Considering Further Maths

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Mr M

I don't agree - FP1 would be particularly useful.

Having sat FP1 today, I really can't think of anything in it which would help him. It's all very easy to pick up, so a headstart wouldn't really help, whereas a headstart by doing M3/4 would help a lot, as they're much harder.

Reply 21

madmofo

Kevlar

Officially my college hasn't started teaching c4 yet as of c3 exam on monday think we are going to start 2weeks later after finishing s1 but i've already done 80% of c4 half angle trig, the vectors partial fractions etc....

how about fp3, which is differential equations mainly is that relevant to engineering or not really?

and no my college doesnt do m3

fp2 is hyperbolics mainly, 2nd order diff equations, mclaurin series, taylor series, bit of complex numbers,, thats what i can remember, but if you've done most of c4 and you feel confident, you should be able to do fp2,
im doing aero eng next year, and i think it is related to engineering or so ive been toold because you do have to do loadsa differential equations, but ask somone whose maybe doing the course aboutt that...
so you should just do fp1, fp2, and m2,
fp1 is really easy btw, fp2 is alot more advanced than any other maths ive ever done, its like there's no set method of actually doing a question, and every question is diff and requires a slightly diff approach, its a big jump from fp1, and although not as much, c4 aswell, but you gotta see how you get on

Reply 22

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Dynasty

Well I have no desire to quarrel with you but you might like to check out the efunda home page to get some idea of the mathematics involved in a decent mechanical engineering degree.

http://www.efunda.com/math/math_home/math.cfm

Reply 23

Dynasty

Mr M

Same, and I suppose the content would vary between exam boards. However, OCR which I do, FP1 contains complex numbers, 2x2/3x3 matrices, proof by induction, summing polynomial series, and nothing much else. I don't really see how that relates to mech. engineering. However you're the teacher here and I suppose you should know what you're talking about eh? :wink:

Before deciding on chemistry, I was thinking about engineering, and all the universities I researched said that extra mechanics modules would be useful, none seemed to suggest extra pure maths would be helpful.

Reply 24

Mr M

Study Forum Helper

Dynasty

Take a look at this - complex numbers and matrices in mechanical engineering.

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/Courses/CE172/notes/Stress-Strain.pdf

Reply 25

Sardine

Miss Pedantic

You only need FP1 as part of AS, the rest can be any combination you want. I'd go with M2, FP1 and S2. FP2 is quite difficult.

difficult, :s-smilie:

Reply 26

Miss Pedantic

lol

impossible?

Reply 27

DaveParlour

By the way you can't just do fp1, fp2, m2 for Further Maths if you have done m1 in regular Maths. M1 and M2 HAVE to be put together under one qualification. I would recommend doing fp1, m2, d1. Have c1-4, and m1+2 for normal maths. Then put the fp1, d1 and s1 to your further maths. That way you won't have to worry too much about fp1 as d1 and s1 are easy and will drag the grade up.

Reply 28

thefish_uk

DaveParlour

By the way you can't just do fp1, fp2, m2 for Further Maths if you have done m1 in regular Maths. M1 and M2 HAVE to be put together under one qualification.

Really? Didn't have to be when I did Maths+Further Maths, though that was rather a while ago now... I think the only requirement was that the C modules had to be in Maths, and the Further Maths modules had to build on the Maths modules, ie. you could have M1 in Maths and M2 in Further Maths but not the other way round. (This was Edexcel btw)

Complex numbers and matrices are definitely worth getting familiar with now if you can though, as they don't really depend upon differentiation/integration you've done in the core modules and they're going to be two big things that will be new at uni otherwise.

Doesn't help that everyone is arguing over which modules are easy/hard/relevant and it probably hasn't occurred to them they're taking different exam boards...

Reply 29

Good bloke

DaveParlour

By the way you can't just do fp1, fp2, m2 for Further Maths if you have done m1 in regular Maths. M1 and M2 HAVE to be put together under one qualification.

This certainly wasn't true for Edexcel up to and including June 2008. It is possible it has changed since, of course.

Reply 30

DaveParlour

thefish_uk

Good bloke

This certainly wasn't true for Edexcel up to and including June 2008. It is possible it has changed since, of course.

It might be different for Edexcel then, it is done like that on MEI, or so I was told by my Maths teacher, I just presumed it applied to all exam boards.

Reply 31

spex

DaveParlour

It might be different for Edexcel then, it is done like that on MEI, or so I was told by my Maths teacher, I just presumed it applied to all exam boards.

It's not for OCR MEI at all...

Reply 32

DaveParlour

spex

It's not for OCR MEI at all...

Well my maths teacher is useless then.

Reply 33

Good bloke

DaveParlour

Well my maths teacher is useless then.

You shouldn't just take what anyone says as gospel unless you have checked for yourself.

Reply 34

conroe-killed-the-k8-star

Seeing as you're doing engineering but no Physics A2 I think it would make sense really for you to do FP1 , M2 and M3 so you will have met some of the same mechanics (and in more depth) as those who did A2 Physics.If you need to then you can swap M3 for D1 which is supposedly very easy (not when I did it though - was a right pain and ended up getting 69/100 both times I sat it).

As for the question of unit allocation towards Maths/FM certificates - they will reshuffle units to give you the best score in A2 Maths subject to allowed combinations.In my case they put C1-4 , M1 and M2 for A2 Maths giving me a score of 514 I think and FP1-3 , M3 , S1 and D1 in A2 FM which dropped my scores for that to 437. With 6-unit A2 Maths you cannot have something like C1-4 , M2 , D1 - the two applied units I think can either progress on each other (M1 , M2) or they can be any two of (M1 , S1 , D1).This isn't the case with the Further Maths certificate though.

Reply 35

Good bloke

Edexcel's rules were (andm I believe, still are, but I haven't checked) that maths has to be C1-4 plus any combination of two applied units numbered 1, or any pair of like-lettered units numbered 1 & 2. e.g. M1 & S1 or M1 & M2. Further maths has to be FP1-2 plus four other units not forming part of your maths A level.

Reply 36

DaveParlour

Good bloke

You shouldn't just take what anyone says as gospel unless you have checked for yourself.

True, but i would have though a guy who's been teaching this specification for a few years now would know what he's on about. Especially as he's head of maths and has to organise it all.

Reply 37

Good bloke

DaveParlour

True, but i would have though a guy who's been teaching this specification for a few years now would know what he's on about. Especially as he's head of maths and has to organise it all.