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Edexcel Maths Pure Year 2 textbook digital copy different questions from paper copy??

Has anyone else noticed this? For the topic 'differentiating trigonometric functions' the paper copy is very different from the digital(page 248)... even the examples aren't all the same? Anyone know why this is? I read somewhere that edexcel recently removed differentiating the inverse of sin,cos,tan. Could this be the reason- since edexcel have control of the digital copy but not over the one you already bought. Also, does this mean differentiating the inverse of these trig functions won't be on this year's test?
why did they remove it?
Reply 2
The specification was changed in early 2018. You are no longer required to differentiate functions that involve inverse trigonometric formulae, though you still might be asked to prove the standard result. You also need to know how to find areas under parametric curves - they released two extra textbook pages.

https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/AssetsLibrary/SECTORS/Secondary/SUBJECT/Mathematics/A_Level_Maths_2017/pure-year-2-additional-content.pdf

I'm pissed off as well.
Reply 3
Original post by bigmansouf
why did they remove it?

No idea but it was actually removed from last year. https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/mathematics-2017.news.html?article=%2Fcontent%2Fdemo%2Fen%2Fnews-policy%2Fqualifications%2Fa-levels%2Fmaths%2Fclarification-of-the-content-guidance-for-a-level-maths&utm

It's weird because they removed questions from the digital copy asking you to differentiate arcsin,arccos,arctan but kept an example showing you how to differentiate arcsinx.
Reply 4
Original post by Sinnoh
The specification was changed in early 2018. You are no longer required to differentiate functions that involve inverse trigonometric formulae, though you still might be asked to prove the standard result. You also need to know how to find areas under parametric curves - they released two extra textbook pages.

https://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/AssetsLibrary/SECTORS/Secondary/SUBJECT/Mathematics/A_Level_Maths_2017/pure-year-2-additional-content.pdf

I'm pissed off as well.

But it also says this: "No new textbook content is required for the amendment to topic 7. However, the derivatives of arcsin x, arccos x and arctan x given on page 248 and any related examples and questions are no longer required."

One of the examples show you how to prove dy/dx for y=arcsinx... so it's a bit confusing. Also, you might already know this but there's a similar issue in the stats & mechanics year 2 book too where questions in the digital copy aren't in the paper copy. As far as I know, edexcel haven't changed the spec for mechanics, so I'm not sure what's happening. It's on exercise 7E I think, any questions relating to hinges aren't in the paper copy but are in the digital.
Reply 5
Original post by ap121
But it also says this: "No new textbook content is required for the amendment to topic 7. However, the derivatives of arcsin x, arccos x and arctan x given on page 248 and any related examples and questions are no longer required."

One of the examples show you how to prove dy/dx for y=arcsinx... so it's a bit confusing. Also, you might already know this but there's a similar issue in the stats & mechanics year 2 book too where questions in the digital copy aren't in the paper copy. As far as I know, edexcel haven't changed the spec for mechanics, so I'm not sure what's happening. It's on exercise 7E I think, any questions relating to hinges aren't in the paper copy but are in the digital.


Proving the derivative is not quite the same as having to use it in a question. You'd never get given a question like ddxarcsin(x35)\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm d x}\arcsin(x^3 - 5) that would require you to use the standard result for ddxarcsinx\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm d x}\arcsin x
Reply 6
Original post by Sinnoh
Proving the derivative is not quite the same as having to use it in a question. You'd never get given a question like ddxarcsin(x35)\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm d x}\arcsin(x^3 - 5) that would require you to use the standard result for ddxarcsinx\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm d x}\arcsin x

Oh I see, thank you. It just seems weird that they'd ask you how to prove it yet never to apply it if you get what I mean. I guess that just means less to learn then, so that's nice.
Reply 7
Original post by Sinnoh
Proving the derivative is not quite the same as having to use it in a question. You'd never get given a question like ddxarcsin(x35)\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm d x}\arcsin(x^3 - 5) that would require you to use the standard result for ddxarcsinx\frac{\mathrm d}{\mathrm d x}\arcsin x

Although if an earlier part of the question guided you through the derivative of arcsin(x) then a follow up derivative could involve composition like the example you gave.
Reply 8
Original post by Notnek
Although if an earlier part of the question guided you through the derivative of arcsin(x) then a follow up derivative could involve composition like the example you gave.

Hmm it's quite confusing. "No new textbook content is required for the amendment to topic 7. However, the derivatives of arcsin x, arccos x and arctan x given on page 248 and any related examples and questions are no longer required." Neither question should show up really.
Reply 9
Original post by ap121
Hmm it's quite confusing. "No new textbook content is required for the amendment to topic 7. However, the derivatives of arcsin x, arccos x and arctan x given on page 248 and any related examples and questions are no longer required." Neither question should show up really.

The new spec contains this line:



So I still think that a question could guide you through the derivative of arcsinx\arcsin x but not expect you to do it from scratch.

A Level questions can always ask things that aren't in textbooks as long as the methods required to tackle them are part of the spec. I think that applies here.
Reply 10
Original post by Notnek
The new spec contains this line:



So I still think that a question could guide you through the derivative of arcsinx\arcsin x but not expect you to do it from scratch.

A Level questions can always ask things that aren't in textbooks as long as the methods required to tackle them are part of the spec. I think that applies here.

That's true but it sounds harsh to literally remove questions of the sort from the textbook and then ask us something similar. I imagine people would be really upset should it come on the exam. But I do take on board what you said and I will learn it anyway.
Reply 11
Original post by ap121
That's true but it sounds harsh to literally remove questions of the sort from the textbook and then ask us something similar. I imagine people would be really upset should it come on the exam. But I do take on board what you said and I will learn it anyway.

I agree that it's less likely to appear this year because they've "removed it" from the spec.

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