Mathematics, Computing and Technology

MU123 Discovering mathematics

MU123
End-of-Module Assignment
(TMA 05)
Covers the whole module.

2011B

Cut-off date: 28 September 2011

As described in the MU123 Guide, TMA 05 covers all of MU123 and has a
different status in terms of determining your overall result. For this reason
TMA 05 is known formally as the End-of-Module Assignment and you
should use this name if you need to contact the University about it.
There are some important differences for preparing and submitting
this End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05). Please read all the
instructions below before beginning work on this assignment.

Preparation advice
This assignment covers the whole of MU123. There are five questions, each
worth 25 marks. You should answer only four out of the five
questions, giving a total of 100 possible marks. If you answer all
five questions, your tutor will only mark the first four in the order
presented in your work.
Before beginning work on this assignment, please:
look again at Subsection 5.3 of Unit 1 to remind yourself of key points
in answering questions
look at your tutors feedback for earlier TMAs and make a note of any
advice that might help you in this assignment.
Much of the advice given in Instructions for preparing and submitting
TMAs 0104 also applies to this assignment. In particular please read the
following sections:
Points to note when preparing your TMAs
Word-processing your TMAs
Plagiarism statement
Contact your tutor with any queries about how to prepare this assignment.

Submission instructions
Important points about submitting this assignment are described in the
following questions and answers.
If you have a query about submitting this assignment, please email
assignments@open.ac.uk or phone 01908 654330 stating MU123
End-of-Module Assignment.
(Continues on following pages)

c 2011 The Open University

Copyright
3.1

WEB 02210 2

Can I pass MU123 without submitting the End-of-Module

Assignment (TMA 05)?
No. To pass MU123 you must achieve both of the following:
an overall assessment score of at least 40%;
at least 30% on this End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05).
Details of how your overall result is calculated are given in the MU123
Guide. From your StudentHome web page, you can use the Assessment
Calculator to help you to see how you are progressing with your assessment
scores and the effect of any substitution.
How should I submit the End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05)?
You should submit your work, with a signed TMA (PT3) form, to arrive
with your tutor by the cut-off date. Make sure that you allow sufficient time
in the post, and check that the postage is sufficient. Your tutor cannot grant
permission for an extension. You should keep a copy of your work in case of
loss in the mail, and obtain proof of posting, because if it arrives after the
cut-off date, then you will be asked to provide proof that you posted it in
time.
Can my score for the End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05) be
substituted?
No. (Substitution is explained in the Assessment Handbook.)
What will happen if my End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05) is
received after the cut-off date?
It will not be accepted for credit and therefore you will fail MU123 unless
you are able to prove that it was posted in sufficient time to arrive by the
cut-off date.
When will I receive my MU123 result, and when will I receive
feedback on the End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05)?
You should receive your result within three months of the cut-off date for
the End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05). It will be posted to you, and will
also be available via your StudentHome page. Your End-of-Module
Assignment (TMA 05) will normally be returned to you within six weeks of
results being released.
If I do not achieve the criteria for a pass result, will I be allowed
to attempt the End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05) again?
If your overall weighted average is 40 or above and you have scored at least
15 on the End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05), you will be awarded a Fail
entitled to resubmit result. You will need to register for your resubmission,
and you will then receive a new End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05),
together with instructions for submitting it. You can be awarded only one
opportunity to resubmit this piece of work. Your overall result will then be
based on your scores for this new End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05) and
the scores that you achieved for TMAs 0104 and iCMAs 4145.
What happens if I need more time for the End-of-Module
Assignment (TMA 05)?
You should make every effort to complete your End-of-Module Assignment
(TMA 05) in time to send it to your tutor well before the cut-off date.
However, if serious and prolonged circumstances beyond your
control prevent you from meeting the cut-off date, you may apply either for
an extension for this End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05) by up to three
weeks, or to defer to the following presentation of MU123, for which you will
be asked to complete a different End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05).

page 2 of 9

Criteria for applying

You can apply to delay submission only if the following circumstances
have arisen in the final three weeks before the cut-off date:
prolonged illness supporting medical documentation must be
provided; or
death or serious illness of a close relative medical certificate or other
appropriate supporting evidence must be provided; or
other serious exceptional circumstances supported by documentary
evidence.
You can only get formal approval to submit your work late by
the procedure detailed below. Neither your tutor, nor any other
area of the University, is authorised to give this permission.
If possible, continue working on your End-of-Module Assignment
(TMA 05) as you should not assume that an extension or deferral will be
granted.
How and when to apply
All applications for an extension or deferral must be in writing or email
and must be received at Walton Hall before the cut-off date. The
University will not accept telephone requests.
In

your application you should clearly set out:

your name and personal identifier and the module concerned;
the details of your circumstances; and
the timescale in which they affected your work.

