Vectors Question #3

This is a question a student sent me a few days back, and I shared with my class.

Find the Cartesian equation of the plane that is equidistant of the $xy$ plane and $xz$ plane.

The following should aid students to visualise.

Sidenote: I think Vectors is a very important topic for 9758 as its applications are wide. Students should do their best to understand the topic. I will share a few more applied questions next week when I have time.

A little reminder to students doing Calculus now

When $\frac{dy}{dx} = 0$, it implies we have a stationary point.

To determine the nature of the stationary point, we can do either the first derivative test or the second derivative.

The first derivative test:

Students should write the actual values of $\alpha^-, \alpha, \alpha^+$ and $\frac{dy}{dx}$ in the table.

We use this under these two situations:
1. $\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}$ is difficult to solve for, that is, $\frac{dy}{dx}$ is tough to be differentiated
2. $\frac{d^2y}{dx^2} = 0$

The second derivative test:

Other things students should take note is concavity and drawing of the derivative graph.

Release of A’levels Results 2016

For students who took A’levels in 2016, please note that information for the release of A’levels Results 2016 can be found in the following!

Release of A’levels 2016

Grade Profile (i.e. Number of As you need to get into courses for)

SMU

NTU

NUS

P.S. Results does not define you. When one door closes, another opens.

Checklist for Vectors

Many schools have been doing vectors recently. Thought I’ll share a little summary/ checklist I have done for my students.

Basic Concepts

• Operations on Vectors
• Scalar multiplication
• Dot Product (Scalar)
1. a • a = |a|2
2. If a ⊥ b, then a • b = 0
3. a • b = b • a
• Cross Product (Vector)
1. a × a = 0
2. a × b = − b × a
• Unit Vectors
• Parallel Vectors ( a = k)
• Collinear Vectors ( Parallel with a common point )
• Ratio Theorem ( Found in MF26)
• Midpoint Theorem
• Directional Cosines
• Angles between two Vectors
• Length of Projection
• Perpendicular Distance

Lines

• Equations
• Vector Form ( : r = a + λb, λ∈ ℜ )
• Parametric Form
• Cartesian Form
• Line & Line
• Parallel ( Directions are parallel to each other. )
• Same ( Same Equations )
• Intersecting ( There is a unique solution for λ and μ. )
• Skewed ( Not parallel AND not Intersecting. )
• Angle between two lines ( Angle between their directions )
• Point & Line
• Foot of Perpendicular
• Perpendicular (Shortest) distance
• Point on Line

Planes

• Equations
• Parametric Form ( π r = a + λb + μc, λ, μ ∈ ℜ )
• Scalar Product Form ( r • n = a • n  = d )
• Cartesian Form
• Point & Plane
• Foot of Perpendicular
• Perpendicular (Shortest) distance
• Distance from O to Plane
• Point on Plane
• Reflection of Point
• Line & Plane
• Relationships
1. Parallel
• Line intersects Plane entirely ( Infinite Solutions )
• Do not intersect ( No Solution )
2. Not Parallel
• Intersects at a point ( One Solution )
• Intersection Point
• Angle between Line & Plane
• Reflection of Line
• Plane & Plane
• Relationships
1. Parallel
• Same ( Infinite Solutions )
• Do not intersect ( No Solution )
2. Not Parallel
• Intersects at a line ( Infinite Solutions )
• Intersection Line ( Use of GC )
• Angle between two Planes ( Angle between their normals )

Thoughts on A’levels H2 Mathematics 2016 Paper 2

I’ll keep this short since we are all busy. One thing about paper 1 we saw, there were many unknowns.

So topics which I think will come out…

Differentiation – I think a min/max problem will come out, possibly with r and h both not given and asked to express r in terms of h. But students should revise a on the properties of curves with differentiation; given a curve equation with an unknown, for instance $y=/frac{x^2+kx+1}{x-1}$, find the range of k such that there is stationary points.

Complex Number – Loci will definitely come out. I’m saying they will combine with trigonometry.

Integration – Modulus integration hasn’t really been tested. Else a question on Area/ Volume could be tested, and I’ll say they need students to do some
Conics too.

For statistics, my students should have gotten the h1 stats this year. And if it’s an indicator, then it should not be a struggle.

I expect PnC and probability to be combined. Conditional Probability in a poisson question should be tested too, so do revise it well. For hypothesis testing, students should be careful of their formula and read really carefully about the alternative hypothesis. Also, :9 know that the formulas for poison PDF and binompdf are both given in mf15. Lastly, know when to use CLT.

All the best!

Thoughts about 2016 A’levels H2 Mathematics Paper

I’ve covered some things in classes, with sufficient revisions and final lap papers set. So I thought we have a little breakdown. And of course, we should review what was weeded away in the 9740 H2 Mathematics Syllabus. After all, this is the very LAST time the can test them.

1. Recurrence Relations. I’ve harped on this last year too. Conjectures! Conjectures! You can read more about it here. An a question involving conjecture should start with a recurrence relation, then a conjecture, ending with a recurrence MI. Students should know how to do both $\Sigma$ and recurrence MI. Yes, they are different.

2. Loci. You guys are the lucky last batch to do Loci. So please buy a protractor and compass. Draw them, as one of my student put it, surgically. If need be, use a graph paper (why not?). Harder loci for example can require students to draw for example, $\text{arg}(z-1+2i) = \text{tan}^{-1}(\frac{4}{3})$. You should not have trouble measuring this angle, because you could not even be able to do it. Students should be able to draw such angles with ease. One little note about Loci, will definitely their geometrical descriptions. Many students can draw this, but stumble to describe them.

