Edexcel FP3 - 27th June, 2016

Original post by Euclidean

Success in Physics:
1. Plug a given value in a clearly labelled and described equation on the formula sheet

Note: it is not necessary nor recommended you take the time to understand said formula

2. Know what the examiners want you to say
3. Know what to write on experimental coursework about errors and uncertainties

I agree on it being sad, I feel a lot of the good stuff in mechanics is applications of calculus and AQA have explicitly stated they don't want to include calculus on their specification...

Anyhow, I did some FP3 Vectors after finishing S2. Not bad, ideally want to finish the vectors chapter as soon as I can though :redface:

Edit: Partial fractions is quite useful for integration, although I haven't come across a similar useful application for the Binomial expansion I imagine they exist in approximation somewhere at university

Binomial comes in handy for statistics weirdly.

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Reply 102

Original post by Euclidean

Success in Physics:
1. Plug a given value in a clearly labelled and described equation on the formula sheet

Note: it is not necessary nor recommended you take the time to understand said formula

2. Know what the examiners want you to say
3. Know what to write on experimental coursework about errors and uncertainties

I agree on it being sad, I feel a lot of the good stuff in mechanics is applications of calculus and AQA have explicitly stated they don't want to include calculus on their specification...

Anyhow, I did some FP3 Vectors after finishing S2. Not bad, ideally want to finish the vectors chapter as soon as I can though :redface:

Edit: Partial fractions is quite useful for integration, although I haven't come across a similar useful application for the Binomial expansion I imagine they exist in approximation somewhere at university

Not to mention under the note; if you go against recommendations and ask the teacher were the formula came from there's a 70% chance they will reply with "you don't need to know it" and move on

Calculus in physics would be terrific, would maybe make it bearable. It would also pull down grade boundaries and make the A* half possible to get

I enjoyed everything in it except Cartesian equations of lines, they look hideous :hide:

Finishing FP3 by Sunday-this time next week would be good id say, I definitely wouldn't rush vectors, matrices should take 2 days or so

Edit: I don't doubt the usefulness of partial fractions, the method for finding them is just very boring and repetitive

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 103

Original post by DylanJ42

Not to mention under the note; if you go against recommendations and ask the teacher were the formula came from there's a 70% chance they will reply with "you don't need to know it" and move on

Calculus in physics would be terrific, would maybe make it bearable. It would also pull down grade boundaries and make the A* half possible to get

I enjoyed everything in it except Cartesian equations of lines, they look hideous :hide:

Finishing FP3 by Sunday-this time next week would be good id say, I definitely wouldn't rush vectors, matrices should take 2 days or so

Edit: I don't doubt the usefulness of partial fractions, the method for finding them is just very boring and repetitive

Better than the 95% chance of that at GCSE :colonhash:

Also yeah we're currently doing Ch2 and it's SUCH a b****

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 104

Original post by DylanJ42

Not to mention under the note; if you go against recommendations and ask the teacher were the formula came from there's a 70% chance they will reply with "you don't need to know it" and move on

Calculus in physics would be terrific, would maybe make it bearable. It would also pull down grade boundaries and make the A* half possible to get

I enjoyed everything in it except Cartesian equations of lines, they look hideous :hide:

Finishing FP3 by Sunday-this time next week would be good id say, I definitely wouldn't rush vectors, matrices should take 2 days or so

Edit: I don't doubt the usefulness of partial fractions, the method for finding them is just very boring and repetitive

"You don't need to know it"

Rather misleading as I'm pretty sure most scientific discoveries (if they weren't accidental of course) were the result of curious people...

Are there any comparable papers for FP2 and FP3 like Madasmaths and Solomon?

Reply 105

Original post by Student403

Better than the 95% chance of that at GCSE :colonhash:

Also yeah we're currently doing Ch2 and it's SUCH a b****

I wonder why secondary school physics teachers don't just teach maths or teach/be a lecturer at a uni. I dont know how you could teach the physics course year in year out

Ch2 FP3? hardest chapter by a mile imo, the mixed exercise is crazy

after it though, you've got diff and int (very cool), vectors (also cool, drawing diagrams are fun) and matrices (relaxing and easy on the brain). Once you've done Ch2 its plain enough sailing from there

I fear the possibility of the 8 mark loci question we could get this summer :afraid:

, the A* question if you will

Reply 106

Original post by Euclidean

"You don't need to know it"

Rather misleading as I'm pretty sure most scientific discoveries (if they weren't accidental of course) were the result of curious people...

Are there any comparable papers for FP2 and FP3 like Madasmaths and Solomon?

Solomon is kinda mixed up.
For FP3, matrices literally is nothing challenging just working out tbh.
Vectors, FP3 book has the hardest question they can give tbh edexcel can't conjure anything up that bad.
Reduction, adding zero is the technique here.

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Reply 107

Original post by DylanJ42

I wonder why secondary school physics teachers don't just teach maths or teach/be a lecturer at a uni. I dont know how you could teach the physics course year in year out

Ch2 FP3? hardest chapter by a mile imo, the mixed exercise is crazy

after it though, you've got diff and int (very cool), vectors (also cool, drawing diagrams are fun) and matrices (relaxing and easy on the brain). Once you've done Ch2 its plain enough sailing from there

I fear the possibility of the 8 mark loci question we could get this summer :afraid:

, the A* question if you will

Oh F*CK! We're doing the mixed tomorrow and my teacher (who called the previous exercise "easy") said even by her standards it's tough. #Pray4Student

That sounds awesome though! Tomorrow is the big battle, then!