Send your request to: ema-extension@open.ac.uk or to:

Assessment Policy Office
P.O. Box 83
Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6BF
We strongly recommend that you obtain proof of posting in case your
request is either lost or delayed. If you email your request you will receive
an automatic acknowledgement, which you should retain as proof that you
submitted your request.
Documentary evidence
You must also provide independent documentary evidence supporting your
application. If you are ill, the evidence must be a medical certificate
covering the period concerned and signed by a certified medical
practitioner. If you need advice on the formulation of your application
contact the Learner Support Team at your regional or national centre.
If an extension or deferral is not granted
If you are not granted an extension or deferral, you should submit your
End-of-Module Assignment (TMA 05) by the cut-off date. You may also
complete and submit an E39P form to inform the Examination and
Assessment Board of the difficulties you experienced that adversely
affected the preparation and submission of your assignment. The Board
may take this information into account when deciding upon a final grade.
You can get the form from www.open.ac.uk/assessment. Follow the
link to Forms used in assessment in the Forms and information section.
Please submit the form to the address given on the form.

page 3 of 9

MU123 TMA 05

Cut-off date 28 September 2011

Answer only four of the following five questions (each question is

worth 25 marks).
Question 1 (Statistics)

25 marks

As part of an investigation into randomness, a group of students decides to

compare their estimates of the number of heads obtained when a coin is
tossed 100 times with the actual numbers resulting from an experiment.
Each student first estimates the number of heads that might result
from 100 tosses of a coin. Then they toss a coin 100 times and count the
number of heads. Their results are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Estimated and actual number of heads
for a coin tossed 100 times
Student
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

Number of heads
Estimated
Actual
number
number
50
52
53
49
46
48
49
50
52
53
55
46
48
49
51
50
52
48

48
44
65
54
53
53
49
51
55
50
48
40
47
48
49
43
55
55

(a) (i) Are these data discrete or continuous? Explain your answer.
(ii) Classify the investigation as summarising, comparing or seeking a
relationship.
(b) Enter the data for the estimated numbers and the actual numbers into
two new lists in Dataplotter. Copy and complete the following table.
The mean, rounded to one decimal place, is given for you as a check
that you have entered the data correctly.

page 4 of 9

[2]
[1]

Estimated
number

Actual
number

50.1

50.4

Minimum
Median
Maximum
Mean
Standard
deviation
Interquartile range
Range
[3]
(c) (i) Use the two measures of location that you found above to
compare the estimated average number of heads with the actual
average number of heads.
(ii) Use the measures of spread that you found above to say which
dataset shows the greater variation.

[2]
[3]

(d) (i) Provide boxplots for these two datasets. You may include a
printout or screenshot from Dataplotter or you may draw the
boxplots by hand (using a common axis so that they are easy to
compare). Add appropriate labelling as described in
Subsection 1.2 of Unit 11. You may include the summary values
on the boxplots themselves or in a table to the side as they
appear in Dataplotter.

[3]

(ii) Explain how you can use the boxplots to compare both the
location and the spread of the datasets.

[2]

(e) (i) Summarise the results of the investigation.

[2]

(ii) In which parts of this question were you using the PCAI cycle
to analyse the data?
to interpret the results?
Give reasons for your answers.

[2]

(f) One student had an actual result of 65 heads in 100 tosses of the coin.
She questions this, saying that it is too high to have happened by
chance alone and that the coin she used must not have been fair.
Using the By chance alone software she finds that the percentage of
results from this type of experiment that give 65 heads or higher
is 0.18%. Explain what this figure means. How does it compare with
the cut-off values of 5% and 1% often used? Does this support her
argument that a result of 65 is unlikely to have happened by chance
alone?

[3]

(g) A biased coin is tossed 500 times giving 350 heads. Calculate the
probability that a head is tossed using this biased coin.

[2]

page 5 of 9

Question 2 (Lines and parabolas)

25 marks

Throughout this question, you should use algebra to work out your answers,
except in part (c)(i). You may use a graph to check that your answers are
correct but it is not sufficient to read your results from a graph.
(a) A straight line passes through the points (3, 9) and (1, 1).
(i)

Calculate the gradient of the line.

[2]

(ii) Show that the equation of the line is y = 2x 3.

[2]

(iii) Find the x- and y-intercepts of the line.

[3]

(iv) Does the line y = 2x + 3 intersect with the line y = 2x 3?

Explain your answer.

[2]

(b) A parabola has equation y = x + 4x + 5.

(i)

This parabola is n-shaped. Explain how you can tell this from
the equation.

[1]

(ii) Find the y-intercept of the parabola.

[1]

(iii) Find the x-intercepts of the parabola.

[3]

(iv) Find the coordinates of the vertex of the parabola.

