Mathematics
Categories
ContactWJEC Maths C1
The first taste of A-level Mathematics that many people get, this module can be considered as the launching pad, from which we reach all of the other Pure, Mechanics and Statistics modules.
(These pages are loosely based on the new 2009 specification.)
Topics
The following topics are drawn essentially from the WJEC specification; click on topics to link to WJEC-relevant content.
1 - Algebra & Equations
- The laws of indices.
et al. - Surds. Including rationalising the denominator in expressions like
. - Quadratics. Graphs, the discriminant
, completing the square (including finding the minimum or maximum), and general solutions. - Simultaneous equations. Solution by substitution, including the application to finding intersections.
- Inequalities. Including solution of quadratic inequalities.
- Function graphs. Including sketching and solving equations from graphs.
- Graph transformations. Components of
2 - Coordinate Geometry
- Equations of a straight line. Including moving between the forms
, 
and 
. - Conditions of parallel and perpendicular lines. Relationship between gradients
and 
.
3 - Polynomials
- Algebraic manipulation. Expanding brackets and collecting like terms.
- Factorization. Division of polynomials.
- Factor and Remainder Theorems. Their application to cubis.
- Binomial expansions. The general term in
for positive, whole powers, with notations 
and 
.
4 - Calculus
- Interpretations of the derivative. As the tangent's gradient at the point (and as a limit) and as the rate of change.
- Differentiating polynomials. Sums and differences of polynomial terms
, including differentiation from first principles. - Minima and maxima. Including second order derivatives, as a method of solution of optimization problems.
- Other applications. Increasing and decreasing functions, stationary points, equations of normals and tangents, and curve sketching.