Ergh that question will separate the men from the boys. Screw it - the savages from the men

Reply 108

Original post by Euclidean

"You don't need to know it"

Rather misleading as I'm pretty sure most scientific discoveries (if they weren't accidental of course) were the result of curious people...

Are there any comparable papers for FP2 and FP3 like Madasmaths and Solomon?

well you know, secondary school physics teachers =/= scientists :laugh:

I'm probably just going to do all the official past papers up to 2012/2013 then move on to TeeEms stuff and keep the 2013-2015 as May/June mocks. Probably wont even bother with Solomon idk. I'm fairly happy with everything other than conic sections which ill "master" over the next few months :biggrin:

Reply 109

Original post by DylanJ42

well you know, secondary school physics teachers =/= scientists :laugh:

I'm probably just going to do all the official past papers up to 2012/2013 then move on to TeeEms stuff and keep the 2013-2015 as May/June mocks. Probably wont even bother with Solomon idk. I'm fairly happy with everything other than conic sections which ill "master" over the next few months :biggrin:

I think the booklets TeeEm makes are a good shout

Reply 110

Original post by Student403

Oh F*CK! We're doing the mixed tomorrow and my teacher (who called the previous exercise "easy" :wink:

said even by her standards it's tough. #Pray4Student

That sounds awesome though! Tomorrow is the big battle, then!

Ergh that question will separate the men from the boys. Screw it - the savages from the men

It's definitely an amazing exercise to do though, stops you getting complacent and reminds you that FP3 can wreck you if it wants to :laugh:

It sure is, good luck for tomorrow :wink:

Ill try bust my ass off throughout the test and leave myself 20 mins or so for it, just to do a clear diagram and work out what the question is asking you know

Reply 111

Original post by DylanJ42

It's definitely an amazing exercise to do though, stops you getting complacent and reminds you that FP3 can wreck you if it wants to :laugh:

It sure is, good luck for tomorrow :wink:

Ill try bust my ass off throughout the test and leave myself 20 mins or so for it, just to do a clear diagram and work out what the question is asking you know

Yeah that's very true :smile:

Are you self studying it or doing it in class?

My friend at Cambridge (did FP3 last year) told me apparently it is highly beneficial to never stop revising (even if lightly) FP3 til the exam time. It seems like he's right - I feel this would be such a tough module to have to re-learn if one stopped practicing it over the year.

Reply 112

Original post by Euclidean

I think the booklets TeeEm makes are a good shout

i've only flicked through some of the stuff, it does look very challenging though (those ***** questions :eek:

)

Spoiler

Reply 113

Original post by DylanJ42

i've only flicked through some of the stuff, it does look very challenging though (those ***** questions :eek:

)

Spoiler

I was trying to figure out which 5 letter swear words would fit :lol:

Yeah there's some interesting ones in there, makes me wonder where he comes up with them. Though I suspect that's a trade secret :wink:

Reply 114

Original post by Student403

Oh F*CK! We're doing the mixed tomorrow and my teacher (who called the previous exercise "easy") said even by her standards it's tough. #Pray4Student

That sounds awesome though! Tomorrow is the big battle, then!

Ergh that question will separate the men from the boys. Screw it - the savages from the men

It is a hard bunch of questions, I remember them badboys, they were beautiful questions.

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Reply 115

Original post by Student403

Yeah that's very true :smile:

Are you self studying it or doing it in class?

My friend at Cambridge (did FP3 last year) told me apparently it is highly beneficial to never stop revising (even if lightly) FP3 til the exam time. It seems like he's right - I feel this would be such a tough module to have to re-learn if one stopped practicing it over the year.

Well I taught it to myself, but I sit in the further maths AS class (my year group, the school only officially offer it to AS, and you do it in year 13) and the teacher goes over some of it with me. So self taught + some teacher recap on the tough areas I guess :dontknow:

I can see how that would make sense, you would definitely forget vectors and reduction formula I would say, ch 2 would be a nightmare to relearn also

Reply 116

Original post by Student403

Yeah that's very true :smile:

Are you self studying it or doing it in class?

My friend at Cambridge (did FP3 last year) told me apparently it is highly beneficial to never stop revising (even if lightly) FP3 til the exam time. It seems like he's right - I feel this would be such a tough module to have to re-learn if one stopped practicing it over the year.

I'm planning on continually revising in the form of past papers. I'm doing 1 or 2 a week depending on how many there are for each exam.

There's too much content like you said, I feel the stress of getting to April and realising you've forgotten a lot of it would take time from other subjects

Reply 117

Original post by physicsmaths

It is a hard bunch of questions, I remember them badboys, they were beautiful questions.

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Yeah when it finally works out to a proper hyperbolic equation the feeling is just

Reply 118

Original post by Student403

Yeah when it finally works out to a proper hyperbolic equation the feeling is just

Hahaha

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Reply 119