Maths and Physics in Oxford (OAT) Skills Assessment?
 

Just wondering if there are any PPRuners who have gone through the process.
What level of maths, and what kind of physics do I need to prepare for before this assessment.

I have already done a lot of search and I have seen a lot of mixed answers, and not a lot of examples on what kind of material I should cover exactly.

One of the questions I saw, which I do not know the answer to was,
"Aircraft A leaves at 10:00 travelling at 175kts, Aircraft B leaves at 10:45 from the same point travelling at 235kts, what time will the cross and how far will they have travelled."
Are the questions all this complicated?
Can someone who knows how to solve this ques please explain this to me.

Anyway, any help from the more experienced would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

I can't answer you if it's an actual question, or if it's the actual level of the test. I do however thing I'm able to answer it for you:

First of all, I convert the knots into km/h (I'm from central Europe). 1 knot = 1,8 km/h. 175 kts = 324 km/h. 235 kts = 435 km/h. It should however be noted that 1 kts = 1 nm, which is the unit that professional pilots would use.

First of all, I would like to know how far the first plane has come by 45 mins: (0,75*425=326,25 km)
I now know the distance that plane 2 has to catch up. I can quickly calculate the difference in speed to be 60 kts = 111 km/h. So how long time does it take to do 326,25 km, when travelling 111 km/h? This is done by: (326,25/111=2,94 hours). ,94 hours = (0,94*60=56 mins) = total flight time to be 2 hours and 56 minutes = They will meet at 13:41

Now we only need the distance, which is pretty basic. How far does a plane travelling 435 km/h by 2 hours and 56 minutes get? (2,94*435=1278,9 km)

Correct me if I'm wrong

There's no need to convert to km/h ...1 knot is 1 nautical mile per hour and the answers (multiple choice) will be given in nm.

The formula, where x is the time taken is

175x = 235(x-0.75). where 0.75 = 45 minutes time difference.

x = 2.9375 = 2 hours, 56 mins and 25 seconds. They will meet at 12:56 - just in time for lunch. Once you've got this, the distance should be easy.

This is a typical test question and if you have problems manipulating these formulae, you may want to seek a bit of one to one tuition.

Cheers

Whirls

I realised that when I had turn off my PC :ugh:

@ Whirlygig.

Thank you for the reply and help.
The Oxford Assessment Math section gives me 24 questions for 20 minutes, which gives me about 50 seconds per Ques.
I doubt they'd give me a question like the one I posted, but I will nevertheless be prepared for it.
Thank you again.

FlyingVix, much appreciated!

Anyone who has undergone the Math/Physics section from Oxford themselves?

Yes, and there was a question not dissimilar to the one you posted but with easier numbers.

Cheers

Whirls

@Whirlygig: One thing remains to be answered.. at what time do they meet? At 12:56, or 13:41 as I suggest?

13:41 means that the first plane has been flying for 3 hours and 41 minutes in which case it would have travelled 645 nm (approx). The second plane would have been travelling for 2 hours 56 minutes at 235 and would have covered a distance of 689 nm. They left from the same place.

However, if the first plane flew for 2 hours and 56 minutes at 175knts, she would have flown a distance of 513nm and the second plane, in 2 hours and 11 minutes at 235 knts would have flown ..... wait for it .... 513 nm. The same distance.

Cheers

Whirls

Aircraft 1 travels at 175 nm an hour.
That is 131 nm for the 45 minutes.

The difference between the speeds of both aircrafts are 60 Kts.

60 goes into 131 how many times?
2.11

Add that to your time 10.45, which gives you 12.56

Much easier!

Arhh I get it.. thanks! :ok: