The Tricky Textbook questions Thread

TSMGUY

I was thinking this close to the exams it'd be a good idea if we all helped each other out by posting the questions in our textbooks that we can't solve so other posts can share their knowledge. I don't have any at the moment (although I have a wheatstone bridge question in mind) but I think it's a good idea, so feel free to post anything from any subject book or past paper here that you need help with. Be sure to name the textbook, the exercise and the question.

I hope it's alright with the mods.

Giotar

Sounds like a good idea. I'd be happy to help out people with HL Physics, Biology & Maths. I feel they're my best subjects by far.

TSMGUY

Alright, I'll get the ball rolling. Not actually a specific question this time, but how do you write a history essay. How do they assign marks? Haven't done a single history essay all year and I really need to find out.

siebey123

TSMGUY wrote: »

Alright, I'll get the ball rolling. Not actually a specific question this time, but how do you write a history essay. How do they assign marks? Haven't done a single history essay all year and I really need to find out.

Aim for 8-9 paragraphs while writing the essay. All paragraphs are marked out of 12. Stop writing once you hit 42.5 minutes and go on to the next essay

reason vs religion

TSMGUY wrote: »

Alright, I'll get the ball rolling. Not actually a specific question this time, but how do you write a history essay. How do they assign marks? Haven't done a single history essay all year and I really need to find out.

So general a question seems not to be in the spirit of the thread! But I'll add to what the previous poster said. Sixty of one-hundred marks are given on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis - with twelve marks being the maximum per paragraph. The remaining forty are given based on how well the examiner thinks you've argued your point, engaged with the question, etc. While in theory you could get full-marks with five paragraphs, it's better to aim for 6 or 7 8-mark paragraphs, as they are disproportionately easier achieve. Obviously have an intro and conclusion. Background information, unless you can show it to be directly relevant, gets nothing. And a conclusion that only repeats is capped at 4 marks; instead you should be referring to the question and explaining how what you have said achieves the aim you set in the introduction. Where appropriate, facts should be contextualised, explaining why each is relevant to your argument.

Academic essays are arguments that your own analysis is correct. Without having particularly wide reading, it's easy to think that there is a single historical consensus about the significance of certain events or the contribution of an individual. But you should assume that your examiner has just read an essay giving a different point of view and attempt to argue that your interpretation and analysis is the correct one. If you're not already doing this, it requires a significant shift in tone and approach to answering the question.

Mr Rhode Island Red

Ok, here's one for ye, I have Physics Summer test tomorrow so anybody that could help me out that would be great

In the "measurement of acceleration due to gravity using the free-fall apparatus" experiment, why is the shortest time for the ball bearing to fall taken, rather than getting an average of the times.

I have a vague idea of why this is done but I can't put it into words...any ideas?

Liordi

Mr Rhode Island Red wrote: »

Ok, here's one for ye, I have Physics Summer test tomorrow so anybody that could help me out that would be great

In the "measurement of acceleration due to gravity using the free-fall apparatus" experiment, why is the shortest time for the ball bearing to fall taken, rather than getting an average of the times.

I have a vague idea of why this is done but I can't put it into words...any ideas?

the shortest time is hindered the least (if at all) by other factors such as air resistance which gives a more accurate figure for falling time due to gravity.

TSMGUY

^What he said. The shortest time is the one least affected by experimental error and corresponds to the most accurate value for g. You'll never get the time too low (as in g will never be below 9.81 when you stick in the figures.) Ah summer tests, a simpler time...... GOOD LUCK!

emersyn

This isn't a very specific question but I'm getting confused about how to begin the comparative essay in English. In class we were told that in the introduction we need to (1) say whether we agree/disagree with the question, (2) define the mode that the question is being asked about, (3) write a sentence about each text to summarise its plot, and (4) relate the question to the texts. However, looking at my past essays the introduction takes up a good few lines and seems unnecessarily convoluted for something that is worth very few marks in comparison to the actual arguments. I also have one of the revision books for the comparative which includes full sample essays, but in these they don't bother with an introduction at all, they just list their texts and the authors/directors and then jump straight into the answer. Surely that can't be right either? What exactly should you have in the introduction and how long should it be?

koolis02

emersyn wrote: »

This isn't a very specific question but I'm getting confused about how to begin the comparative essay in English. In class we were told that in the introduction we need to (1) say whether we agree/disagree with the question, (2) define the mode that the question is being asked about, (3) write a sentence about each text to summarise its plot, and (4) relate the question to the texts. However, looking at my past essays the introduction takes up a good few lines and seems unnecessarily convoluted for something that is worth very few marks in comparison to the actual arguments. I also have one of the revision books for the comparative which includes full sample essays, but in these they don't bother with an introduction at all, they just list their texts and the authors/directors and then jump straight into the answer. Surely that can't be right either? What exactly should you have in the introduction and how long should it be?

