n2-n-90=0

Chinman3000

Well-known member

Sep 28, 2011

1,267

• Jun 5, 2015

• #1

Can you solve this?

Apparently lots of GCSE students cant and have been complaining their little hearts out about it being too tough for their exams.

Full story here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33017299

WIthout being big headed am I the only one who thinks this is easy? Try not to post the answer....

Ps - n2 means n squared / to the power of 2.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2015

G

Gwylan

Well-known member

Jul 5, 2003

31,336

Uffern

• Jun 5, 2015

• #2

I think it's pretty easy too and I did my maths O level 42 years ago. Mrs Gwylan sat this paper yesterday and was pleased with herself for solving it as she heard some people moaning about it

EDIT: But the topic heading is wrong - it doesn't ask you to solve that equation

 

Pevenseagull

Anti-greed coalition

Jul 20, 2003

19,609

• Jun 5, 2015

• #3

It's too tough.

 

Pevenseagull

Anti-greed coalition

Jul 20, 2003

19,609

• Jun 5, 2015

• #4

......not 'to' tough.



......and it's very easy.

 

Yoda

English & European

Mar 1, 2004

10,056

Worthing, West Sussex, United Kingdom

• Jun 5, 2015

• #5

Nope, not just you. Took me all of seconds to work it out.

Nearly put the answer so changed what I was going to post.

 

hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.

Helpful Moderator

Mar 16, 2005

61,261

Chandlers Ford

• Jun 5, 2015

• #6

Chinman3000 said:

Can you solve this?

Apparently lots of GCSE students cant and have been complaining their little hearts out about it being too tough for their exams.

Full story here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33017299



WIthout being big headed am I the only one who thinks this is easy? Try not to post the answer....

Ps - n2 means n squared / to the power of 2.

Click to expand...

Took me about 20 seconds.

 

Bob!

Coffee Buyer

Jul 5, 2003

11,115

• Jun 5, 2015

• #7

So, I think I've worked it out.
Where is the answer?

 

Prince Monolulu

Everything in Moderation

Oct 2, 2013

10,201

The Race Hill

• Jun 5, 2015

• #8

I got it. After 4 pieces of paper and a calculator, is it 27.49256 ?

Hoorah

 

G

Gwylan

Well-known member

Jul 5, 2003

31,336

Uffern

• Jun 5, 2015

• #9

Prince Monolulu said:

I got it. After 4 pieces of paper and a calculator, is it 27.49256 ?

Hoorah

Click to expand...

No, it's 42

 

Nathan

Well-known member

Jan 8, 2010

3,752

• Jun 5, 2015

• #10

I was expecting it to be harder than it was considering all the fuss about it. Not that difficult at all.

 

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati

Helpful Moderator

NSC Patron

Jul 23, 2003

34,089

Up and Coming Sunny Portslade

• Jun 5, 2015

• #11

Yep got it - if it really is as easy as I think. Not a trick question?

*Goes off to look it up as paranoid*

 

Tony Meolas Loan Spell

Slut Faced Whores

Jul 15, 2004

18,067

Vamanos Pest

• Jun 5, 2015

• #12

That wasnt quite the question tho.

 

Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat

Aug 18, 2009

65,402

Beside the seaside, beside the sea

• Jun 5, 2015

• #13

Tony Meolas Loan Spell said:

That wasnt quite the question tho.

Click to expand...

It was linked to yellow & orange sweets.

 

BBassic

I changed this.

Jul 28, 2011

12,307

• Jun 5, 2015

• #14

I've no idea. I managed to fail my Maths GCSE no less than five times.

 

H

hoveboyslim

Well-known member

Feb 7, 2004

557

Hove

• Jun 5, 2015

• #15

Chinman3000 said:

Can you solve this?

Apparently lots of GCSE students cant and have been complaining their little hearts out about it being too tough for their exams.

Full story here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-33017299

WIthout being big headed am I the only one who thinks this is easy? Try not to post the answer....

Ps - n2 means n squared / to the power of 2.

Click to expand...

Clearly not easy enough. I believe you would have got it wrong as you didn't read the question (classic school boy error).
The GCSE question didn't ask for equation to be solved. It asks for the workings out to arrive at that equation from the given text.

 

spring hall convert

Well-known member

Nov 3, 2009

9,608

Brighton

• Jun 5, 2015

• #16

Chinman3000 said:

WIthout being big headed am I the only one who thinks this is easy? Try not to post the answer....

Click to expand...

You're not the only one.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2015

Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Jul 11, 2003

59,467

The Fatherland

• Jun 5, 2015

• #17

Took me about 15 seconds to spot one answer and about 1 minute to derive the other.

Edit: removed the value to avoid spoiler

 

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo

Waxing chumps like candles since ‘75

Oct 4, 2003

11,038

• Jun 5, 2015

• #18

I didn't hear any students where I work moaning about this question after the exam though. Clearly they've been taught well or are too thick to realise they've got it wrong.


http://www.theguardian.com/educatio...est-gcse-math-question-viral-trending-twitter

full question is on the page linked above.

 

Last edited: Jun 5, 2015

StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil

Oct 30, 2010

9,773

BC, Canada

• Jun 5, 2015

• #19

Possible SPOILERS BELOW










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I'm not great at Maths, but isn't this a pretty easy one?

n2-n-90=0

Let's pretend N = 10

10 Squared = 100
100 - N (10) = 90
90 - 90 = 0
Therefore, N = 10

Right?

 

Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati

Helpful Moderator

NSC Patron

Jul 23, 2003

34,089

Up and Coming Sunny Portslade

• Jun 5, 2015

• #20

Guinness Boy said:

Yep got it - if it really is as easy as I think. Not a trick question?

*Goes off to look it up as paranoid*

Click to expand...

Tony Meolas Loan Spell said:

That wasnt quite the question tho.

Click to expand...

hoveboyslim said:

Clearly not easy enough. I believe you would have got it wrong as you didn't read the question (classic school boy error).
The GCSE question didn't ask for equation to be solved. It asks for the workings out to arrive at that equation from the given text.

Click to expand...

The equation is bloody easy to solve but the actual question takes a bit of work. Not impossible though.