Supervisions: Work to Do

Instructions

For each supervision you need to do the work from the table below, and hand it in according to these instructions in advance of the supervision.
There's advice on the advice page if you want it.
If anything is unclear, please e-mail me on mds51@cam.ac.uk.
If you are isolating due to covid, let me know: in this case the supervision will move to Zoom. All other supervisions will be in person. Directions, the Zoom link, and covid information are here. Remember to bring a copy of the question sheet with you to supervisions.
If you'd like to re-arrange the time of your supervision you must ask me one week in advance. For anyone who is wondering whether this applies to them, I explain at tedious length at the bottom of this page.

Easter Term 2022

Past Paper Revision Resources

There's a collection of hints and worked solutions to most of the questions from the 2018 past papers in the subjects that I teach.

For IA NST Maths I have written out worked solutions to the 2010 and 2014 past papers. If you've made a serious attempt at these papers, and agree not to pass them on to anyone else, then I'll send you a copy. If you've already asked and I haven't sent them yet, please let me know by e-mail; I recall that several of you asked about this in person, but I've forgotten who you are...

For IB Physics A I have written out worked solutions to most of the 2010 past papers, and for IB Physics B to the 2014 past papers, on the same basis as the above. If you've asked me in person then please also send me an e-mail; I have forgotten who some of you are. Solutions to the 2016 and 2015 past papers can be found on the TiS. (And now that I know that I'm not going to write any out myself!)

I'll arrange some times after the main teaching period is over when I'll be in my office on Selwyn, and anyone with questions about past papers can visit me to ask them. I'll post those times here once I've made plans.

Work for supervisions between 23rd and 28th May

IA NST Maths, Course A: Questions 18-20 from question sheet 1, and 1-4 from question sheet 2.

IA NST Maths, Course B: Questions 27-31 from question sheet 1, where question 31 is optional, and question 1 from question sheet 2.

IB Physics A and IB Physics B: All of the remaining questions on the question sheet. Also bring with you (but do not hand in) any questions that you have about the past papers that you are doing to prepare for the exam. This will be the last supervision in this subject.

Work for supervisions between 16th and 21st May

IA NST Maths, Course A: Questions 11-17.

IA NST Maths, Course B: Questions 12-26, omitting 20 and 21.

IB Physics A: Questions 6 and 7, then 1-4 from the new sheet.

IB Physics B: Questions 6-11.

Work for supervisions between 9th and 14th May

IA NST Maths, Course A: Questions 1-10. Omit 4(d) and 9(a)(iii).

IA NST Maths, Course B: Questions 1-11. In question 3, only deal with the first three products (A^2, AB, AC).

IB Physics A: Questions 2-5. (Plus 1 if not done last week.)

IB Physics B: Questions 2-5. (Plus 1 if not done last week.)

Holiday Work: Easter 2022

In each subject the first item of holiday work is to go back over everything that you've done, make sure that you understand it, and revise for the coming exams.

When doing past Tripos papers, I think it's always a good idea to try them under timed conditions first, to practice working under time pressure, and then to go back and spend longer---in some cases much longer---to fix what you couldn't do in the time and make the best answers that you can. (You don't need to tell me which bit is timed in the work that you submit, though; please make sure that all of your final answer to a question is in one place, and just submit that.)

At the end of lectures in the Easter term, I'll make available worked solutions to the 2018 past papers in all of the subjects that I teach, so it would be a good idea to save those papers for revision shortly before the exams.

IA NST Maths: Course A

The work is due in by 12 noon on Tuesday 26th April.

Complete questions 19-25 from the question sheet.
From 2019 paper 1, complete all of section A, and questions 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
From 2019 paper 2, complete questions 1-6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the 2010 and 2014 past papers. I shan't mark these, but if you let me know you've made a serious attempt at the papers, and promise not to pass them on to anyone else, I'll send worked solutions.

IA NST Maths: Course B

The work is due in by 12 noon on Tuesday 26th April.

Complete questions 24-28 from the question sheet. Optionally add 29 and/or 30; they are good for you.
From 2019 paper 1, complete all of section A, and questions 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 20.
From 2019 paper 2, complete questions 1-6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 19.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the extension question sheet.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the 2010 and 2014 past papers. I shan't mark these, but if you let me know you've made a serious attempt at the papers, and promise not to pass them on to anyone else, I'll send worked solutions.

IB Physics A

The work is due in by various deadlines.

