Final exam - 2014

Class date(s):

December 2014

The final exam is in December 2014. The details about what the exam will cover are below.

Answering questions in the final exam

• You may bring in any printed materials to the exam; any textbooks, any papers, etc.
• You may use any calculator during the exam.
• You may answer the questions in any order on all pages of the answer booklet.
• Time saving tip: please use bullet points to answer, where appropriate, and never repeat the question back in your answer.
• Please use a problem solving strategy on longer questions that is proven to work; define, explore, plan, do, and importantly, always check.

How to prepare for the exam

• Understand the concepts being learned. My courses are not just about applying the correct equation and solving.
• Everything covered in class is examinable: videos, guest lecture(s), tutorial-style questions, background information given that might not appear written in the notes. The only things not examinable are resources posted on the course website for background reading. However, if I've gone through the resource in class, then it is examinable.
• As you've seen, there are only 10 or so main equations we have learned. Understanding how to use these equations, and how to interpret them, is important.
• Check that your answers are reasonable (can you really have a flow rate of 1050 \(\text{m}^3.\text{s}^{-1}\) through a pipe?)
• Read the questions carefully: they are usually worded precisely. The biggest point where students loose marks is to answer only part of the question. Cross-check your midterm with this issue.
• Questions that you did on computer in the assignments: make sure you can repeat them by hand. Obviously not where you have to draw an entire plot, but make sure the calculations to draw that plot can be done for at least one or two points on the curve.
• Review the midterm. All the questions from there should be easy and straightforward now that you have had a chance to review it.
• Review and repeat all assignment questions that you do not understand. Do not rely on the assignment solutions: none of the final exam questions are going to be from the assignments (even with different values).
• Here is the final exam from 2012 and the one for final exam from 2013 for practice. The exam for 2014 will be different.