Favourite Applied Maths topic

straight_As

For those of you doing AM, what's your favourite question?

ATM, for me it's either relative velocity of that circular motion and SHM.

They're all gems really!

What do ye think?

Making It Bad

Newton's laws of connected particles or whatever it's called, I LOVE that question.

**Timbuk2**

I'm starting to feel disheartened by Applied Maths.

We started out doing things from the book (I forget what the book is called, but it's a boring brown one - Fundamental Applied Maths I think), and everything was easy enough, and I really liked it.

But we are starting to do the exam papers now and I'm finding them really difficult!! Is this normal? The majority of them don't even work out for me. The teacher says that this is normal and you will get better at them as your 'problem-solving skills' get better but I'm not sure - I'm finding them quite difficult.

Does anyone else think this, or do they think that the exam papers are fairly doable?

Oh, and in keeping with the thread topic, I like Collisions, as the questions are fairly repetitive.

Davidius

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I'm starting to feel disheartened by Applied Maths.

We started out doing things from the book (I forget what the book is called, but it's a boring brown one - Fundamental Applied Maths I think), and everything was easy enough, and I really liked it.

But we are starting to do the exam papers now and I'm finding them really difficult!! Is this normal? The majority of them don't even work out for me. The teacher says that this is normal and you will get better at them as your 'problem-solving skills' get better but I'm not sure - I'm finding them quite difficult.

Does anyone else think this, or do they think that the exam papers are fairly doable?

I didn't use the book much when I was doing Applied Maths but I found it helpful more for the understanding of the subject matter rather than problem solving. The exam papers are notably harder but they're really good practice and after a while you should the hang of them. There was a period where I kept making stupid mistakes but I got the hang of it after a while.

The more you do them, the more your problem solving technique will improve. Don't be too disheartened if you don't get them right, it's important to see where you're going wrong and you'll be better of for it.

On topic, Differential Equations was a personal favourite of mine because it was pretty easy.

BL1993

Projectiles by a long mile. :P

straight_As

BL1993 wrote: »

Projectiles by a long mile. :P

I'm not a big fan of them tbh. Lots of smelly simultaneous equations. Actually, particle dynamics as well can get pretty nasty pretty fast.

@Timbuk:

Just keep at them. The book is shíte so don't pay any attention to it, but once you get the hang of the exam paper questions, you'll be flying, especially with Q3. :P /facepalm

They're tricky at first for everybody, unless you're some sort of super genius, but for the rest of us, it really does just come with practice.

**Timbuk2**

Thanks guys, I'm relieved to hear that other people find them difficult at first - I thought I was the only one!

Hopefully I will get the hang of them. Our mock is in a couple of weeks (I do Applied Maths outside of school, and our teacher gives the mock late, which makes more sense than doing them in early February I think), so hopefully I do well in that, but most importantly, hopefully I do well in June!

straight_As

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Thanks guys, I'm relieved to hear that other people find them difficult at first - I thought I was the only one!

Hopefully I will get the hang of them. Our mock is in a couple of weeks (I do Applied Maths outside of school, and our teacher gives the mock late, which makes more sense than doing them in early February I think), so hopefully I do well in that, but most importantly, hopefully I do well in June!

I think we may have the same teacher!

**Timbuk2**

straight_As wrote: »

I think we may have the same teacher!

You don't live in Dundalk, by any chance?

BL1993

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Thanks guys, I'm relieved to hear that other people find them difficult at first - I thought I was the only one!

Hopefully I will get the hang of them. Our mock is in a couple of weeks (I do Applied Maths outside of school, and our teacher gives the mock late, which makes more sense than doing them in early February I think), so hopefully I do well in that, but most importantly, hopefully I do well in June!

When I first started doing linear motion, i thought it was easy, only when I started doing exam questions did I find it impossible. Through time and effort, I got better and only last week did I try to do those the questions I couldn't do for linear motion and relative velocity and surprise surprise I could do them. :P

AM is just trying to test how well you can interpret the question and see those little details that produce a valid answer. I was starting to regret doing AM but as I kept at it, I got better and now in 5th year I've done 3 chapters in the space of a month. Just keep practising. Learn the theory and get to grips with the concepts. It helps loads.