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#1 Re: Help Me ! » Sequences; finding the formula that gives us the nth term » 2024-03-20 02:48:34

Thanks, guys.
I applied the formula and it worked, obviously.
So trial and error seems the order of the day?

#2 Help Me ! » Sequences; finding the formula that gives us the nth term » 2024-03-17 06:24:16

paulb203
Replies: 9

I've been given this question.

Here is a sequence;

2,5,11,23,…

Find the next two terms.

*

I can see that each term is 2 times the previous term, plus 1.
But I can’t find the formula for the nth term.

I know that with arithmetic sequences the difference is the same each time
I know that with a geometric sequence the terms double, each time, or treble each time, or, etc, etc, and the formula is Un=ar^n-1
I know that with a quadratic sequence the second difference is the same each time and the formula is an^2+bn+c

But I don't know how to find the formula for the nth term for this sequence

#4 Help Me ! » Inverse Functions. Why rewrite as y=f(x) » 2024-02-27 03:57:10

paulb203
Replies: 4

What does this mean? And does it have to be y?

By rewriting, for example, f(x)=2x+3, as y=2x+3, are we simply stating that something = 2x+3; and in the first case we’re calling that something f(x), and in the second case we’re calling it y?

Does the y have anything to do with the y axis in x,y coordinates? Or is just a randomly chosen letter? Could it just as well be z, or a, or b, etc?

#5 Help Me ! » What is the surface area of a circle? » 2024-02-10 04:25:44

paulb203
Replies: 4

Not the area of a circle, but the surface area of a circle.

#7 Help Me ! » Direct and Inverse Proportion » 2024-02-07 08:58:37

paulb203
Replies: 3

The force, F newtons, exerted by a magnet on a metal object is inversely proportional to the square of the distance d cm

When d=2cm, F=50N

Express F in terms of d

***

I got as far as F = 200/(d^2)

But then wasn't sure if that was enough. Do I have to somehow isolate d, so that F is expressed in terms of d, not in terms of d^2?

#8 Help Me ! » Question regards the Maths Is Fun Iteration page » 2024-02-07 06:43:13

paulb203
Replies: 2

On the iteration page it suggests using the following method to establish the square root of a number;

Example: to find a Square Root:
a) start with a guess
b) divide by the guess
c) add that to the guess
d) halve that for the new guess
e) now repeat (iterate) from step (b)

For the square root of 10, starting with a guess of 4 we get:

• 4
• 3.25
• 3.163
• 3.1623
etc...

My question. Regards, "b) divide by the guess" ; divide what by the guess?

#9 Re: Help Me ! » Are vectors in maths like displacement in physics? » 2024-02-05 23:23:38

Thanks, Bob.

That’s helpful; thinking of the vectors around a square adding to zero.

Although I’m slightly confused with your zeros and ones in brackets.

At first sight I thought they were column vectors (the top number meaning, ‘across’, the bottom number meaning, ‘up or down,’ relating to the x and y axis; and positive or negative before the value relating to right/left, up/down).

So I was expecting (1,0)(0,-1)(-1,0)(0,1).

But your numbers are (1,0)(0,1)(-1,0)(0,-1)

Do these amount to the same thing, or are you expressing this using a different method?

!! I think I might have it. I’ve imagined my origin as the top left of the square; have you imagined yours as the bottom left? I’ve started going across to the right, then down, etc. You, I think, have started going across to the left, then up, etc?

#11 Help Me ! » Are vectors in maths like displacement in physics? » 2024-02-04 23:38:58

paulb203
Replies: 3

When encountering vectors in maths, at the introductory level at least, is it appropriate to think of them in terms of displacement?

Take a triangle ABC, with AC being the base

Vectors AB and BC added together give the resultant vector AC, yes?
(imagine arrows going to the right above AB etc)

But this doesn’t mean that the lengths of AB and BC added together equal the length of BC (the added lengths will be longer than BC),  yes?

What does it mean then?

Does it mean, or can it mean, the same as we’re taught in physics when dealing with displacement? The distance we end up from our point of origin A when we travel to C is the same regardless of whether we go directly to C, or via B?

So the distance covered going directly from A to C might be, say, 10m
And the distance going from A to C via B might be 12m

But the displacement is the same, i.e, 10m?

#12 Help Me ! » How to change the answer on your calculator to the denominator for... » 2024-02-04 04:10:51

paulb203
Replies: 2

...the next calculation?

You perform a calculation

Your answer is 4.5... (long awkward number)

You now want to divide 5 by 4.5...

Is there a shortcut (rather than noting down the long awkward number, and typing in 5 divided by the long awkward number)?

#13 Re: Help Me ! » I don't know the branch of maths that deals with this problem » 2024-02-04 04:06:06

Thanks, Bob.