[4]

(c) (i)

Produce, either by hand or using Graphplotter, a sketch of the

straight line from part (a) and the parabola from part (b).
Choose x- and y-scales so that you can see where the graphs
intersect.

[3]

(ii) Solve the simultaneous equations

y = 2x 3
y = x2 + 4x + 5.
Hence find the points where the two graphs from parts (a)
and (b) intersect.

page 6 of 9

[4]

Question 3 (Algebra)

25 marks

You should use algebra in all parts of this question, showing your working
clearly.
(a) Solve the following equations.
(i) 7x 1 = 11 + 4x

[2]

x2
2x
=
3
7
2
(iii) x + 3x 5 = 0 (give your answers correct to two decimal places)

[4]

(iv) 3x + 2y = 3
5x y = 8

[4]

(ii)

(b) Rearrange the formula a = 5b 2c(3 + b) + c to make b the subject.

[3]

[4]

(c) A student was asked to solve the equation x3 + 9x2 + 14x = 0. Here is
the students incorrect attempt.

x3 + 9x2 + 14x = 0
x (x2 + 9x + 14) = 0
x 2 + 9x + 14 = 0
(x + 7) (x + 2) = 0
So x + 7 = 0 or x + 2 = 0
x = 7 or x = 2
(i) Write out your own full and correct attempt. (Note that there are
three solutions to the equation.)

[4]

(ii) Identify the two lines in the students attempt where a mistake
has been made and explain these mistakes.

[4]

page 7 of 9

Question 4 (Geometry and trigonometry)

25 marks

This question is concerned with Figures 1 and 2 below.

Round answers, where necessary, to one decimal place.
(a) In Figure 1, ABC is a triangle, the line segment AD is perpendicular
to AB and AP QR is a rectangle. P Q = 30 m, QR = 5 m, RD = 10 m
and DC = 24 m.

C
24 m
10 m

A
P

30 m

5m

(i)

Explain why angle QRD is a right angle. Hence find the length
of QD.

[3]

Explain why angles P BQ and RQD are equal.

[1]

(iii) Show that triangle P BQ is similar to triangle RQD.

[2]

(iv) Use the similar triangles to find the length of P B.

[3]

(v)

[1]

(ii)

Find another triangle similar to triangles P BQ and RQD.

(vi) Use trigonometry to find angle RDQ.

[3]

(vii) Find angle ADC.

[1]

(viii) Use triangle ADC to find the length of AC.

[5]

(b) In Figure 2, A and B are points on a circle with centre M . The radius
of the circle is 8 cm and angle AM B is 70.
A

8 cm
70

(i) Find the area of the triangle AM B.

[2]

(ii) Convert 70 to radians and hence find the area of sector AM B.

[3]

(iii) Using your answers to part (b)(i) and (ii), find the area of the
shaded segment.

[1]

page 8 of 9

Question 5 (Modelling)

25 marks

This question concerns the trend in the number of National Rail passenger
journeys in Great Britain. Table 2 shows the number of rail passenger
journeys between 1999/2000 and 2008/09. (Note that Year 0 corresponds
to the year 1999/2000.)
Table 2
Year
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Rail passenger journeys 1999/20002008/09

Number of rail passenger journeys
(millions)
931
957
960
976
1012
1045
1082
1151
1232
1274

(Source: Office for Rail Regulation)

(a) Either by hand or using Dataplotter, produce a scatterplot for these
data. Put Year on the horizontal axis.
(b) A linear model with equation
N = 38.3T + 890

[3]

has been proposed for these data, where N is the number of rail
passenger journeys (in millions) and T is the year.
(i) Use the linear model to estimate the number of rail passenger
journeys in year 11 (2010/11) and in year 20 (2019/20), giving
your answers correct to the nearest million. Comment on the
comparative reliability of these estimates.

[4]

(ii) Use the linear model (and algebra) to find the year in which the
linear model predicts that the number of rail passenger journeys
will exceed 1500 million.

[3]

(iii) Write down the gradient for the linear model. Interpret this
gradient in the context of the practical situation being modelled.
(c) An alternative approach uses an exponential model with equation

[2]

N = 901 1.036T ,
where N is the number of rail passenger journeys (in millions) and T
is the year.
(i) Use the exponential model to estimate the number of rail
passenger journeys in year 20 (2019/20). Give your answer
correct to the nearest million.

[3]

(ii) Use the method shown in Unit 13, Subsection 5.2, to find the year
in which the exponential model predicts that the number of rail
journeys will exceed 1500 million.

[6]

(iii) Write down the value of the scale factor for the exponential
model. Use this to find the percentage increase in the number of
rail passenger journeys each year.

[2]

(d) The two models give different estimates for the future. Which, if
either, model do you think would be useful for predicting the number
of rail passenger journeys in 20 years time? Justify your answer.

[2]
page 9 of 9