Math/Computer Science

FE Review – 2011

Miscellaneous Background:

• Two 4-hour sessions in a single day

o Morning session 120 multiple choice/4 choices each
 About 30% math/csc
o Afternoon session – discipline specific
 Chem/Civil/Elec/Environ/IEng/ME/Other Disciplines (formerly
‘General’)
 60 multiple choice/4 choices each
o No points for incorrect answers – so guess!
• Math/Computer Science list of topics (from link at http://www.ncees.org/Exams/
FE_exam.php):

I. Mathematics (15%)
A. Analytic geometry
B. Integral calculus
C. Matrix operations
D. Roots of equations
E. Vector analysis
F. Differential equations
G. Differential calculus

II. Engineering Probability and Statistics (7%)

A. Measures of central tendencies and dispersions (e.g., mean, mode, standard
deviation)
B. Probability distributions (e.g., discrete, continuous, normal, binomial)
C. Conditional probabilities
D. Estimation (e.g., point, confidence intervals) for a single mean
E. Regression and curve fitting
F. Expected value (weighted average) in decision-making
G. Hypothesis testing

IV. Computers (7%)

A. Terminology (e.g., memory types, CPU, baud rates, Internet)
B. Spreadsheets (e.g., addresses, interpretation, “what if,” copying formulas)
C. Structured programming (e.g., assignment statements, loops and branches, function
calls)

• NCEES (2011), Fundamentals of Engineering Supplied-Reference Handbook, 2nd

revision, 8th Edition, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
(NCEES), Clemson, SC (http://www.ncees.org/)
• You will be provided with a copy of the Fundamentals of Engineering Supplied-
Reference Handbook on the day of the exam
• See http://www.mcs.sdsmt.edu/rwjohnso/html/fe.html for other reference materials
including, for example, online practice problems (for a fee)

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 • Approved calculator list (2011) (from http://www.ncees.org/Exams/Exam-
day_policies/Calculator_policy.php):

To protect the integrity of its exams, NCEES limits the types of calculators you may bring to the
exam room. The only calculator models acceptable for use during the exam are as follows.

Casio: All fx-115 models. Any Casio calculator must contain fx-115 in its model name.
Examples of acceptable Casio fx-115 models include (but are not limited to)

• fx-115 MS
• fx-115 MS Plus
• fx-115 MS SR
• fx-115 ES

Hewlett Packard: The HP 33s and HP 35s models, but no others.

Texas Instruments: All TI-30X and TI-36X models. Any Texas Instruments calculator must
contain either TI-30X or TI-36X in its model name. Examples of acceptable TI-30X and TI-36X
models include (but are not limited to)

• TI-30Xa
• TI-30Xa SOLAR
• TI-30Xa SE
• TI-30XS Multiview
• TI-30X IIB
• TI-30X IIS
• TI-36X II
• TI-36X SOLAR

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Computer Science:

1. Convert 101101.11 (base 2) to base 10

Answer: 45.75

2. Convert 3FC.A (base 16) to base 10.

Answer: 1020.625

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
A B C D E F G

3FC.A = 3 ×162 + 15 × 161 + 12 ×160 + 10 × 16−1

= 768 + 240 + 12 + 0.625

3. Convert 76 (base 10) to base 2.

Answer: 1001100

4. Which of the choices below is equivalent to:

repeat
stmt;
until (cond);

a. if (cond)
while (not cond)
stmt;

b. if (cond)
stmt;
else
while (cond)
stmt;

c. stmt;
if (not cond)
stmt;

d. stmt;
while (not cond)
stmt;

4
5. After being executed, the program segment

Input z,n
s=1
t=1
For k = 1 to n
t = t*z/k
s=s+t
Next k

calculates what for s?

Answer: 1 + z /1!+ z 2 / 2!+ L + z n / n !

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Preliminary:

1. If tan θ = 5 /12, what is csc θ ?

Answer: 13/5

2. Describe, geometrically, the set of ordered pairs (x,y) satisfying

x 2 + y 2 − 6 x + 10 y − 15 = 0

Answer: A circle of radius 7 centered at (3,-5).

3. One side of a right triangle is of length 4 and the longest side is of length 15. “Solve” the
triangle.

Answer: About 15.5o (opposite side of length 4), 74.5o , remaining side is of length 209

4. Two sides of a triangle are of length 5 and 6. They form an angle of 121o. “Solve” the triangle.

Answer: Using Law of Cosines and Law of Sines, remaining side has approximate length 9.6 and
the remaining angles are about 26.6o and 32.4o .

(For a triangle with side of length a opposite angle α , side of length b opposite angle β , and
side of length c opposite angle γ we have

Law of Cosines: c 2 = a 2 + b 2 − 2ab cos γ

c b a
Law of Sines: = = ,
sin γ sin β sin α

see p. 22 of NCEES (2008).)