So 1/12 = 42/N

1*42 = 42
12*42 = N

N=504?

Check;

504 ponies. Catch, tag and release 42.

Now 42/504, or 1/12, are tagged.

Catch 60 expecting 1/12 to be tagged.

5 are tagged which is what you would expect, on average?

#14 Help Me ! » I don't know the branch of maths that deals with this problem » 2024-01-30 00:03:54

paulb203
Replies: 3

Wyatt wants to work out an estimate for the total number of wild ponies in a forest

In July, Wyatt catches 42 ponies in the forest
He puts a tag on each of these ponies and releases them

In August, Wyatt catches 60 ponies in the forest
He finds that 5 of the 60 ponies are tagged

Work out an estimate for the total number of ponies in the forest

My question; Which branch of maths is this?
Also, can you give me a clue as to where to start regards solving this. Just a hint please, not a full explanation.

I'm struggling to even guess at this one. I did think, '60 ponies, 5 of which are tagged, so, 5/60 tagged, which is 1/12
1/12 of the 60 tagged...
How does this relate to the initial number of 42 caught and tagged, then released..?
Of the intial 42 caught, 100% were tagged...
Why did he only catch 42 in July, but caught 60 in August?

#16 Help Me ! » How to write √8 in the form 2^n » 2024-01-26 10:18:32

paulb203
Replies: 4

I struggled to do this but managed a guess of 2^1

My thinking was √8 = 2, and another way of writing 2 is 2^1

The answer given was 2^(3/2)

Which I understood, eventually, as meaning (√2)^3

which equals (√2)(√2)(√2)

which equals (√4)(√2)

which equals 2(√2)

which equals 2^1*2^(1/2)

which equals 2^1+(1/2)

which equals 2^(3/2)

My question is; are both correct? My answer at the top, and the one I was given?

#19 Help Me ! » Ratio. Does the ratio dictate the possible numbers of each thing? » 2024-01-19 09:27:05

paulb203
Replies: 2

If we have small boxes and medium boxes in the ratio 2:5 does this exclude certain numbers of each box?

E.g, we could have;

2 small, 5 medium

or;

4 small, 10 medium

or;

200 small, 500 medium

Or any combination as long as there are 2.5 as many medium as there are small.

Does this mean we can't have, for example, 3 small (as that would mean 7.5 medium, and we can't have .5 of a box)?

Or, 1 small, 2.5 medium,  or 5 small, 12.5 medium, etc, for the same reason?

#20 Re: Help Me ! » Functions. Is g(x) etc, the OUTPUT? » 2024-01-19 06:45:50

Thanks, Bob.

I'll check out those links when I have time.

In the meantime, just a quick question.

Regards our saying that y=f(x), when looking for the inverse function; would it be accurate to say, in general (not just with functions), that, for example, y=x, or y=x+2, or whatever, that this is actually shorthand for y(x)=x, or y(x)=x+2, or whatever?

#21 Re: Help Me ! » Straight line graphs » 2024-01-04 23:06:14

Thanks, everyone

Regards a straight line being somthing lik, Ax+By+C=0 ; would those kind of equations just be rearrangements of y=mx+c?

I can see that y=mx+c can be rearranged, for example, thus;

m=y-c/(x)

x=y-c/(m)

c=y-mx

#22 Help Me ! » Straight line graphs » 2024-01-03 23:31:49

paulb203
Replies: 5

Is the equation for a straight line graph always in the form y=mx+c?

If so, is an equation for a straight line such as y=4 shorthand for y=0x+4?

#23 Re: Help Me ! » Functions. Is g(x) etc, the OUTPUT? » 2024-01-02 06:17:13

Thanks, guys.
One definition of function I came across online was;
"A function is a rule that maps a number to another unique number."

Q. Do you both agree with that defnition?
Q. Regards the 'unique number' part; I just came across a function question the answer to which was two numbers, either or, (a quadratic equation was involved; how does that fit with the 'unique number' part?

#24 Help Me ! » Functions. Is g(x) etc, the OUTPUT? » 2023-12-31 05:17:55

paulb203
Replies: 9

In a function is the part to the left hand side of the equals sign the OUTPUT?

For example, regards g(x) = x+2, is the following correct;

g(x) = OUTPUT

x = INPUT

x+2 = RELATIONSHIP

I know that if, regards the above, x=4, then we put 4 in and get 6 out, so 4 is the input and 6 is the output; but is g(x) also considered to be the OUTPUT? Or, in this case, g(4)?

#25 Re: Help Me ! » "Values" gradient v "grid" gradient » 2023-12-26 22:38:01

Thanks, Bob.

What plotter was I using? I've never used one, nor seen one, until now smile

I was using some printed out exercise pages.

I tried your plotter; great stuff. I'll use that from now on smile

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