How big is the SAT Physics curve?

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SUMMARY

The SAT Physics test features a significant curve, as evidenced by a participant scoring 800 despite missing multiple questions, particularly in optics. The discussion highlights that many test-takers excel due to their interest in physics, suggesting that the curve may be larger than expected. Additionally, the inclusion of fractals in the exam raised concerns about the adequacy of high school curricula in covering such topics, with participants noting a lack of exposure to fractals in their education. The program Fractint is recommended for those interested in exploring fractals further.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of SAT Physics test structure and scoring
  • Basic knowledge of optics and its relevance in physics
  • Familiarity with fractals and their mathematical properties
  • Experience with educational curricula related to high school physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the scoring curve of the SAT Physics test and its implications
  • Study optics concepts relevant to the SAT Physics curriculum
  • Learn about fractals and their applications in mathematics and physics
  • Explore the Fractint program for practical experience with fractals
USEFUL FOR

High school students preparing for the SAT Physics test, educators looking to enhance their physics curriculum, and anyone interested in the mathematical concepts of optics and fractals.

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Wow... I felt like I did horribly on my SAT Physics test, but I got an 800! This doesn't really make me happy though, since I know I missed a lot of questions: I'm pretty sure I got every question right EXCEPT for all the optics questions (and maybe one on fractals). I had never seen optics (I've always skipped it - seems way too boring), and between 10 - 15 of the questions were on optics. I left like 7 blank and guessed on the rest - I'm sure I must have missed most. The curve must be huge! Does anyone know how big it is? I hope the other tests' curves aren't this big, or all those good scores are suddenly meaningless.
 
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There was a fractal question on a physics exam?
 
I think almost everyone gets an 800 on the sat physics. At least every one I know did. It's probably because only people who like physics take it.
 
Yeah, there was one question that gave you five different functions and asked which one would most exhibit a fractal pattern. I guessed, since I could eliminate three of them. One of the functions was y = sin(x), and I can't remember the others.
 
Wait a minute... The SAT II, the test for high schoolers, expects you to know about fractals? What schools teaches you fractals?!
 
when in high school in the US for my student exchange, the AP Calculus book contained an introduction to fractal geometry, but it was very general and we were never tested on it.
 
The fractal question I had on my subject test basically asked "what is a fractal?"
 
I'm a first year undergraduate and I don't know what a fractal is yet..
 
Ha! I teach a short lesson on fractals to my Jr/Sr physics class as a "fun" thing, but I haven't ever seen it in a calculus book. Neither of my (1993-1996 era) calculus books mention them.
 
  • #10
I don't think very many juniors or seniors know what a fractal is, let alone be taught what it is in their schools. However, the question wasn't bad - a couple of the functions were obviously not fractals, so I could eliminate those answers right away.

For those of you who haven't seen fractals before, http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/frac/" has some examples of the Mandelbrot set .
 
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  • #11
dx said:
I'm a first year undergraduate and I don't know what a fractal is yet..

dx, isn't your avatar a fractal?
 
  • #12
lisab said:
dx, isn't your avatar a fractal?

yes.. :)
 
  • #13
If you want to play with fractals, google "fractint" and run that program.

I've been using Fractint since I first downloaded it from a BBS in the very early 1990s and ran it on an 8088 computer...which needed quite some time to calculate many of the fractals. Days, in some instances.
 

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