S]

(Original post by Mr Tough)
Just started learning FP2 myself even though im not doing the exam this june , is FP3 a big step up?

most say fp2 is harder than fp3

[snow leopard]

(Original post by Mr Tough)
Just started learning FP2 myself even though im not doing the exam this june , is FP3 a big step up?

I prefer FP3 but they're of even difficulty imo... the hardest thing about FP2 is the complex numbers, and for FP3 it's vectors.

[Zhy]

FP5 is even harder you have to solve all those 19th order differential equations.

[TheJ0ker]

I'm subscribing

Just taking FP2 though, my teachers can't even teach FP3 or M4+5 I've probably got the easiest F.Maths modules going. Ah well no excuse for not getting the A*.

[Mr Tough]

(Original post by snow leopard)
I prefer FP3 but they're of even difficulty imo... the hardest thing about FP2 is the complex numbers, and for FP3 it's vectors.

Hmm i guess i haven't really seen anything tough yet, just started, inequalites = doss

Both those topics you mentioned do appear to have rather large chapters!

(Original post by Rahul.S)
most say fp2 is harder than fp3

Well i guess that gives me something to look forward to! the first 2 chapters of fp2 do look rather simple though

[Dreamweaver]

(Original post by Mr Tough)
Just started learning FP2 myself even though im not doing the exam this june , is FP3 a big step up?

Depends on your strengths and what you find easy. I would say they are pretty similar. What gets most people is the complex numbers/polars in FP2 and vectors/matrices in FP3. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for them as some topics can be difficult to understand at the beginning.

[Rahul.S]

(Original post by Zhy)
FP5 is even harder you have to solve all those 19th order differential equations.

just 19 you got got a long way to go

[Mr Tough]

(Original post by Dreamweaver)
Depends on your strengths and what you find easy. I would say they are pretty similar. What gets most people is the complex numbers/polars in FP2 and vectors/matrices in FP3. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for them as some topics can be difficult to understand at the beginning.

I've just "learnt" the matrices chapter in FP3, looked horrid at first, but now it all seems reasonably logical, going to have a go at the mixed ex tomorrow and see how much of what I attempted to learn in 1 hour I have forgotten

[Dreamweaver]

(Original post by Mr Tough)
I've just "learnt" the matrices chapter in FP3, looked horrid at first, but now it all seems reasonably logical, going to have a go at the mixed ex tomorrow and see how much of what I attempted to learn in 1 hour I have forgotten

Yeah it's so easy to forget. Just make sure you are alright with the FP1 stuff too as FP3 is synoptic. Did a matrices proof with hyperbolic functions yesterday. It was not nice :/

[Dreamweaver]

For this question, can you use De Moivre's theorem to expand ? Technically, we are not ment to know this as it comes in FP2 and both modules are independent. But i was wondering if you would have got the marks as going down the addition formula route is horrible. Any thoughts?

[f1mad]

(Original post by Dreamweaver)
For this question, can you use De Moivre's theorem to expand ?

No?

De Moivre's theorem only applies to: (cosx+isinx)^n.

They would expect the additional formulae.

[snow leopard]

(Original post by f1mad)
No?

De Moivre's theorem only applies to: (cosx+isinx)^n.

They would expect the additional formulae.

Can't you find cos5x by de Moivre's theorem and then use Osborne's rule to turn it into cosh5x?

[Dreamweaver]

Yeah you get the same answer from both methods.

Answer:

[tiny hobbit]

(Original post by Dreamweaver)
Yeah but the legacy papers are arranged in different modules which is a pain. I do have other papers and resources like Solomons but they are much harder than normal papers. I got something like 48/75 on my first one and 69/75 on an actual exam paper.

So has your teacher got access to the old questions rearranged for the new modules? Tell him/her that they are in Graham's Emporium under "Practice papers".

If that doesn't work, get back to me.