ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Specialist Mathematics => Topic started by: DeviantPain12 on May 18, 2019, 06:45:15 pm

Title: How many decimal places in exam?
Post by: DeviantPain12 on May 18, 2019, 06:45:15 pm
Hey all,

I know in Chemistry and Physics you get penalised for not using sig. figs. However, the level of precision required in Methods and Specialist is never mentioned.

Will questions in the exam always tell you to either answer in exact value or to a specified decimal place?

I ask this because we're doing Euler's method at the moment and Cambridge textbook doesn't mention the number of decimal places, but goes up to 9 decimal places in the worked solutions.
Title: Re: How many decimal places in exam?
Post by: AlphaZero on May 18, 2019, 07:14:13 pm
(https://i.imgur.com/LpdRw74.png)

If nothing about the form of the answer is specified, it must be an exact answer in a sufficiently simple form.

If VCAA are not looking for an exact answer, they will always specify the number of decimal places required.
Title: Re: How many decimal places in exam?
Post by: Sine on May 18, 2019, 07:20:40 pm
Hey all,

I know in Chemistry and Physics you get penalised for not using sig. figs. However, the level of precision required in Methods and Specialist is never mentioned.

Will questions in the exam always tell you to either answer in exact value or to a specified decimal place?

I ask this because we're doing Euler's method at the moment and Cambridge textbook doesn't mention the number of decimal places, but goes up to 9 decimal places in the worked solutions.
unless otherwise stated in the question I would never be using decimal points. If they want you to use them they will clearly state (to X decimal places).

Always state the exact value for the answer.
Title: Re: How many decimal places in exam?
Post by: DeviantPain12 on May 18, 2019, 11:48:44 pm
Thanks for the answers. I guess that's just a one on the many mistakes in the worked solutions.   ;D