Wednesday, November 30, 2011

11-29 Finding a slope from a table of values; finding y-intercept from a graph

Finding a slope from a table of values.
From one line to the next,
See the change in y and see the change in x.
Make a ratio.

Finding y-intercept from a graph.
Walk to the origin.  Look up or look down for the line that is the graph.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

11-29 Math Skills notes

Factoring turns a number or expression into a multiplication problem.

72 = 9 times 4 times 2
6x^2 = 6 times x times x


If a number's digits add up to 9, then 9 is a factor of that number.
If a number ends in 5 or 0, then 5 is a factor of that number.
If a number ends in 0, then 10, 5, and 2 are factors of that number.
If a number is even, then 2 is a factor of that number.


Factoring into pairs results in a multiplication problem with two pieces.  There may be more than one pair for an answer.

72 = 9 x 8
72 = 6 x 12
72 = 36 x 2


Factoring completely means factoring the factors until only prime number factors remain.

72 =    6     times        12
           factor the 6 and factor the 12
     = 2 x 3  times   3    x   4
                            factor the 4
     = 2 x 3  times   3 x ( 2 x 2 )
     = 2 x 3 x 3 x 2 x 2


A problem that involves factoring into possible pairs may require a specific pair for the answer because another condition, or "catch", is placed on the relationship between the factors.

Given
72 = 9 x 8
72 = 6 x 12
72 = 36 x 2
an additional condition might be that the difference between factors is 6,
or one factor minus the other factor = 6.
The only pair of factors that make this true is 6 and 12, because 12 - 6 = 6, the catch.

Monday, November 28, 2011

11-28 Class notes - Page 113 Plan A or Plan B for messaging

Plan A function:  y = .04x + 4.00
The rate is 4 cents per message, the variable x is the number of messages, the height above the origin is 4 dollars.

Plan B function:  y = .05x
The rate is 5 cents per message, the variable x is the number of messages, the height above the origin is zero.


If you plan to send 360 messages, the cost for Plan A is $18.40.  (plug 360 into the function)
If you plan to send 360 messages, the cost for Plan B is $18.00.
Choose Plan B because it's cheaper.

If you plan to send 500 messages, the cost for Plan A is $24.00.  (plug 500 into the function)
If you plan to send 500 messages, the cost for Plan B is $25.00.
Choose Plan A because it's cheaper.


The domain for both plans is x > 0 and x is a whole number.

The range for Plan A is y > 4.00
The range for Plan B is y > 0


The graph of Plan B shows direct variation because the line passes through (0,0).
The graph of Plan a does not show direct variation.

Friday, November 18, 2011

11-18 Class notes - What type of variation. Function equation from a table.

If a problem indicates inverse variation, you are looking for a relationship where y = k/x or xy = k.
X appears in the denominator.  K is divided by x.

If a problem indicates direct variation, you are looking for a relationship where y = kx.
K is multiplied by x.


If, for the (x,y) ordered pairs of a function, y1 / x1  =  y2 / x2  =  y3 / x3  = . . . = the same constant k, then k is the coefficient of direct variation.  The shape of a direct variation graph is a straight line, and y / x is analogous to the slope, change in y divided by change in x.


If, for the (x,y) ordered pairs of a function, x1 times y1 = x2 times y2 = x3 times y3 = . . . = the same constant k, then k is the coefficient of inverse variation.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

11-17 Direct and Inverse Variation

A graph indicates direct variation if it is a straight line and it passes through (0,0) the origin.

If the graph does not pass through the origin (0,0) is does not represent direct variation.

In a table of values, look at the relationship between x and y.  If you use the same number everytime to multiply x to get a 7, that's direct variation.

In a linear function, if there is no y-intercept, that is direct variation.   If there is a y-intercept, that's not direct variation.  A linear equation y = mx + b with no y-intercept becomes y = mx which has the same structure as the general equation for direct variation, y = kx.


A graph indicates inverse variation if it is a curved line that approaches but never touches the x- and y- axes.

The general equation for inverse variation is y = k/x.

In direct variation, the constant of variation k multiplies the x.

In inverse variation, the constant of variation k is divided by x.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

11-15 Class notes Direct Variation

Direct variation describes linear functions whose graphs pass through the origin (0,0).

