OCR MEI AS Paper 1 2023 June — Question 2

Exam BoardOCR MEI
ModuleAS Paper 1 (AS Paper 1)
Year2023
SessionJune
TopicTrig Equations

2 The height of the first part of a rollercoaster track is \(h \mathrm {~m}\) at a horizontal distance of \(x \mathrm {~m}\) from the start. A student models this using the equation \(h = 17 + 15 \cos 6 x\), for \(0 \leqslant x \leqslant 40\), using the values of \(h\) given when their calculator is set to work in degrees.
  1. Find the height that the student's model predicts when the horizontal distance from the start is 40 m .
  2. The student argues that the model predicts that the rollercoaster track will achieve a maximum height of 32 m more than once because the cosine function is periodic. Comment on the validity of the student's argument.