Complete the rest of example sheet 4.
From 2019 paper 1, complete all questions apart from part (a) of D13.
From 2019 paper 2, complete questions A1, A2, A3, B7, B8, B9, and D12.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the 2010 and 2016 past papers. I shan't mark these, but if you let me know you've made a serious attempt at the papers, and promise not to pass them on to anyone else, I'll send worked solutions.

IB Physics B

The work is due in by various deadlines.

Complete questions 9-12 from the thermodynamics queston sheet.
From 2019 paper 1, complete all questions apart from A4 and A5.
From 2019 paper 2, complete questions A3, A4, A5, B6, B8, B9, C10, and C11.
[Optional.] Any questions of your choice from the 2014 and 2016 past papers. I shan't mark these, but if you let me know you've made a serious attempt at the papers, and promise not to pass them on to anyone else, I'll send worked solutions.

Work to Do: Lent Term 2022

Supervisions between 14th and 19th March

IA NST Maths, A course: Questions S10-S13 and 14-18.

IA NST Maths, B course: S3, S4, and questions 14-23. Omit 22, and optionally omit 15.

IB Physics A: Questions 6-8 (plus 5 if not done last week) from question sheet III, then 1 and 2 from question sheet IV.

IB Physics B: Questions 3-8.

Supervisions between 7th and 12th March

IA NST Maths, A course: Question 19, then S1 and questions 2-7 from question sheet 3. Optionally include 9*, and 8* if you are very keen.

IA NST Maths, B course: S1, S2, and questions 6-13.

IB Physics A: Questions 1-3, and also 4 and 5 if the lecturer has lectured far enough.

IB Physics B: Questions 39-41 from fluids, and 1 and 2 from thermodynamics.

Supervisions between 28th February and 5th March

IA NST Maths, A course: Questions 13-18, omitting 16.

IA NST Maths, B course: Questions 17-22. Question 20 is optional (but do attempt it if you can).

IB Physics A: Questions 9-14.

IB Physics B: Questions 34-38.

Supervisions between 21st and 26th February

IA NST Maths, A course: Questions 9-12. Part (ii) of 12 is difficult and optional.

IA NST Maths, B course: S3 and questions 10-16. Optionally omit 13(ii) and 16(c).

IB Physics A: Questions 2-8.

IB Physics B: Questions 28-33.

Supervisions between 14th and 19th February

IA NST Maths, A course: Questions S1 to 8. The second part of 8 is optional.

IA NST Maths, B course: Questions S1a, S1c, S2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9..

IB Physics A: Questions 12-16, then 1 from the new sheet.

IB Physics B: Questions 22-27.

Supervisions between 7th and 12th February

Sorry for the late update this week.

IA NST Maths, A course: Questions S9, S10, and 11-13.

IA NST Maths, B course: Questions 9-13; optionally also X26 (and/or X24 or even X25).

IB Physics A: Questions 7-11.

IB Physics B: Questions 16-21.

Supervisions between 31st January and 5th February

IA NST Maths, A course: S1, S2, S3, S4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

IA NST Maths, B course: S1g, S1j, S2c, S2f, S3b, S4b, 5, 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 8c.

IB Physics A: Questions 1-6.

IB Physics B: Questions 10-15.

Holiday Work: Christmas 2021

IA NST Maths

I'll begin supervisions for IA NST Maths on Monday 24th January, but this work is due in by 12 noon on Tuesday 18th January.

Complete questions from the question sheet: K1-3 (A-course) or R11-14 (B-course).
Download the 2014 past papers for IA Nat. Sci. maths from the faculty's website. From paper 1, attempt questions 1-10, 12, 14, and 18. Do 15 and 19 instead of 18 if you are following the B-course.
From 2014 paper 2, attempt questions 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 13, and 15. Add 20 if you are following the B-course.
[Optional.] If you'd like to practise more Tripos questions, then attempt any questions of your choice from the 2010 papers.
[Optional.] Anyone who would like a challenge can have a look at anything from X1-23 on this extra question sheet. Feel free to hand in anything you've done if you'd like feedback.

Queens' students: don't do the 2014 past papers for me, as you have past paper questions from your DoS instead. The only compulsory work for you is K3-6.

IB Physics A

I'll begin supervisions in IB Physics A on Monday 17th January. The first supervision will be for going through the examples sheet and 2012 paper 1, which must be handed in (or sent in online) by noon on Thursday 13th January. The rest of the holiday work must be handed in on paper by noon on Tuesday 18th January; we shan't go through it in the first supervision.

