Edexcel A2 C4 Mathematics June 2016 - Official Thread

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Won't work unfortunately. If you search you can find a few people asking edexcel on twitter and facebook and they just regurgitate the pre written can't comment on specific models etc etc and just refer to that text i linked earlier with the regulations in

Yeah, but that's via twitter/blah blah/etc... I've had luck in the past with formally contacting them by email and explaining my issue (something about modules being offered in Jan) - worth a shot, at least.

Reply 1721

SaadKaleem

Original post by Zacken

Send Edexcel an email (go on their website and look for their student support email or whatevs, ask me if you can't find it) with your centre number and the issue and ask them to get in contact with your centre or to send you an email/digital letter confirming the use of your calculator. Make sure to specify the model/make/features of it and give as much information on your centre as possible.

I emailed them on [email protected] which was forwarded to [email protected]

With the specs of the calculator, however I did not mention any information on my centre.

They replied back a few days ago with the JCQ guidelines document on calculators. :s-smilie:

nothing about that specific model of calculator I mentioned though.

Original post by Student403

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-FX-991ESPLUS-SA-UH-FX-991ESPLUS-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B0034BAQS8?ie=UTF8&ref_=dp_ob_title_ceIt says on the page by the Casio DISTRIBUTOR that it is suitable for A-Level. Would your teachers accept this?Here on the Casio UK website it says it's ideal for all advanced studies

Original post by Ayman!

I swear that's such a huge disadvantage. People give C34 with GDCs and you can't use a scientific.My suggestion would be to full UMS it and show them who's boss :lol:

I'm currently using FX-82 ES, which is fine I guess for simple arithmetic, and It's a bonus for me as it has Natural display.

Nothing 'extra' on it though, such as solutions of quadratics / numeric calculus.

Original post by samb1234

It's from graham from edexcel's post about calculator's in 2015 btw, and yeah it is pretty stupid when there's literally nothing wrong with it

Yup i saw that post on Edexcel.com, it even mentions Graphical calculators are allowed, as you posted above. XD

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1722

samb1234

Original post by Zacken

yeah definitely worth a shot, sounds like the centre are being pretty stupid tbh. One other option would be to get another calculator (which is legal) that does the same thing but looks different and isn't used as frequently, as the fx 991 es is very widely used and distinctively designed.

Reply 1723

Student403

Original post by SaadKaleem

nothing about that specific model of calculator I mentioned though.

I'm currently using FX-82 ES, which is fine I guess for simple arithmetic, and It's a bonus for me as it has Natural display.

Nothing 'extra' on it though, such as solutions of quadratics / numeric calculus.

Yup i saw that post on Edexcel.com, it even mentions Graphical calculators are allowed, as you posted above. XD

The quadratics solver is very helpful in tight situations incase anything crops up. Thanks for the email. I'll send them one too and if they get back to me I'll let you know

Reply 1724

SaadKaleem

Original post by Student403

The quadratics solver is very helpful in tight situations incase anything crops up. Thanks for the email. I'll send them one too and if they get back to me I'll let you know

Can be really helpful indeed, in panicky situations. Thanks :smile:

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1725

Student403

Original post by SaadKaleem

Can be really helpful indeed, in panicky situations. Thanks for your concern. :smile:

No problem :smile:

This absolutely grinds my gears :lol:

Reply 1726

Zacken

Original post by SaadKaleem

nothing about that specific model of calculator I mentioned though.

Yeah, I get what you mean - you emailed them asking if the calculator was okay; I'm talking about emailing them with a complaint that your centre is not following JCQ guidelines and it is hindering you, so give specifics about them not allowing you to use a calculator that is clearly permissible within the guidelines.

That said, FWIW, calculators are dumb and far from requisite you'll do fine without them anyway; I used a normal 82-MS for my exam (the one that you used to use in the year below IGCSE/GCSE, I rather like it lol) and only used my GDC for the occasional answer check and to write down my answers.

Reply 1727

SaadKaleem

Original post by Zacken

Yeah I didn't make a formal "complaint", I just somewhat "asked" them.

Yeah exactly, I'm using the calculator which I used for my IGCSEs, I'm fine with it.

GDCs can be an advantage, but I guess I'll stick to manually sketching graphs when required and using my brain.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1728

imran_

for the subsititution method how would I know which part to substitute U with?:

e.g. sin3xcosx which one would I make U equal to?

thanks

Reply 1729

edothero

Original post by imran_

for the subsititution method how would I know which part to substitute U with?:

e.g. sin3xcosx which one would I make U equal to?

thanks

(Assuming your question is

sin(3x)cos(x)

and not

sin^{3}(x)cos(x)

)

If you go to the formula book you'll see a neat formula that goes by

sinA + sinB = 2sin(\dfrac{A+B}{2})cos(\dfrac{A-B}{2})

I'd recommend you use this formula as you have

\displaystyle \int \mathrm{sin}3x \mathrm{cos}x \ \mathrm{d}x

Where

3x = \dfrac{A+B}{2}

And

x = \dfrac{A-B}{2}

Also note not to forget to divide both sides of the equation by 2

\dfrac{1}{2}(sinA + sinB) = sin(\dfrac{A+B}{2})cos(\dfrac{A-B}{2})

\dfrac{1}{2}(sinA + sinB) = sin(3x)cos(x)

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1730

Craig1998

Original post by imran_

for the subsititution method how would I know which part to substitute U with?:

e.g. sin3xcosx which one would I make U equal to?

thanks

Do you mean sinx to the power 3 or sin(3x)?

If you have (sinx)^3, consider the scenario if you tried u=sinx and u=cosx. I think they both can give you an answer though.

Spoiler

Reply 1731

Kevin De Bruyne

Original post by imran_

for the subsititution method how would I know which part to substitute U with?:

e.g. sin3xcosx which one would I make U equal to?

thanks

If that is sin(3x)cos(x) then you could use the factor formulae (I think it's called that or addition formulae) to turn it into something else.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1732

imran_

Original post by Craig1998

Do you mean sinx to the power 3 or sin(3x)?

If you have (sinx)^3, consider the scenario if you tried u=sinx and u=cosx. I think they both can give you an answer though.

Spoiler

the question was sin3xcosx but however this has answered my question on what to make U equal to. Thank you :biggrin:

Reply 1733

tazza ma razza

∫ (2x + 1 − 2/x+ 5/x − 3 ) dx
= [x^2+ x − 2 lnx + 5 ln x- 3]
= (4 + 2 − 2 ln 2 + 0) − (1 + 1 + 0 + 5 ln 2)
= 4 − 7 ln 2

with limits of

2
S
1

how does the above make sense (copied from the mark scheme)

i get (4+2-2ln2+5ln1) - (1+1+2ln1+5ln(-2) )

solomon D c4 q3 btw

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 1734

Zacken

Original post by tazza ma razza

You've written down the same thing as the markscheme; remember that ln(1) = 0 and when you integrate 1/x you get ln |x| not ln x. So your final number should be 5ln|-2| = 5 ln 2.

Reply 1735

tazza ma razza

Original post by Zacken

You've written down the same thing as the markscheme; remember that ln(1) = 0 and when you integrate 1/x you get ln |x| not ln x. So your final number should be 5ln|-2| = 5 ln 2.