<p>I heard they curve the science section by up to 60% for freshmen. I thought the first math section was going to be like SAT math, which I got a 760 on, but it was way harder. Can anyone explain how to do the bases type questions?</p>
<p>Did anyone else take it in Havenmeyer 309 yesterday?</p>
<p>Did you hear if sophomores receive a curve as well? </p>
<p>I solved the base questions by converting everything into base 10. A “base” number system means that each digits place corresponds the base raised to a certain power. </p>
<p>We use the base 10 number system. That means that every digit place corresponds to 10 raised to a certain power. i.e. The ones place is 10^0, tens place is 10^1, hundreds is 10^2, etc. If you had a base 4 number system, the ones would be the same (4^0) but the “ten’s” place would actually be the 4’s place (4^1), the “hundreds” place the sixteen’s place (4^2), the “thousands” place the 64’s place (4^3), and so on. </p>
<p>Look at 43 in the base 10 number system.
The 3 is in the one’s place, so its value is 3 (3<em>10^0)
The 4 is in the ten’s place, so its value is 40 (4</em>10^1) </p>
<p>Now let’s say you had 43 again, but this time in base 7.
The one’s place is still the one’s place, so its value is still 3 (3<em>7^0)
But now, the ten’s place is actually the seven’s place, so its value in base 10 is 28 (4</em>7^1) </p>
<p>Thus 43 in base 7 is 31 (3+28) in base 10. </p>
<p>The way you solve base problems is to convert everything to base 10, do your calculations, and convert it back (if the questions asks for it).</p>
<p>yea the first math section was harder than i thought too. i didn’t really know a quarter of the problems in it since i’m a freshman and my teacher never taught us it. the science was easier for me though. and i was in pupin hall 301</p>
<p>@spazzer4501 Idk if sophs get a curve. If the 3 is in the one’s place, why is it 3(9*10^0)? Where did the nine come from?</p>
<p>my bad, that was a typo, should’ve been three (not sure where that one came from)</p>
<p>Lol ok thanks. I understand it much better now!</p>
<p>no problem, by the way does anyone know what the guessing penalty is?</p>
<p>I heard it’s a crapload</p>
<p>…from who?!</p>
<p>This kid who sat in front of me. Yesterday was the third time he took the test.</p>
<p>huh…that’s not good cause I got a lot of the science questions wrong. it can’t be more than 1 point right? Some people in this thread said -.25 or -.3</p>
<p>What’s the curve for the sophomores.</p>
<p>Idk I hope it’s not a lot. Otherwise I’m screwed for the science section</p>
<p>The cowboy one was definitely 17. How are you guys doing it? Are you finding a random point on the river, or reflecting the cabin across the river?</p>
<p>@bbman888 I took it in havemeyer 309 yesterday</p>
<p>@bbman888 lol I hope it’s a good amount cause I’m a soph and I have no time to go to SHP in my senior year if I take it again next year ; -;.</p>
<p>@codeadam you don’t need to do any reflecting. I drew a quick sketch of the scenario. if you did, it’s easier to figure out what to do. the cowboy was 4 miles south of the river. I don’t know exact numbers but he was also 7 miles north and 18 miles west of his cabin. in the sketch i drew, it forms a right triangle. the shortest distance for him to water his horse and go back to his cabin is to walk the 4 miles to the stream and then walk the length of the hypotenuse of the right triangle. this came out as 4 + sqrt135</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Except it’s not. </p>
<p>The shortest distance is not walking directly north towards the river, and then back along the hypotenuse of a triangle. The shortest distance is walking northeast towards the river (and laterally towards the cabin), and then back along the hypotenuse of a shorter right triangle. Reflecting the cabin across the river accounts for this, your method does not.</p>
<p>I remember the numbers, the cowboy was 4 south of the river, 8 miles west and 7 miles north of his cabin. By your method, you would recieve 4 + 8^2 + 11^2 = 4 + sqrt. 185 </p>
<p>4 + sqrt. 185 comes out to around 17.6, which is longer than the 17 you get by reflecting the cabin across the river.</p>
<p>@bbman888 Yes, I go to MHS. Science is so messed up there, but oh well. How did you know? </p>
<p>@spazzer4501 How are you doing the cowboy question? Sorry, I’m not following your process.</p>