Q&A - PSLE Math

[Dharma]

kancheongmum:

Hi Dharma and James Ang


About the speed question, I don't understand why there must be a relationship between the speed of uphill, downhill and ground level. This is how I teach my ds how to solve the problem. Please let me know if I am wrong. Thanks.

speed ratio UH: DH : GL ---- 4 : 12 : 6

time ratio
(inversely proportional) UH : DH : GL ---- 12 : 4 : 6 ---- 6:2:3 (11u)

total time 2h 20min---7/3 h

11u --- 7/3h 1u --- 7/33 h
UH distance ---- 6 x 7/33 x 4 --- 168/33 km
DH distance ---- 2 x 7/33 x 12 ---- 168/33 km
GL distance ---- 3 x 7/33 x 6 ----126/33 km

total distance ----- 168/33 + 168/33 + 126/33 ---- 14 km

Hi kancheongmum,

Sorry for the late reply. Your method gives the correct answer but the approach in my opinion does not seem to be very correct . If you look at your working, you had worked out the individual distances for uphill , downhill and on level ground. Your workings suggest the distance uphill and downhill are the same but the question is silent about the ratio of individual distances. Since total time is given, it is possible to get the correct answer.

Pls correct me if I am wrong.

[Dharma]

kancheongmum:

Hi Dharma and James Ang


About the speed question, I don't understand why there must be a relationship between the speed of uphill, downhill and ground level. This is how I teach my ds how to solve the problem. Please let me know if I am wrong. Thanks.

Hi kancheongmum,

What I meant abt the relationship betw Uphill, downhill Level speeds is that as Tianzhu has shown the average speed of the 3 portions is the same 6km/h and thus the average speed of the whole journey can be taken as 6km/h too. Thus makes life easy as we just need to multiply with the total time taken to find the total distance.

If the average speed on the slope (up and down) and the level ground are different, we have a problem....

[James Ang]

Dharma, you are right, the speed ratio is inverse of time ratio method/concept has to assume that distance is the same for all 3 uphill, downhill, level components before it can be applied. In the question, the average speed of the uphill/downhill is the same as the level ground speed, so it is independent of distance travelled uphill/downhill. The entire distance can be level or entire distance can be uphill/downhill then back to level ground at the end, the total distance is still 14km. Thanks for pointing that out.

Dharma:

kancheongmum:

Hi Dharma and James Ang

About the speed question, I don't understand why there must be a relationship between the speed of uphill, downhill and ground level. This is how I teach my ds how to solve the problem. Please let me know if I am wrong. Thanks.

speed ratio UH: DH : GL ---- 4 : 12 : 6

time ratio
(inversely proportional) UH : DH : GL ---- 12 : 4 : 6 ---- 6:2:3 (11u)

total time 2h 20min---7/3 h

11u --- 7/3h 1u --- 7/33 h
UH distance ---- 6 x 7/33 x 4 --- 168/33 km
DH distance ---- 2 x 7/33 x 12 ---- 168/33 km
GL distance ---- 3 x 7/33 x 6 ----126/33 km

total distance ----- 168/33 + 168/33 + 126/33 ---- 14 km

Hi kancheongmum,

Sorry for the late reply. Your method gives the correct answer but the approach in my opinion does not seem to be very correct . If you look at your working, you had worked out the individual distances for uphill , downhill and on level ground. Your workings suggest the distance uphill and downhill are the same but the question is silent about the ratio of individual distances. Since total time is given, it is possible to get the correct answer.

Pls correct me if I am wrong.

[tianzhu]

kancheongmum:

Hi all


ai yo after reading the hamster and speed questions send my head spinning. My ds is not strong in this area. Please advise if I should show him these type of questions or just concentrate on the basic concepts which I am doing now. tks

Hi

Suggest you get a set of 2010 P6 preliminary testpapers(available from vendors in Sep) to practise before PSLE.

Best wishes

[tianzhu]

Hi Dharma


You may find this article on Fibonacci sequence interesting.
http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/prime/articles/fibonac/index.asp

How many pairs of rabbits will be produced in a year, beginning with a single pair, if in every month each pair bears a new pair which becomes productive from the second month on?

Enjoy your reading.

Best wishes

[Dharma]

tianzhu:

Hi Dharma


You may find this article on Fibonacci sequence interesting.
http://www.mathacademy.com/pr/prime/articles/fibonac/index.asp

How many pairs of rabbits will be produced in a year, beginning with a single pair, if in every month each pair bears a new pair which becomes productive from the second month on?

Enjoy your reading.

Best wishes

Thanks Tianzhu for the enlightment.

[kancheongmum]

hi Dharma and James


Thank you for your explanation and I fully realize the flaw in my method. I will explain to my ds all over again and hope that he is not confused. Looking at the those questions again that use inversely proportional way of solving, yes the distance travelled is the same. Thanks really learn something from all of you.

Hi tianzhu thanks for your advice. Are you sure 2010 prelim paper are available now? Usually we have to wait till next year or Dec this year. Anyway my ds had already completed 2009 papers. He will start A* booklets and hopefully that is already enough practice. I really don’t want to stress him further as PSLE is so near.

[Dharma]

kancheongmum:

hi Dharma and James


Thank you for your explanation and I fully realize the flaw in my method. I will explain to my ds all over again and hope that he is not confused. Looking at the those questions again that use inversely proportional way of solving, yes the distance travelled is the same. Thanks really learn something from all of you.

Hi tianzhu thanks for your advice. Are you sure 2010 prelim paper are available now? Usually we have to wait till next year or Dec this year. Anyway my ds had already completed 2009 papers. He will start A* booklets and hopefully that is already enough practice. I really don't want to stress him further as PSLE is so near.

Hi kancheongmum,

Having a go at the latest 2010 Prelim papers will give your son the final practice on the latest questions before PSLE. It maybe a better practice than doing the A* booklets. Anyway, even if you do not buy the papers yourself, it is likely that his school will provide some of these papers as part of the final revision.

Good luck.

[tianzhu]

kancheongmum:

Are you sure 2010 prelim paper are available now?

Hi

As mentioned in my earlier post, 2010 P6 preliminary testpapers may be available in Sep.
You may wish to check with your usual vendors.

It's good to take a look because there may be newer trends/non routine questions.You don't have to do all the questions, just selectively do those that your kid find challenging.

Best wishes

[kancheongmum]

Hi Tianzhu and Dharma

Thanks for your advice. Hope I can get these papers for him. For his form teacher I don’t expect much cos till now the class still doing the PSLE maths booklet. My ds had completed during the June holidays with me and he was scolded for that. Sigh!!!