Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊

n2-n-90=0







Dec 29, 2011
8,025
n doesn't have to equal 10 (in the raw quadratic equation).

My mind is clearly ODD, because when I said I'd answered it in 15 seconds, I hadn't even spotted the obvious answer, but had answered -9.

-9 x -9 = 81

81 - -9 = 90

n = -9

:jester:

I got -9 in a few seconds, didn't even think it'd be 10. But if done properly the quadratic equation should have been used which would have given us the right answers anyway. The solution Mac04 posted is really hard, if that's what they expected I'm not surprised people are complaining, that kind of stuff was on my uni statistics tests and it takes a lot of thought to think how to prove it.
 


Daffy Duck

Stop bloody moaning!
Nov 7, 2009
3,824
GOSBTS
I think it's testing the probability of whether we'll sign a new 20-goal a season striker.

Bit worrying that the answer is 0.
 




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,339
Uffern
n doesn't have to equal 10 (in the raw quadratic equation).

My mind is clearly ODD, because when I said I'd answered it in 15 seconds, I hadn't even spotted the obvious answer, but had answered -9.

-9 x -9 = 81

81 - -9 = 90

n = -9

:jester:

When I first saw this, I hadn't seen the whole question and thought it was how to solve the quadratic equation and I gave the same answer as HKFC
 






hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,310
Chandlers Ford
When I first saw this, I hadn't seen the whole question and thought it was how to solve the quadratic equation and I gave the same answer as HKFC

Yay. We, and [MENTION=22906]GingerBeerMan[/MENTION] , can be ODD together.
 






tinycowboy

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2008
4,002
Canterbury
I thought this was quite tricky - when I was at school, we didn't do probability until A-level, I think. To deduce that (6/n) x (5/(n-1)) = (1/3) would appear to be not so straightforward (although it is guessable) if you haven't done probability. If you have done it, it's not too difficult.
 


Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
46,036
at home
I don't understand the question!
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,562
The Fatherland
I thought this was quite tricky - when I was at school, we didn't do probability until A-level, I think. To deduce that (6/n) x (5/(n-1)) = (1/3) would appear to be not so straightforward (although it is guessable) if you haven't done probability. If you have done it, it's not too difficult.

I agree. I didn't do probability in O-level maths, but I did in O-level stats. But, if you have been taught probability at GCSE this question is, in my opinion, pretty basic.
 






Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,562
The Fatherland


yxee

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2011
2,521
Manchester
I'm not sure what's depressing, that schoolchildren can't do this, or that they moan and whine in such large quantities about it on social media afterwards.
 




m20gull

Well-known member
Jun 10, 2004
3,421
Land of the Chavs
I thought this was quite tricky - when I was at school, we didn't do probability until A-level, I think. To deduce that (6/n) x (5/(n-1)) = (1/3) would appear to be not so straightforward (although it is guessable) if you haven't done probability. If you have done it, it's not too difficult.
Probability is now in GCSE. All that's needed is some algebra. Not sure what the fuss is about.
 




Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
50,200
Goldstone
Can you solve this?
I haven't done much with equations for 27 years, but yes, that took about 5 seconds (I appreciate many would have been faster).
 








Dunk

Member
Jul 27, 2011
279
Lewes
I thought it was pretty hard as it goes.

Firstly it looked like a tree diagram question which would have thrown many candidates as the branches would have had 'n' and 'n-1' as denominators.
If they realised it was a case of multiplying (6/n)x(5/n-1) and making that equal to 1/3, it is then some tricky algebra to form the given equation.

The second part involved solving the given equation. It was a non-calculator question so the quadratic formula would have been tricky to use. It was factorisable however as (n-10)(n+9) = 0. There is then one final trick as only one of the two solutions made sense in context.

There were a few hard questions this year and round two on Monday. Everyone that used that exam board has the same exam though so it is fair. Good luck to anyone on here who has Paper 2 on Monday.
 


Albion and Premier League latest from Sky Sports


Top
Link Here