STEP Prep Thread 2016

Unfortunately, every time I try to upload a file, there's always an error (please do take into the account that my desktop is Windows XP).

If you have a smartphone try and post through there on the tsr app, it is much easier.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Finally (can't believe it took almost an hour to upload it)... I decided that to upload the second page would take too long.

The question:
Part i) A uniform spherical ball of mass M and radius R is released from rest with its centre a distance H+R above horizontal ground. The coefficient of restitution between the ball and the ground is e. Show that, after bouncing, the centre of the ball reaches a height R+He^2 above the ground (that was easy, took less than a minute).

Part ii) (the difficult part). A second uniform spherical ball, of mass m and radius r, is now released from rest together with the first ball (whose centre is again a distance H+R above the ground when it is released). The two balls are initially one on top of the other, with the second ball (of mass m) above the first. The two balls separate slightly during their fall, with their centres remaining in the same vertical line, so that they collide immediately after the first ball has bounced on the ground. The coefficient of restitution between the balls is also e. The centre of the second ball attains a height h above the ground. Given that R= 0.2, r= 0.05, H= 1.8, h= 4.5, and e= 2/3, determine the value of M/m.
I also have a second page which will be available on request tommorow but that's just using the conservation of momentum (MA+mB= MC+mD) and inserting the values for R, r, H, h and e. (Question 10 of 2014). The working out is mostly on the first page. I don't like the fact that v comes up so many times that it can get confusing (especially in questions where the v of one person is the u of the next stage). Therefore, I used the letters A, B, C and D to represent the velocity of ball 1 before the collision, the velocity of ball 2 before the collision, the velocity of ball 1 after the collision and the velocity of ball 2 after the collision (respectively).

I will do this question, then check to see where you went wrong(try to) later on today.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Was just looking at some step papers, not a joke!!! I dint see how it even relates to A level maths.Goojng to require a lot of dedication. Im with you guys lets show the Chinese we can do it too haha. Joking

How can you not see how it relates to A-Level maths? The questions are very involved, but surely you can identify the terminology and A-Level concepts behind the question. (With exceptions to the STEP III questions that introduce undergrad material and the number theory questions) .

Did my first few STEP III problems today. Exciting...

Nice, which paper did you look at?

Posted from TSR Mobile

The first of the new set. I'm not sure what year it was now. The first question started 'find the integral of sech'.

Ah yes, 1994, I started that paper this week actually :-) One of the harder step iii's from the nineties imho, though there were a few nice questions -2 and 5 stand out to me. What did you try?

Posted from TSR Mobile

I couldn't finish 1, most probably because I haven't done much work on reduction formulae yet. Did 2,3,4. Didn't spend too long at it, I'll be back at it for the rest some time

1 was a bit 'ugly' to be honest - I didn't simplify my answer for the first integral which made everything messy, but it worked after some effort.

3 looks intriguing, but I have appalling spatial awareness lol

Posted from TSR Mobile

For anyone who has studied statistics, what do you think of STEP statistics questions that are not strictly probability (i.e. the questions that talk about this distribution stuff and what looks like statistics-specific functions)?

Would you say that it's worth learning statistics just for STEP?

For anyone who has studied statistics, what do you think of STEP statistics questions that are not strictly probability (i.e. the questions that talk about this distribution stuff and what looks like statistics-specific functions)?

Would you say that it's worth learning statistics just for STEP?

I'm slightly confused with STEP I 2001 Q5.

The tsr solution is here: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=856635&p=17919245#post17919245

I don't understand the last part. Can someone explain it to me please?