The constant of variation k in y = kx is the coefficient standing next to the variable, so it is the rate of change in y as x changes.  It is also the slope of the graph.

In our box-stacking example, the height h changes by 10cm each time the number of boxes n increases by 1.  The constant of variation k is 10.  The rate of change is 10cm per box, or 10 cm/box.

Solving for k by isolating k in the equation y = kx (divide both sides by x) gives k = y/x .

If you think of k as a slope, and slope as change in y divided by change in x, that's consistent with k being equal to y divided by x.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

11-9 Class notes

In the measuring stacks of cups activity, the height of the stack changed by some number of units (for example, one cm or 1/2 cm) every time a cup was added.

When we plotted points to graph our results, the pattern of dots lined up to suggest a slope.  Drawing vertical lines to show the change in y (stack height) and horizontal lines to show the change in x (number of cups) created the "up and over" stairsteps that are associated with slope.

The slope as a number tells us about the steepness of the graph.

The slope written as rise units in the numerator and run units in the denominator represents the rate of change.

A rate is a ratio which means how the y units change every time the x unit changes by 1.

In our cup stacking the rate of change is, for example, 0.5 cm per cup, or 0.5 / 1.


Other examples of rate of change:

7 cents per minute of phone usage.
Gasoline costs $3.75 per gallon.
Driving at 60 miles per hour
Counting 16 ounces each time you weigh a pound.

Rates in word problems are indicated by language prepositions:  per, for every, each time.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

11-8 Slope quiz follow-up

We will continue to review the slope concepts.  We need to practice drawing and reading graphs on the coordinate plane (grid paper).

We need to be able to interpret graphs for vertical change and horizontal change. 
We need to be able to calculate slope by moving from point A to point B and by counting grid squares.

A horizontal line has a slope of zero.  A slope can be positive (uphill) or negative (downhill)
Slopes are a measure of steepness.  A wheelchair ramp with a large slope makes it hard to push the chair up. A wheelchair ramp with a shallow slopemay not get you high enough, or it may require a longer or more expensive ramp.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Prepare for Homework quiz on rise and run, 11-7 or 11-8

Know the difference between calculating slope by starting at a left point and moving to a right point, and by starting at a right point and moving to a left point.  We covered this in today's (11-4) class notes.

Know how the slope changes as you move along the graph of a straight line.

Write correct mathematical expressions using words or symbols for "change in", "movement in", x, y, "rise",
"run", "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "over".

Today in class we looked at the diagram for the wheelchair ramp.  We converted 28 inches to 2.33 ft, and we used the rise of 2.33 ft with the run of 31.9 ft to get a slope of .073.

The table on page 86 shows recommended slopes of 1/16 and 1/12, which are equivalent to .0625 and .0833.  Our slope of .073 falls between these values, so we can use our plans to build a ramp.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

10-31 Class notes - Restricted domains

When listing or describing the domain of a function, see if you have to exclude any x's because of these rules regarding real numbers:

Division by zero is undefined.

The square root of a negative number is not defined.

If an x appears in a denominator or underneath a square root sign,  set that expression equal to zero and solve for x to see which x's should be excluded from the domain. Describe the domain as real numbers with some x's excluded or omitted.


When listing or describing the raange of a function, see how far the graph goes along the y-axis.  For example, functions containing an x-squared term have a curved part that changes direction so that some y's never appear on the graph.  Describe the range as an inquality in y.

11-3 Class notes

Homework for Friday 10-4:  page 86, items 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Today in class we investigated the changes in x (left and right movement) and the changes in y (up and down movement) as we trace along the graph of a straight line.  We did the exercises on pages 84 and 85.

Slope is vertical change divided by horizontal change.

Slope is change in y divided by change in x.

Slope is rise divided by run.

Slope is "up" divided by "over.

Slope is a ratio that can be an integer, a fraction or a decimal.

The slope of a straight line is the same everywhere along the line.

Slope is a measure of the steepness, the uphillness or downhillness, of a line.

Since a slope is a ratio, its units are the numerator units divided by the denominator units.

Slope is the ratio of output to a given input.