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What is the hardest GCSE Maths question you have ever come across?

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Original post by BabyMaths
If you cut circles from pastry then you can re-roll it and cut some more but if you're cutting circles from a sheet of plastic then you do not have this option. There will always be wastage.


What if you have infitesinimally small circles?
Reply 61
Avatar for uklanka
uklanka
I solved by using basic logic, not sure if it is acceptable in the mathematical world. However it goes like this:

Rectangle length =100cm
Diameter of each ciricle = 12cm
Therefore logic dictates (100cm / 12cm) = 8

Rectangle width = 50cm
Diameter of each circle = 12cm
Therefore = (50cm / 12cm) = 4

Therefore a maximum of 8 circles fits length wise and 4 circles along the width of the given rectangle.
8 x 4 = 32 circles maximum
Original post by uklanka
I solved by using basic logic, not sure if it is acceptable in the mathematical world. However it goes like this:

Rectangle length =100cm
Diameter of each ciricle = 12cm
Therefore logic dictates (100cm / 12cm) = 8

Rectangle width = 50cm
Diameter of each circle = 12cm
Therefore = (50cm / 12cm) = 4

Therefore a maximum of 8 circles fits length wise and 4 circles along the width of the given rectangle.
8 x 4 = 32 circles maximum


I think that your answer would be the most sensible approach in exam conditions but if you had plenty of time you might figure out how to get 33 circles. :smile:
I'd say the 2007 edexcel past papers for gcse maths were quite hard and unusual. If you have a brain then you'll power through the harder ones however. For example there was one on the net of a cone which was impossible for most students- however I managed it (on a past paper)
Original post by BabyMaths
How many 6cm diameter discs can you cut from a rectangle 50cm by 100cm?

Edit: Sorry, that should say radius.


(100/12) * (50/12) = 8.33 * 4.166 = 34.722 or 34.
Reply 65
Avatar for TeeEm
TeeEm
19
in the last ten years or so I can recall a few exotic ones


http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2984885 POST 56 has a very tough one
What shaped disc???? :/
Probability
Reply 68
Avatar for Jake59
Jake59
128

With the correction of 12 as the diameter
50÷12=4 100÷12=8
8×4=32

Or if the rectangle is something like pastry dough

6^2×pi=36pi~84.81
50×100=5000
5000÷84.81=58.94 =58 whole circles
(edited 7 years ago)
The Damned find the area of a triangle using SURDS???????????????? Smh don't come telling me it wasn't hard cause it was hard.:colonhash:
Reply 70
Avatar for OGGUS
OGGUS
21
Original post by PrinceUpsb
You should check out AQA Unit 2 (43602H) June 2011. Ridiculously low grade boundaries: http://wheatleypark.org/images/Maths/j11_Higher.pdf

all the unit 2 for AQA have high grade boundaries for some reason. But I guess this one is slightly harder than the rest.

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