The Further Maths AS Level Thread

They're not in M2, but they are in FP3!! Which might come before C4.

In M2 you have to differentiate vectors though.

I have just looked at the syllabus for FP1 on Edexcel and it includes Second Order Differential Equations-you only do first order in C4 though so the board is obviously intent on making sure Further Maths AS is harder than Maths A2.

So how has everyone been finding this AS Level.I think that it has been my hardest AS Level so far and I'm really worried because we have been learning the easy parts, when you compare the questions to the other ones that have complex diagrams etc.SUVAT is very difficult because its hard to understand what is really going on-I'm still confused how you can use s=ut+0.5at^2 for upwards and downwards motion at the same time and make a=-9.8 because a=9.8 for the downwards motion and a=-9.8 for the upward motion so theoretically you shouldn't be able to use the equation because of this.I am alright with motion in one direction whether due to gravity or not but I'm still confused about calculating things with 2 directions.I am going to attempt the harder questions on SUVAT in my book tomorrow or in the weekend for revision.

I find most suvat questions fairly easy. The only tricky ones are where they tell you that two balls collide, and you have to find the displacement from a certain point. Direction isn't too difficult, you just define a positive and negative direction.

Don't you mean change in momentum questions?

I am still unsure how you try to find the times an object reaches a certain height by stating a=-9.8 and using s=ut+0.5at^2 for an object that experiences both a=-9.8 and a=9.8 during the flight.

Nope, it would be a question like this. 'Ball A is thrown downward from a tower 47m high with speed 5 meters per second. At the same time, Ball B is thrown upwards from the ground, with speed 18 meters per second. The two balls collide. Calculate the displacement from where A was originally thrown'.

That sounds a little confusing, but can an object experience both? I haven't come across a question like that before. If you're talking about two objects, and one experiences a positive value of g, and the other a negative, then that makes more sense.

This question was challenging but I got 15.3m am I right?

I get the answer as 30.8m. I cannot say for certain, because I made up the question. It was basically a replica of a textbook question, just with different values. I think 30.8m is the correct answer, since I used the method given in the book (Unless the book is wrong). What method did you use?

Upwards
s=
u=18m/s
v=
a=-9.8
t=

Downwards
s=
u=5ms/s
v=
a=9.8
t=
s for both is equal because the balls collide so s=ut+1/2at^2
=18t-4.9t^2(Upwards)=5t+4.9t^2(Downwards) 18t-4.9t^2=5t+4.9t^2 13t=9.8t^2
9.8t^2-13t=0 t(9.8t-13)=0 t can't equal 0 so 9.8t-13=0 13/9.8=t=1.3s
Upwards
s=
u=18m/s
v=
a=-9.8
t=1.3
s=(18*1.3)+1/2(-9.8)(1.3^2)=15.1m(I have just realised that I probably should round t to 1 decimal place instead of using 13/9.8 which I did to get 15.3m because acceleration due to gravity=9.8(accurate to 1 decimal place) so we really can't know t after the first decimal place.

I used:
Ball A:
u = 5m/s
a = 9.8
Therefore, s =5t+4.9t^2
Ball B:
u = 18m/s
a = -9.8
Therefore, s = 18t-4.9t^2
Both displacements added together must equal 47m.
So, (5t+4.9t^2)+ (18t-4.9t^2) = 47
I believe this comes out to t = 47/23
Subbing into 5t+4.9t^2 gives 30.7m.

You have probably done it right I forgot to realise that both balls will have been displaced by different amounts so the s's wouldn't be the same.I got confused because in other questions the answers have used s as being a specific point.I'm really confused about this topic and understanding what is actually going on as you can see.

Yeah, this topic can be a little confusing. Fortunately, I think the majority of questions are fairly easy. The question I gave was the last one in the book on that topic, so it was probably a more difficult one.

I think I'm starting to get it-can you only use s as a specific point when all the objects start off at the same starting point
The thing is I'm pretty sure Mechanics 1 is supposed to get a lot harder than this and its an introduction to Mechanics according to my teacher.Further Maths is miles harder than Maths at AS, in Maths we have been doing things like adding and multiplying fractions like 3/4+2/5 and factorising 3x+9.On Thursday, we finally got onto some surds,indices and factorising that was at a moderate level-Further Maths is still miles harder but the Speed-Time Graphs and Distance-Time Graphs are easy because I learnt them in GCSE Additional Science so I will still be able to pick up some easy marks in this topic.

It would seem to be the case, it confuses me as well. I think I will ask my teacher about it next week. I've been looking ahead in m1, and it seems to get a bit harder. Not sure if you have done inclined planes yet? Compared to further maths, normal maths is a walk in the park at the moment. Just surds, indices and factorising, easy stuff.

We have only done SUVAT and Speed/Distance-Time Graphs, which is all of Chapter 1 on Edexcel.We are going onto Forces next week I think.I am going to complete the mixed exercise in the Edexcel Textbook for revision because I'm struggling to fully understand this topic even though I have already completed some revision for the topic and I'm supposed to be really good at Maths.My Further Maths teacher didn't set me any homework for the weekend so I might as well revise.I have got to say this has proven to me that formula substitution isn't always easy and on Edexcel you have to learn the formulas for the exam.

That is about all we have covered in class too, but I've looked ahead to inclined planes, and they look a little tricky. I'm good at maths as well, but this topic still catches me out sometimes. Ah, I have a feeling this will make resitting my AS physics exams easy.