Maths question.

neilmcl

coffeehound wrote: »

Not sure why 35 being a factor of 70 would help with that calc? Well i take your point that this would be within the syllabus but to be honest i doubt that every average 20- or 30-year-old would know how to tackle it!

Which says a lot more about the education system over the past 20 years or so, in particular with reference to the core subjects of maths, English and science.

Personally I think it started to go downhill with the introduction of GCSEs.

Cornucopia

dogmaryxx wrote: »

Could you pass the 11-plus? Exam papers first used in the 1950s...

I don't think there's anything particularly tricky there - perhaps a couple where you would need to read the question carefully? Barring silly mistakes or misunderstanding the question I would say everything was doable. Do we know how much time they would have been given?

I can't help thinking that the motorist in Q2 was almost certainly wearing a flat cap and driving a Morris Traveller.

DoaM

coffeehound wrote: »

Not sure why 35 being a factor of 70 would help with that calc?

The why has already been explained ... even in the post immediately before yours! (Albeit prowla used miles instead of kilometres, so obviously didn't read the question properly)

Cornucopia

In a classroom where "real" problem solving is being emphasised over use of tools like calculators (and before that, log tables and sliderules) these sort of easy breakdown equations are often used.

You have to recognise the shortcuts, though, to save yourself the hassle and work that may not be practical in the time allowed.

A classic was always the approximation of Pi as 22/7 - easily worked into easy to break down equations (certainly much easier than the true, irrational value).

GunJack

Cornucopia wrote: »

A classic was always the approximation of Pi as 22/7 - easily worked into easy to break down equations (certainly much easier than the true, irrational value).

Yeah, that made lots of stuff quicker....

I still despair over some of the methods they have taught for long division/multiplication over the last 20 or so years....my oldest used to marvel at how quick they could be done when helping him with his homework, but they'd brainwashed the kids so much he couldn't get it for a looong time

jackieblack

DoaM wrote: »

The why has already been explained ... even in the post immediately before yours! (Albeit prowla used miles instead of kilometres, so obviously didn't read the question properly)

Presuming it was two mark question, as long as he had shown his working prowla would still get a mark by showing he'd understood what the question was asking and used the correct method, just not the extra mark for the actual correct answer