3
5. Simplify log 3   + log3 12 − log3 2
2

 (3 / 2) ⋅12 
Answer: log 3 
 2  = log3 9 = 2

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Calculus:

1. Compute the following limits:

x−2 1 − cos( x) |x| x −3

i. lim ii. lim iii. lim− iv. lim
x →2 x 2 − 4 x →0 x2 x →0 x x →3 x+6 −3

5x − 2
v. xlim
→∞
2x2 + 1

Answers: i. 1/4 ii. ½ iii. -1 iv. 6 v. 5 / 2

2. Compute the derivative of each of the following:

i. ( x 2 + 7 x − 8) sin x ii. e x iii. ln(3x 2 − 7 x + 5) iv. sin 2 (ln(3 x 2 − 7 x + 5))

3. If f ( x) = −3 x 5 + 30 x 4 − 80 x3 + 375 x − 494 then it can be shown that the first derivative is

df
= −15 x 4 + 120 x 2 − 240 x2 + 375 = −15( x − 5)( x + 1)(( x − 2)2 + 1)
dx

(note that (( x − 2) 2 + 1) is always positive, regardless of the value of x), and that the second
derivative is

d2 f
2
= −60 x 3 + 360 x 2 − 480 x = −60 x( x − 2)( x − 4)
dx

i. Where is f increasing, if anywhere?

ii. Where is f decreasing, if anywhere?

iii. Where is f concave up, if anywhere?

iv. Where is f concave down, if anywhere?

v. State any inflection points of f.

vi. Where, if anywhere, does f take on relative minimum values?

vii. Where, if anywhere, does f take on relative maximum values?

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4. Compute the following integrals:

x2 + 2 x − 3
i. ∫ 2 x 3 − 3x 2 + 5 x − 7 dx ii. ∫ x4
dx

∫ x sin(3x ) dx ∫ ( x + 1)( x + 2) dx
2
iii. iv.

1
v. ∫ sin 3 x cos x dx vi. ∫ −3 x 1 − x dx

∫ xe
2x
vii. dx

xe 2 x e 2 x
Answer: vi. -112/15 vii. − +c
2 4

5. Find the area bounded by y = 4 − x 2 , y = 3x, and x = 0.

Answer: 13/6

2
6. Resolve 2 into partial fractions
x( x − 3 x + 2)

1 −2 1
Answer: + +
x x −1 x − 2

6 x 2 − 19 x + 20
7. Resolve into partial fractions
x ( x 2 − 4 x + 4)

5 1 3
Answer: x + x − 2 +
( x − 2) 2

8
 ∞
8. If lim
n →∞
an = 0, then ∑a
n =1
n ...

i. converges
ii. diverges
iii. might converge, might diverge

∞
9. If lim
n →∞
an ≠ 0, then ∑a
n =1
n ...

i. converges
ii. diverges
iii. might converge, might diverge

∞
1
10. For what values of k does ∑ nk converge?
n =1

Answer: k > 1

∞
xn
11. For what values of x does the infinite series ∑ n3n converge?
n =1

Answer: [−3,3)

 −2  1
   
12. Find a vector perpendicular to both u =  3  and v =  −3 .
 5   −2 

9 
 
Answer: 1 
3

2 2 x 
   1 ?
13. For what number(s) x is  −3 orthogonal to  
 x   2 

Answer: 1/2

9
 2 3
1  
14. Determine the angle between   and  −2  .
 −2   6 

Answer: cos −1 (−8 / 21)

3 3
   
15. Write an equation for the plane containing  −2  with  2  normal to the plane.
 4  1 

  x   3   3
     
Answer:   y  −  −2  g 2  = 0 or 3( x − 3) + 2( y + 2) + ( z − 4) = 0
  z   4   1 
     

16. Find the projection of 14i – 7j in the direction of 6i +3j-2k.

9  u gv 
Answer: (6i + 3 j − 2k ) (use the fact that the projection of u onto v is projv u =  2  v )
7  v 
 

17. What is the partial derivative with respect to x of f ( x, y ) = e xy ?

Answer: ye xy

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Matrix Operations:

 4 −2 
 −1 2 3  
1. Compute 
5 4 3  0 2  .
  7 1 
 

17 9 
Answer:  .
 41 1 

3 2 1 
 
2. Compute the determinate of the matrix A =  0 −1 −1 .
 2 0 2 

Answer: -8

1 2 
3. Which of the following is an eigenvector of  ?
2 4

1 2 1  0 
a.   b.   c.   d.  
1 1  2 0 

1 2 
4. Give the inverse of  .
3 4 

1  4 −2 
Answer: − 
2  −3 1 

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Probability & Statistics:

1. If X is a normal random variable with mean µ = 5 and standard deviation σ = 2, determine

the chance that X takes on a value between 4 and 8.