3. Vectors. Truth be told, I’m still waiting for a question involving vectors in 3D, to land in A’levels. An example can be the HCI Prelims Paper 1 Question 6, which can be found here.

4. Poisson Distribution. I don’t know what this topic has been axed. So students should ready for one big Poisson Distribution questions, I say give it 12-14 marks. And it should be tested with conditional probability. I’ll practice either Demand & Supply or Inflow & Outflow questions. An example can be the one found in NYJC Prelims Paper 2 Question 11, which can be found here.

5. Correlation & Regression. Ever wondered what the $r^2$ means in the GC? Well, $r^2 = bd$ is being removed from the syllabus as well. It hasn’t surfaced before, so maybe it shall finally make its one and only LAST presence felt this year. Students should familiarise themselves with the use of $y- \bar{y} = b ( x - \bar{x})$ equation, which can be found in the MF15. I know many of you probably have not seen it before.

6. Hypothesis Testing. Students should review definitions of level of significance and p-value. Also understand what you may conclude from a Z-Test, using the results of a T-test. A little small part that students can think about, is why use a small sample size? After all, we know that have a sufficiently large $n$ allows us to perform CLT and then use a Z-Test.

7. Trigonometry. After it appeared in 2011 for a trigonometry MI, the product to sum formulas is still a problem for most students. I highly doubt its coming out again with MI, but its can easily come out again with complex numbers. An example can be this.

More examples and discussion will be made in class.

Trigonometry used in complex Numbers

Given $z = \text{cos}\alpha + i \text{sin} \alpha$ and $w = \text{cos}\beta + i \text{sin} \beta$

$z - w = \text{cos}\alpha + i \text{sin} \alpha -(\text{cos}\beta + i \text{sin} \beta)$

$z - w = \text{cos}\alpha -\text{cos}\beta + + i \text{sin} \alpha - i \text{sin} \beta)$

$z - w = - 2 \text{sin}(\frac{\alpha-\beta}{2})\text{sin}(\frac{\alpha+\beta}{2}) + i 2 \text{sin}(\frac{\alpha-\beta}{2})\text{cos}(\frac{\alpha+\beta}{2})$

$z - w = 2 i \text{sin}(\frac{\alpha-\beta}{2}) (\text{cos}(\frac{\alpha+\beta}{2}) + i \text{sin}(\frac{\alpha+\beta}{2}))$

$z - w = 2 i \text{sin}(\frac{\alpha-\beta}{2}) e^{\frac{\alpha + \beta}{2}}$

Random Questions from 2016 Prelims #13

NYJC/2/11

On a typical weekday morning, customers arrive at the post office independently and at a rate of 3 per 10 minute period.

(i) State, in context, a condition needed for the number of customers who arrived at the post office during a randomly chosen period of 30 minutes to be well modelled by a Poisson distribution.

(ii) Find the probability that no more than 4 customers arrive between 11.00 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.

(iii) The period from 11.00 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning is divided into 6 periods of 5 minutes each. Find the probability that no customers arrive in at most one of these periods.

The post office opens for 3.5 hours each in the morning and afternoon and it is noted that on a typical weekday afternoon, customers arrive at the post office independently and at a rate of 1 per 10 minute period. Arrivals of customers take place independently at random times.

(iv) Show that the probability that the number of customers who arrived in the afternoon is within one standard deviation from the mean is 0.675, correct to 3 decimal places.

(v) Find the probability that more than 38 customers arrived in a morning given that a total of 40 customers arrived in a day.

(vi) Using a suitable approximation, estimate the probability that more than 100 customers arrive at the post office in a day.

Random Questions from 2016 Prelims #12

HCI/1/6

A group of boys want to set up a camping tent. They lay down a rectangular tarp OABC on the horizontal ground with OA = 3 m and AB = 1.5 m and secure the points D and E vertically above O and B respectively, such that .

Assume that the tent takes the shape as shown above with 6 triangular surfaces and a rectangular base. The point O is taken as the origin and the unit vectors i, j and k are taken to be in the direction of , and respectively.

(i) Show that the line DE can be expressed as $r = 2k+\lambda(2i+j), \lambda \in \mathbb{R}$.

(ii) Find the Cartesian equation of the plane ADE.

(iii) Determine the acute angle between the planes ADE and OABC. Hence, or otherwise, find the acute angle between the planes ADE and CDE.

Note: Question can be made harder and trickier should Origin, O be placed in the center of the base OACB.

Random Questions from 2016 Prelims #11

TPJC/P2/4

(a) The complex number w is given by $3+3\sqrt{3}i$
(i) Find the modulus and argument of w, giving your answer in exact form.
(ii) Without using a calculator, find the smallest positive integer value of n for which $(\frac{w^3}{w^*})^n$ is a real number.

(b) The complex number z is such that $z^5 = - 4 \sqrt{2}$
(i) Find the value of z in the form $re^{i\theta}$, where $r > 0$ and $- \pi \textless \theta \le \pi$.
(ii) Show the roots on an argand diagram.
(iii) The roots represented by $z_1$ and $z_2$ are such that $0 \textless arg({z_1}) \textless arg({z_2}) \textless \pi$. The locus of all points z such that $|z - z_1| = |z-z_2|$ intersects the line segment joining points representing $z_1$ and $z_2$ at the point P. P represents the complex number p. Find, in exact form, the modulus and argument of p.