Complete the rest of the question sheet on waves and optics, questions 29-36. Filename if submitting online: W_CYAQ_spqr1.pdf, replacing spqr1 with your crsid (which is the bit of your @cam e-mail address before the @).
Download the May 2012 IB physics A papers from the Cavendish teaching website. From paper 1, attempt questions A4, A5, D12, and D13. Filename if submitting online: W_CYA1_spqr1.pdf, replacing spqr1 with your crsid.
From 2012 paper 2, attempt questions A1, A2, A3, B6, B7, B8, B9, and D12.
[Optional.] If you'd like to practise more past paper questions (which is a very good idea), then attempt any of your choice from the 2010 paper 1.
Play with the wave interference demo on PhET if your computer allows you. (And others on the site as well if you like.) Don't hand anything in from this.

IB Physics B

I'll begin supervisions in IB Physics B on Monday 17th January. The first supervision will be for going through the examples sheet and 2013 paper 1, which must be handed in (or sent in online) by noon on Thursday 13th January. The rest of the holiday work must be handed in on paper by noon on Tuesday 18th January; we shan't go through it in the first supervision.

Complete questions 1-9 from the Dynamics question sheet. Filename if submitting online: W_CYBQ_spqr1.pdf, replacing spqr1 with your crsid (which is the bit of your @cam e-mail address before the @).
Download the June 2013 IB physics B papers from the Cavendish teaching website. From paper 1, attempt questions A2, B6, B7, B8, and B9. Filename if submitting online: W_CYB1_spqr1.pdf, replacing spqr1 with your crsid.
From 2013 paper 2, attempt questions A1, A3, B6, and B7.
[Optional.] If you'd like to practise more past paper questions (which is a very good idea), then attempt any of your choice from the 2012 papers.
If you can, play with the charges and fields demonstration from PhET, looking that the field and equipotentials for a dipole and two different kinds of quadrapole. Investigate any other relevant relevant simulations from PhET that look interesting, including, if you have nothing better to do, applying gratuitous electric shocks to John Travoltage. Don't hand anything in from this.

Work to Do: Michaelmas Term 2021

I plan to update this table on Wednesday mornings this term.

Date of Supervision	Work for IA Nat. Sci. Maths		Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
Date of Supervision	(Course A)	(Course B)	Work for IB Physics A	Work for IB Physics B
11th-16th October	No work set. (But look back over the maths work that you've done before arriving, and consider if there's anything that you want to ask about it.)		No supervision this week.
18th-23rd October	All questions from sections A and B on the question sheet, except that you may omit A1 and A3 if you like.	Questions A1, A3, A4, A5, A7, A8, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B10, B11, and B13.	Questions 1-5 from experimental methods (omitting 4(b)) and question 1 from osciallations.	Questions 1-6.
25th-30th October	Sections C, D, and E.	C1(iv), {C3(ii) or X2}*, C4, C5(i, ii, iii), C7, C9, C10, C12, D1, D2, E2, E3, E4, F1(b, e, g, h).	Questions 6-9 from experimental methods and 2 and 3 from osciallations, omitting the part of question 3 that is about cheese.	Questions 7-12.
1st-6th November	Questions 1-13 from section F. If you are already very good with complex numbers, omit question 1 completely, and only do parts (b), (d), (f), (h) and (j) from question 2.	{F3(c,d) or X4}*, F4(c), {F5(c) or X7}, F6, F7(b,d,e,f,g,h,i,k), F8, F10, F11, F13(b), F14(e), F15(d), F17, F18(c,e), F19, G1, G3(b,e), G4, H1(e,f,h), H2(a,c,e), H3.	Questions 10-14 from experimental methods, and 4 and 5 from oscillations.	Questions 13-18.
8th-13th November	F14-15, all of section G, and H1-7, optionally omitting H1(b,d,f,h), H2(b,d,f,h), and H5(d).	H4, H5, I1, J1, K1, K2, L1, L2. Optionally add X9.	Questions 15-17 from experimental methods, and 6-9 from waves and oscillations. (Note that question 7 isn't optional.)	Questions 19-24.
15th-20th November	H8 to H15.	M1, M2, M3, N1, N2, N4, O1, P1(d,g), P2(c,d,e), P3(b), P4. Optionally add X11.	Questions 10-15. If you don't want to use a computer for 15 then it can be done by algebra. (But this may take longer!)	Questions 25 to 30.
22nd-27th November	H16, H17, all of section I, J1, J2.	P5(d,g), P6(all), P7, P9, P10, P12, P15, Q1, Q2, Q4, Q6. Optionally add integration-based extension questions such as X17.	Questions 16(a), 17, 18, 19(a), 20, and 21. Add 16(b) and/or 19(b) only if you want an extra challenge.	Questions 31-37.
29th November - 4th December	The rest of section J, and questions 1 and 2 from section K.	P14, Q8, Q9, {R1 or X23}*, R2, R3, R4, R5, R7, R8, R9. [If you do X23, don't try to find the mean and standard deviation in (f).]	Questions 22-28. Omit 24(a) and 24(d).	Questions 38-44.