Answer: 0.9332 – 0.3085 = 0.6247

Note: The FE Reference Handbook refers to the “Unit Normal” rather than the “Standard
Normal” (see p. 45).

2. Ten percent of the items coming off an assembly line are defective. Consider a sample of 5
such items.

a. What is the chance that exactly 3 are defective?

b. What is the chance that at least 3 are defective?

5 3 2 3 2 5 3 2  5  4 1 5 5 0

Answers: a.   0.1 0.9 = 10 ⋅ 0.1 0.9 b.   0.1 0.9 +   0.1 0.9 +   0.1 0.9
3
   3  4 5

3. A random sample X1 , X 2 ,..., X n is taken from a population with mean µ and standard
deviation σ . X is used to estimate µ . Which of the following are true?

a. The expected value of X is µ .

b. The accuracy in using X to estimate µ improves as σ decreases and n decreases.

c. The accuracy in using X to estimate µ improves as σ decreases and n increases.

d. The accuracy in using X to estimate µ improves as σ increases and n decreases.

e. The accuracy in using X to estimate µ improves as σ increases and n increases.

4. Consider license plates consisting of three letters followed by three numbers.

a. How many such license plates can be made?

b. If one of the above license plates is chosen at random, then what is the chance that no letter or
number repeats?

26 ⋅ 25 ⋅ 24 ⋅10 ⋅ 9 ⋅ 8
Answers: a. 263103 b.
263103

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5. Five cards are drawn, without replacement, from a standard 52 card deck of cards. What is the
chance of drawing at least one heart?

 39   52 
Answer: 1 −   /  
5 5

6. A sample of 15 resistors has a sample mean of 300 ohms and a sample standard deviation of
1.3 ohms. Assuming that the population of resistance values follows some normal curve, which
of the following is a 90% confidence interval for the true mean population resistance?

a. 300 ± 0.45
b. 300 ± 0.55
c. 300 ± 0.59
d. 300 ± 2.29

1.3
Answer: 300 ± 1.761 , the “cutoff” of 1.761 from a t density with 14 degrees of freedom (see
15
NCEES (2008), p. 46)

7. The volume of a black cherry tree is roughly linear in its diameter, measured 4.5 feet off the
ground. Here are some summary measures for a small sample of black cherry trees:

Descriptive Statistics
Variable N Mean StDev
Diameter (in) 31 13.248 3.138
Volume (ft^3) 31 30.17 16.44

Correlations (Pearson)
Correlation of Diameter and Volume = 0.967

a. Given a tree with a diameter one standard deviation higher than the mean diameter,
what is the least squares estimate of its volume?

b. Write a formula for the least squares line predicting volume from diameter.

c. Is the point (diameter, volume) = (13.248, 30.17) on the least squares line?

d. What is the typical size of the 31 residuals?

e. How would the correlation coefficient change if, instead, we measured diameter in
centimeters and volume in cubic meters?

16.44
Answers: a. 30.17 + 0.967(16.44) b. Vol = 30.17 + 0.967 (Diam − 13.248) c. Yes
3.138
d. 1 − r 2 s y = 1 − .967 2 16.44 ft 3 e. unchanged

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8. Four dice are thrown. What is the chance of rolling at least one six?

4
5
Answer: 1 −  
6

14
Differential Equations:

d2y dy
1. Solve 2
+ 3 = 0.
dx dx

Answer: y ( x) = c1e0 x + c2e −3 x = c1 + c2e −3 x

d2y dy
2. Solve 2
+ 2 + y = 0, y (0) = 1, y '(0) = 3 .
dx dx

Answer: y ( x) = c1e − x + c2 xe − x solves the differential equation; imposing the boundary

conditions gives y ( x) = e − x + 4 xe − x

d2y dy
3. Solve 2
− 6 + 13 y = 0.
dx dx

Answer: (c cos 2 x + d sin 2 x) e3 x

4. Roots of auxiliary equation and corresponding solutions (c.f. NCEES (2008), p. 30):

Root(s) Form of Solution

a ce ax

a, a c1e ax + c2 xe ax

a14
, a2,...,
43a (c1 + c2 x + L + ck x k −1 )e ax
k

a ± bi (c cos bx + d sin bx) eax

a1 ±4bi4, a4±2bi4
,...,4a4±3bi [(c1 cos bx + d1 sin bx) + (c2 x cos bx + d 2 x sin bx) + L
k
(ck x k −1 cos bx + d k x k −1 sin bx)] e ax

15