This is what our class was taught and this is what I did in the mocks and got near full marks

TSMGUY

emersyn wrote: »

This isn't a very specific question but I'm getting confused about how to begin the comparative essay in English. In class we were told that in the introduction we need to (1) say whether we agree/disagree with the question, (2) define the mode that the question is being asked about, (3) write a sentence about each text to summarise its plot, and (4) relate the question to the texts. However, looking at my past essays the introduction takes up a good few lines and seems unnecessarily convoluted for something that is worth very few marks in comparison to the actual arguments. I also have one of the revision books for the comparative which includes full sample essays, but in these they don't bother with an introduction at all, they just list their texts and the authors/directors and then jump straight into the answer. Surely that can't be right either? What exactly should you have in the introduction and how long should it be?

This site is brilliant in general. Helped me get an A1 last year so I definitely recommend checking the other stuff.
Specifically though
http://leavingcertenglish.net/2011/04/comparative-essay-structure-2/

Giotar

emersyn wrote: »

This isn't a very specific question but I'm getting confused about how to begin the comparative essay in English. In class we were told that in the introduction we need to (1) say whether we agree/disagree with the question, (2) define the mode that the question is being asked about, (3) write a sentence about each text to summarise its plot, and (4) relate the question to the texts. However, looking at my past essays the introduction takes up a good few lines and seems unnecessarily convoluted for something that is worth very few marks in comparison to the actual arguments. I also have one of the revision books for the comparative which includes full sample essays, but in these they don't bother with an introduction at all, they just list their texts and the authors/directors and then jump straight into the answer. Surely that can't be right either? What exactly should you have in the introduction and how long should it be?

I have the beginning of a sample answer which I twisted in my own words to suit my texts. It is under Literary Genre, but I assume the structure would work with most. I'll post it here:

Literary Genre is the manner in which a story is told. The texts which I have studied as part of my comparative analysis are "The King's Speech", directed by Tom Hooper, a film where King George VI attempts to overcome his stammer, "Othello", a Shakespearean tragedy, and "New Town Soul", a thrilling supernatural novel by Dermot Bolger. All three of my texts make use of techniques such as symbolism and suspense, however no two authors use the same methods in creating the suspense or other techniques. Through the [Refer to question here] and diverse plots the authors all display the art of good story-telling.

In my answer I wish the focus on the aspects of narrative techniques, imagery and symbolism, suspense, and character creation. All of these aspects greatly contribute to and enhance my understanding of each of the three texts.

Edrees98

Guys these two questions are doing my head in, could someone help me plz? Thanks in advance.

TSMGUY

Edrees98 wrote: »

Guys these two questions are doing my head in, could someone help me plz? Thanks in advance.

Tried rationalizing the denominator, failed miserably. My head hurts.....

reason vs religion

Edrees98 wrote: »

Guys these two questions are doing my head in, could someone help me plz? Thanks in advance.

First one is one of those questions you can get in an absolute mess doing. Let every fraction equal a constant, k. Rearrange so you have an expression for each of ax, by, cz. Then expand and add them and everything cancels.

Giotar

reason vs religion wrote: »

First one is one of those questions you can get in an absolute mess doing. Let every fraction equal a constant, k. Rearrange so you have an expression for each of ax, by, cz. Then expand and add them and everything cancels.

This.

ax = kb - kc
by = kc - ka
cz = ka - kb

ax + by + cz = kb - kc + kc - ka + ka - kb (these all cancel out)

ax + by + cz = 0

Edrees98

reason vs religion wrote: »

First one is one of those questions you can get in an absolute mess doing. Let every fraction equal a constant, k. Rearrange so you have an expression for each of ax, by, cz. Then expand and add them and everything cancels.

Yeah I saw that on the internet but still couldn't solve it, could you possibly do a solution, it would be much appreciated!

Giotar wrote: »

This.

ax = kb - kc
by = kc - ka
cz = ka - kb

ax + by + cz = kb - kc + kc - ka + ka - kb (these all cancel out)

ax + by + cz = 0

Whoops, didn't see this THANKS!!:)

Appmaths97

Edrees98 wrote: »

Guys these two questions are doing my head in, could someone help me plz? Thanks in advance.

i have the second question worked out but it wont let me post pictures here.
imgur(dot)com/a/bLKUZ

randylonghorn

TSMGUY wrote: »

Alright, I'll get the ball rolling. Not actually a specific question this time, but how do you write a history essay. How do they assign marks? Haven't done a single history essay all year and I really need to find out.

Above all, focus on ANSWERING THE QUESTION, not just reaming off everything you know about Hitler (for example). It seems so obvious, yet so many people lose huge chunks of marks each year (and not just in history) by handing in long essays on "Everything I ever learned about <keyword mentioned in question>".

Edrees98

Appmaths97 wrote: »

i have the second question worked out but it wont let me post pictures here.
imgur(dot)com/a/bLKUZ

Thanks! I couldn't open the file, you can attach it by going into advanced search or maybe pm it to me.

Appmaths97

Edrees98 wrote: »

Thanks! I couldn't open the file, you can attach it by going into advanced search or maybe pm it to me.

it wont let me because i didnt sent enough posts yet to be able to attach photos.

koolis02

Appmaths97 wrote: »

it wont let me because i didnt sent enough posts yet to be able to attach photos.

http://imgur.com/a/bLKUZ