Ai Ling Ong

A-Math: Kinematics Step by Step Solution (Strategy To Answer Distance Question Correctly)

In the previous post on the typical questions on Kinematics, I am going to show up the step by step solution to answer a typical Kinematics exam question taken from my A-Math TREQ Book.

Things to take note:

How to get the acceleration equation?
What does it mean by 'momentarily at rest' ?
How to find greatest velocity?
*How to find distance accurately (using a diagram, I called it DD-Diagram; Displacement Distance Diagram)

Every year and in almost every paper, you will be asked to find Distance. The examiners are testing on your understanding of displacement, displacement, momentarily at rest. You must learn how to find it accurately and within the shortest period of time.

Learn from this example well!

(click on the image for a bigger view)

A-Math: Differentiation & Integration Application : Examples of Typical Kinematics Questions

I was looking through 2008 GCE O Level Additional Mathematics Exam Papers (Subject Code: 4038) and as expected, there was a Kinematics question (worth 6 marks) in Paper 1.

Kinematics is a application topic for Differentiation and Integration. To master this topic, you do not necessarily need to bring in your physics knowledge though it could be useful at times.

Instead, how I get my students to be a master in this topic is to be familiarize with a KINEMATICS VOCABULARY LIST.

Here's some of the vocabulary words that are useful and common:

Momentarily at rest, instantaneously at rest, changes direction of motion, stationary
Initial displacement, initial velocity, initial acceleration
Greatest displacement, greatest velocity, greatest acceleration
Distance travelled in the 4th second VS Distance travelled in the first 4 seconds
Maximum distance from Point O
Particle returns to Point O
Constant Velocity

I would say for Kinematics, it is one of the few topics in A-Math which uses extensive vocabulary. This is also the reason for you to decipher the meaning behind these words.

So do you know the meaning behind these words? I would love to hear about it in the comments section.

I have also taken a few questions from my A-Math TREQ book (Topical Real Exam Questions) to illustrate some common exam questions on Kinematics, further highlighting the importance of knowing your Kinematics well. (Click on the image for bigger view)

I would be sharing the step by step solutions for Question 8 in the next post. Subscribe to my blog to be updated again!

O Level A-Math Trigonometry Basics : How Do We Know Which Formula To Use?

For the past month, other than being busy with the June Intensive Revision Programmes, I was also packed with Mid Year Exam Papers Review for my group of students.

I am pleased to announce that almost all see an improvement in their Mid Year Results (One boy has his grades jump from F9 to A2! Congrats, B!)

I was reviewing the school a-Math exam papers with one of my students during my A-Math Ultimate Leap Programme when she posted me a good question.

Let's take a look at her Trigonometry question first:

This was her solution for the question:

There is one misconception in her thoughts, can you spot it?

sin 3x is not equal to sin x + sin 2x!

In fact, the correct formula to choose for this question is

sin 3x = sin (2x + x)

= sin2xcosx + cos2xsinx

Her question was: how do you know which formula to use?

TIP: When the angle involved is ODD, we usually use addition formula (just like in this question).

When angle is EVEN, double angle formula is perhaps the correct one to choose.

Are you confused just like my student, which formula should be use? Leave me a comment.

I hope this post has made your understanding clearer :-)

Below is a list of useful posts on A-Math Trigonometry:

PS: I will be re-running A-Math Trigonometry Mastery Workshop in July as some students miss out the one in June due to other commitments. Registration is open! Click here for more details

Busy June Holidays With Intensive Revision Workshops (e-Math & a-Math)

I am back :-)

I apologise to all my readers on my absence for the entire month of June. I was busy with training a group of committed students in their a-Math like Logarithms, Linear Law, Trigonometry (Top Killer a-Math Topic), Quadratic Equations & Its Applications (Importance often underestimated) + Differentiation & Integration (Really x1000 important!)
e-Math Mastery Workshops include Trigonometry (again!), Vectors (many can't find this out too!), Graphs Mastery & Statistics - Probability (the participants were amazed by the power of their calculator + the shortcuts which saves them the time yet score the marks)

It was tiring but fun and meaningful June holidays. I am confident to say that most students left each workshop with an increased level of confidence and more tools to handle those exam questions!

They were equipped with the following:

Shortcuts (time-saving + easy to use)
Strategies to relate concepts to everyday life examples (help them to understand better and clearer)
Wise usage of time in exams conditions
Exposure to the various types of tricky , challenging + "interesting" exam questions

For those who missed out on your programmes, we are re-running A-Math Trigonometry Mastery Workshop. Be posted of future workshops by filling up your email details here.

For the next few weeks, I will continue to blog on more Math Tips on the common mistakes many students make and how you can avoid them to score more marks for your exams!

Here is the link to the video of photos taken at the various workshops:

http://www.singaporeolevelmaths.com/photos

Meet the Parents Session on the Last Day of School

I was jogging past a secondary school near my place when I see students holding THE book. Some were with parents, some alone.

I never had this experience. We didn't have Meet the Parents sessions back in my school days.

To my parents, it isn't a good thing for them to go to my school.

Things have changed.

Every term or half a year, parents would be invited to schools to hear feedback and perhaps compliments about their children performance.

Looking at the expression on the child face, it must be a strange experience to have your parents go to school with you. Everyone wasn't in their own self, chatting merrily with friends, walking without a care for the world . . . Everybody looks serious. Really serious.

How was your experience on this last day of school?

Was it a good one or a bad one? I would love to hear your experience in the comments section.

For the Secondary 4, are you ready for O levels? If your answer is no, click here.

O level E-Math, A-Math & Chemistry June Intensive Revision Programme Early Bird Registration Extended!

O level E-Math, A-Math & Chemistry June Intensive Revision Programme Early Bird Registration Extended!

We thank all parents and students for the overwhelming response for our O level June Holidays Intensive Revision Programme. We hear you and understand that many schools have yet to give their students the holidays schedule. As such, we have decided to extend our early bird registration to 1st June 09, 11.59pm (Singapore time) so that more students can benefit and be prepared for their O levels this holidays.

Here's the scope of programme for A-Math & E-Math:
(You may sign up on a workshop basis, example, you can choose A2 and E3)

	A-MATH (SUBJ CODE: 4038)		E-MATH (SUBJ CODE: 4016)
A1	*LOGARITHMS & LINEAR LAW	E1	TRIGONOMETRY (E-MATH)
A2	TRIGONOMETRY (A-MATH)	E2	GRAPHS MASTERY (Inclusive of Quadratic Graphs, Distance, Speed Time Graphs, Graphs of Power Functions, Gradient of Curves)
A3	*QUADRATIC EQNS & APPLICATIONS	E3	VECTORS MASTERY
A4	DIFFERENTIATION & INTEGRATION	E4	STATISTICS & PROBABILITY(Inclusive of Cumulative frequency, box-whisker, stem-leaf, dot diagram, calculation of mean, mode, median, standard deviation, probability tree diagram)

Here's the scope of programme for Chemistry:

C1.*ATOMIC STRUCTURE & BONDING
C2.*ACIDS, BASES
C3.*SALTS & QA
C4.PERIODIC TABLE & METALS
C5.RATE OF RXN & ENERGY CHANGES
C6.REDOX & ELECTROLYSIS
C7.MOLE CONCEPTS & CHEMICAL CALCULATIONS

To have the schedule of these workshops, click here.

Reigster early and enjoy $325 worth of bonuses + savings!
Act fast as some workshops are almost full!

To register, please call 9685 7675 or 9828 7357 [Read more...] about O level E-Math, A-Math & Chemistry June Intensive Revision Programme Early Bird Registration Extended!