General notes

Where to find the questions

Resources for IA Nat. Sci. maths are on Moodle, and resources for Physics are on TiS. For Maths A, the question sheets are on the main Moodle page for the subject, but for Maths B you need to follow the link "Course B - Michaelmas Term - Prof Stuart Dalziel" to find it.
If there are more questions on the examples sheet than I set, then you are welcome to do the extra ones; I'm happy to mark them.
For maths B supervisions, in some cases I've given a choice of questions in {curly braces}. This means you've got a choice of either a regular question or an X question. The X questions are to be found on this extra question sheet. They are only there in case you are really keen for an extra challenge: if not, stick to the choices from the lecturer's question sheet. (You can also try some of the X questions that aren't in the table if you want...)

What I will mark

I will only mark work from the course question sheets, attempts at questions from the extension sheet, and work set in the tables above. The work set will include some questions from past tripos papers over the holidays and shortly before the exams.
I will not mark other past papers, or anything else. However, if you want to check your answers to specific past-paper questions, or talk about how to approach questions from anywhere else, then bring them along with you to a supervision, and if we have time we can go through them.
If you want to check answers to past papers, then warn me (at least a couple of days in advance) by e-mail so that I can bring in my copy of the paper.

Re-arranging supervisions

I'm happy to re-arrange supervisions for almost any reason, providing that I have a week's notice. This means that you need to talk to me about it in the previous supervision (i.e. the supervision before the one that you want to rearrange), when all of the affected people are in the same place.

There's no need to read the rest of this section unless you are looking to re-arrange a supervision with less than a week's notice.

Sometimes students ask me to re-arrange their supervisions by e-mail, giving me less than a week's notice. The trouble with this is that it requires a number of e-mails to establish a possible alternative time that all three or four people affected can make, and for me to book a room. This series of e-mails usually takes a few days, by which point some possible rearranged times have already been and gone, and during which I have to allow not only for my regular timetable and the time of the rearranged supervision, but also for a number of hypothetical timetables based on rearrangements that might never happen. This is inconvenient, and if several students are asking for such rearrangements at once, can become impossible. And I don't think it fair to provide a flexibility to some students that I can't give to everyone. Furthermore, I consider that providing a reasonable amount of notice for rearranging supervisions is a basic level of professionalism with regard to their academic commitments that can reasonably be expected of students. Therefore I shall not re-arrange any supervision with less than a week's notice except for academic or health reasons.

In particular, I will not rearrange supervisions with less than a week's notice if the reason is...
- rowing, even the "bumps". (If you're going to take part in a race whose exact time isn't set until shortly beforehand, then find out before the previous week's supervision all of the times that it could be. I can then try to find a time that doesn't clash with any of them.)
- any other sport.
- music, drama, or social events.
- routine family visits.
- a reason that you choose not to specify, even if you hint darkly at forces beyond your control.
- another supervisor wanting to teach you in what is usually my slot, unless someone can explain to me why their time is so very much more valuable than mine.
- an academic commitment that you have known about for long enough to give me a week's notice, but had forgotten about. (If you think that this is likely to be a problem, then e-mail me at least nine days before the supervision you want to rearrange, and I'll take on the responsibility of remembering to rearrange it at the proper time.)
- anything else not listed below.
I may make re-arrangements at short notice if...
- you are ill, or need to attend a medical appointment. Let me know as soon as possible.
- your department requires you to do something at short notice as part of your course, or you need to attend a catch-up practical session because you have been ill. (This should happen very rarely, because normally you will have advance notice from the department.) I may want to check with the department. (It will be faster if you get them to e-mail me directly.)
- your Director of Studies wants you to do something at short notice. In this case I'd expect them to confirm by e-mailing me directly.
- you have an interview for a summer job or internship or similar which is arranged at short notice, with no alternative interview time, such that you will lose the post if you don't attend. Although I'm unconvinced that an organization that does this is going to be good to work for, I appreciate that you may be in something of a buyers' market, so I'll consider each case on its merits.
- there is a reason why a re-arrangement ought to be made on compassionate grounds, e.g. because you are visiting a relative who is taken ill, or helping a friend who is in serious trouble. In this case you need either to tell me exactly what the problem is, or (if it's something that you don't feel comfortable telling me about) tell your Tutor or Director of Studies, who can confirm to me that there is a good reason.