Β§-Math Methods syllabus
QLD Β· QCAAβ Math Methods
Math Methods syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the QLD Math Methods syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Unit 1: Algebra, statistics and functions
Module overview βHow are arithmetic and geometric sequences analysed?
Define arithmetic and geometric sequences, find the th term and the sum of the first terms, and apply to real-world contexts
What counting and probability principles does QCE Math Methods Unit 1 introduce?
Counting techniques (multiplication principle, permutations and combinations), simple probability, conditional probability and the addition and multiplication rules
How are financial calculations done?
Apply simple interest, compound interest and depreciation models to financial calculations, including future value, present value and effective annual rate
What functions and graphs does QCE Math Methods Unit 1 introduce, and how are they analysed?
Functions and graphs introduced in Year 11, including linear, quadratic, cubic, polynomial, exponential and logarithmic functions; their key features, intercepts and transformations
How are linear and quadratic functions analysed?
Sketch and analyse linear and quadratic functions, finding gradient, intercepts, vertex and discriminant, and solving linear and quadratic equations and inequalities
What additional algebraic skills does QCE Math Methods Unit 1 introduce?
Index and logarithm laws, factorisation techniques, solving polynomial equations, and the relationship between exponential and logarithmic functions
How are polynomial functions analysed?
Sketch and analyse polynomial functions of degree 3 and 4, using factored form to read roots and multiplicities, and applying the factor and remainder theorems
How are probability and counting applied?
Apply the rules of probability (addition, multiplication, conditional), permutations and combinations to calculate probabilities of compound events
How are arithmetic and geometric sequences and series defined and computed in QCE Math Methods Unit 1?
Arithmetic and geometric sequences and series, including the general term formulas, sum formulas, and applications to growth and decay problems
How are simultaneous equations solved?
Solve systems of simultaneous linear equations in two and three variables, including by substitution, elimination, and matrix methods, and interpret the results graphically
How are surds and exponents simplified?
Simplify expressions involving surds and apply the laws of indices to rational and negative exponents
How are transformations applied to function graphs?
Apply translations, dilations and reflections to the graph of a function, including the form and the effect of each parameter
Unit 2: Calculus
Module overview βTopic 3: Introduction to differential calculus
Define the derivative of a function as a limit and use first principles to find the derivative of a polynomial function
How are exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions extended in QCE Math Methods Unit 2?
Exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions (including their graphs and transformations), and applications to growth and decay and periodic phenomena
Topic 1: Exponential functions
Graph and analyse exponential functions of the form , identifying key features (intercepts, asymptote, domain, range) and applying transformations
Topic 1: Exponential functions
Model exponential growth and decay using or , including problems involving population growth, radioactive decay, depreciation and continuous compound interest
Topic 1: Exponential functions
Recall and apply the laws of indices to simplify expressions and solve equations involving rational and negative exponents
How is differential calculus introduced in QCE Math Methods Unit 2?
Introduction to differential calculus, including the gradient at a point, the derivative as a function, and the power rule for derivatives of polynomial functions
Topic 1: Exponential functions
Define logarithms as the inverse of exponentials, apply the laws of logarithms, and solve exponential equations using logarithms
Topic 3: Introduction to differential calculus
Apply the power rule, the sum rule, and the constant-multiple rule to differentiate polynomial functions, and use the derivative to find tangent and normal line equations
What discrete probability distributions does QCE Math Methods Unit 2 introduce?
Discrete probability distributions, including the uniform discrete distribution and an introduction to the Bernoulli distribution, with calculations of expected value and variance
Topic 2: Trigonometric functions
Define radian measure of angle and relate to arc length; evaluate exact values of sine, cosine and tangent of common angles using the unit circle
Topic 3: Introduction to differential calculus
Use the derivative to find stationary points of a polynomial function and classify them, and apply differentiation to simple optimisation problems
Topic 2: Trigonometric functions
Sketch and analyse graphs of and , identifying amplitude, period, phase shift and vertical translation
Topic 2: Trigonometric functions
State and apply the Pythagorean identity , and use it together with related identities to simplify expressions and solve equations
Unit 3: Further calculus and statistics
Module overview βTopic 2: Integrals
Find antiderivatives of standard functions including polynomial, exponential and trigonometric forms, evaluate definite integrals using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and recognise the definite integral as the limit of a Riemann sum
Topic 2: Integrals
Apply the definite integral to find the area under a curve, the area between two curves, the average value of a function, and to solve kinematics problems involving displacement, velocity and acceleration
Topic 1: Further differentiation and applications
Differentiate exponential and logarithmic functions, including compositions of the form and , and apply the derivatives to model and analyse rates of change
Topic 1: Further differentiation and applications
Differentiate trigonometric functions, including compositions of the form , and , working in radians
Topic 3: Discrete random variables
Define a discrete random variable and its probability distribution, calculate the expected value and the variance and standard deviation, and recognise the Bernoulli distribution as the single-trial case
Topic 1: Further differentiation and applications
Use the first and second derivative to analyse the behaviour of a function (intervals of increase and decrease, stationary points and their nature, concavity and inflection), and apply the derivative to solve optimisation and rates of change problems in context
Topic 1: Further differentiation and applications
Apply the product, quotient and chain rules, including in combination, to differentiate functions built from polynomial, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric components
Topic 3: Discrete random variables
Recognise the binomial distribution as the count of successes in independent Bernoulli trials, apply the binomial probability formula and use CAS, and use the formulas and
Unit 4: Further calculus and statistical inference
Module overview βTopic 2: Trigonometric functions and integration applications
Apply the definite integral to compute the area between curves (including curves that change relative order), the average value of a function, and kinematics quantities (displacement, distance, position) from velocity and acceleration
Topic 3: Continuous random variables, the normal distribution, and statistical inference
Define a continuous random variable, its probability density function (pdf), cumulative distribution function (cdf), and compute probabilities, expected value (mean), variance and standard deviation as definite integrals
Topic 1: Further differentiation and applications
Apply the product, quotient and chain rules to differentiate composite functions involving exponential, logarithmic, polynomial and trigonometric pieces, including logarithmic differentiation and the differentiation of inverse functions
Topic 1: Further differentiation and applications
Apply implicit differentiation to find from equations relating and that cannot be expressed in the form , and apply differentiation to related rates problems
Topic 2: Trigonometric functions and integration applications
Integrate trigonometric functions including , and , and apply the linear reverse-chain rule for integrals of the form
Topic 3: Continuous random variables, the normal distribution, and statistical inference
Apply the normal distribution and the standardisation to compute normal probabilities and inverse probabilities, including the empirical 68-95-99.7 rule
Topic 3: Continuous random variables, the normal distribution, and statistical inference
Apply the sampling distribution of the sample proportion (mean , standard deviation ) and construct approximate confidence intervals for a population proportion
