Cambridge Chat (previously New Cambridge Students Entry 2004)

fishpaste

I did, I postedd a slightly higher number because I summed my GP wrong so it fell a bit short :frown:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jamiek/crapbag.exe <== my thing.

Yeah...did you use Delphi for that?

Reply 4263

Squishy

Yeah...did you use Delphi for that?

yuppems.

Reply 4264

figgetyfig

Aha, well I have "Preparatory Problems for Engineers" to warm me up... and if for some reason I finished that with a long time to spare, then perhaps some physics, mechanics and pure maths past papers...

hehe Maths Prep booklet, question 1: "Factorise x^2 -3x +2"

what do they think we've been learning, 3 hours a day for the past two years?!

Reply 4265

Poc ar buile

6 monthly interest is [root]1.05 approx = 1.0247

We don't know when it's paid. Assume 2/1 and 2/7 each year (so money taken out before any interest paid.

This implies the 6 month thing is a red herring. You will still get 5% per year.

Year 1 : (50-x)million

Year 2: [(50-x)(1.05)-x]million

etc...

This is a simple enough G.P. as Willa said. I have no inclination to solve it however - when I finished P3 in 2003 I told myself there'd be no more maths than absolutely essential from there on in..! :smile:

One thing I can say is, if the answer you get is under a million per year, you have gone wrong. Obviously he could keep money under his bed and get a million per year!

EDIT: Just looked at question again. It's 5million and not 50... Ah well - when you have that sort of cash I doubt the nuber of zeros matter all that much..! :rolleyes:

Reply 4266

fishpaste

hehe Maths Prep booklet, question 1: "Factorise x^2 -3x +2"

what do they think we've been learning, 3 hours a day for the past two years?!

This is the worst question I've come across so far in my maths booklet (not sure if it's the same as everyone else's...I think it's the NatSci one).

Calculate the derivative of y = tan x from first principles (i.e. by considering the derivative of a function as the limit of the gradient of a chord).

I mean, I can get to sec²(x) sort of, but I'm not happy with dividing through by zeros and stuff, even if it's not really zero, it's just a small change tending towards zero.

Reply 4267

Squishy

This is the worst question I've come across so far in my maths booklet (not sure if it's the same as everyone else's...I think it's the NatSci one).

Calculate the derivative of y = tan x from first principles (i.e. by considering the derivative of a function as the limit of the gradient of a chord).

I mean, I can get to sec²(x) sort of, but I'm not happy with dividing through by zeros and stuff, even if it's not really zero, it's just a small change tending towards zero.

Ow! That's rather mean for a natsci. Enjoy! (btw it's not in mine)

Reply 4268

The Albatross

12

Squishy

Stare long and hard at a brick Amy. :biggrin:

... i'll be doing enough staring at bricks when i start my architecture course

Reply 4269

Poc ar buile

Squishy

Calculate the derivative of y = tan x from first principles (i.e. by considering the derivative of a function as the limit of the gradient of a chord).

I mean, I can get to sec²(x) sort of, but I'm not happy with dividing through by zeros and stuff, even if it's not really zero, it's just a small change tending towards zero.

Screw that! :smile:

sin and cos from first principles is are bouncy.

what is tan (x+δx)?

[(tan x) + (tan δx)] / [1 - (tan x)(tan δx)]

sticks in my mind for some reason...

Squishy... :mad:

I'm going to have to do it now. Why did you go and bring it up..! :wink:

It's quite do-able. Maybe even fun :smile:

*tries to keep mind off fun subjects like maths and physics and on chopping up dead bodies*

Reply 4270

fishpaste

Ow! That's rather mean for a natsci. Enjoy! (btw it's not in mine)

You're not seriously telling me your questions are easier than mine!

I mean, it's not that difficult:

lim(h --> 0) [tan(x + h) - tan(x)]/h and then use multiple angle formula, etc. but some of the bits I'm just not happy with.

scarlet ibis

... i'll be doing enough staring at bricks when i start my architecture course

You can never get enough of bricks, surely. :smile:

How're you getting on with your reading?

Reply 4271

polthegael

Squishy... :mad:

I'm going to have to do it now. Why did you go and bring it up..! :wink:

Eh, I have many more interesting(?) questions. :smile:

Reply 4272

Squishy

You're not seriously telling me your questions are easier than mine!

Um yup the only parts that are difficult IMO is the conics questions, because conics weren't on my alevel syllabus. It's just alot of boring Alevel questions.

Reply 4273

The Albatross

12

Squishy

You can never get enough of bricks, surely. :smile:

How're you getting on with your reading?

no but i prefer reinforced concrete :wink:

readings going fine thanks am reading Gombrich atm! how about you?

Reply 4274

fishpaste

Um yup the only parts that are difficult IMO is the conics questions, because conics weren't on my alevel syllabus. It's just alot of boring Alevel questions.

Yeah, one of my teachers decided that the coordinate geometry chapter in P5 (Edexcel) needed more explanation, so he took us through some conic sections stuff, which wasn't actually on there. At least I think he did, I wasn't there for most of the lessons.

Reply 4275