Edexcel FP3 June 2015 - Official Thread

I haven't done any FP3 papers yet so I don't know how this is treated in papers, but I was doing an Integration by Reduction question from the book (Q2 Ex4F) there is a point that I want to clarify.

The first line of the question states that $I_n = \int^{e}_{1} x (\ln x)^n \ dx$, $n \in \mathbb{N}$. Now I looked on Edexcel's specification, and their definition of the natural numbers does not include zero ie it is the set $\{1,2,3,....\}$.

Then in part (a) the reduction formula is $I_n = \frac{e^2}{2} - \frac{n}{2} I_{n-1}$, with the condition $n \geq 1$. My problem is that this allows $I_0$, when this isn't allowed by the definition of $I_n$. The second part of the question is to find $I_4$, and obviously you can find $I_1$, but $I_0$ is preferable. In the solutions they do use the latter. In an exam situation would they always use $I_1$, and would you therefore lose marks for using $I_0$?

I might be being unbelievably picky, but I would hate to lose marks for something so minor.

I₀ is allowed ...

But $n \in \mathbb{N}$? and 0 is not an element of that set?

perhaps I am wrong but you may have a "misconception" ...
n cannot be zero
but I₀ can be produced

Oh right. I understand.

I haven't done any FP3 papers yet so I don't know how this is treated in papers, but I was doing an Integration by Reduction question from the book (Q2 Ex4F) there is a point that I want to clarify.

The first line of the question states that $I_n = \int^{e}_{1} x (\ln x)^n \ dx$, $n \in \mathbb{N}$. Now I looked on Edexcel's specification, and their definition of the natural numbers does not include zero ie it is the set $\{1,2,3,....\}$.

Then in part (a) the reduction formula is $I_n = \frac{e^2}{2} - \frac{n}{2} I_{n-1}$, with the condition $n \geq 1$. My problem is that this allows $I_0$, when this isn't allowed by the definition of $I_n$. The second part of the question is to find $I_4$, and obviously you can find $I_1$, but $I_0$ is preferable. In the solutions they do use the latter. In an exam situation would they always use $I_1$, and would you therefore lose marks for using $I_0$?

I might be being unbelievably picky, but I would hate to lose marks for something so minor.

I haven't seen any FP3 threads so I thought I'd just start one.

How's revision going? How are people doing with past papers? Which topics are you finding most difficult? Feel free to post any questions, and hopefully someone will be able to help.

Edexcel FP3 - Monday 24th June 2015

Hopefully this thread will motivate us all, and help us to achieve the grades we deserve.

Useful Links
Specification - http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocu...hs_Issue_3.pdf
Forumlae Booklet - http://www.edexcel.com/migrationdocu...cal-Tables.pdf
Offical Past Papers - http://www.mathspapers.co.uk/edexcel.html

Examsolutions - www.examsolutions.net
Maths247 - www.m4ths.com
Question Booklets/Past Papers - http://www.madasmaths.com

Gold/Silver/Bronze Papers - http://mathstallis.weebly.com/past-papers.html

If you have any other websites you'd like to add, post them below and i'll edit this post.

When finding the line of intersection between 2 planes:
Is there any difference between:
- finding a point of intersection then a normal vector perpendicular to both planes
-or finding the Cartesian equations of both planes, subbing one into the other, letting x=lambda, then finding y and z in terms of lambda?

Posted from TSR Mobile

I wouldn't do the second method unless you were very confident with it and it was easier than the standard first method

Posted from TSR Mobile

'Reduce A to a diagonal matrix.' Why can't you just find the eigenvalues of A - let these be a, b and c, and put...

(a 0 0)
(0 b 0)
(0 0 c)

?

I know how to do it the long way, it's just... it's just painful...

isn't that in the mark scheme?

Posted from TSR Mobile

It is? Hahaha oops silly me
(You must be really fed up with my stupid questions... )

Yeah. 270/300 from your top 3 A2 modules and 480/600 overall.

Posted from TSR Mobile

hello! would M2 and S2 count as A2 modules ? my total in them is 189 ums. So does this mean i only need 82 ums in fp2 to get A* ???

I want a hard paper, not easy like fp2 today, i want ums to forgive me.



Posted from TSR Mobile