Spring 2001 MTH 111 Precalculus, Sections 3, 5

SPRING 2001

PRECALCULUS MTH 111
SECTIONS 3,5

Text: Bittenger, et. al., Precalculus, Graphs and Models
Prerequisites: MTH 099 or equivalent
Calculators: A graphing calculator is required.
Instructor: Barbara Kaskosz, E-mail: bkaskosz@math.uri.edu
Course's Web Page: The address of this page is http://hypatia.math.uri.edu/Courses/spring01/mth111s35/, or you can access it from the Mathematics Department main page http://hypatia.math.uri.edu by clicking on a few obvious links.

**News**
Final Exam is scheduled on Monday, May 7, 11:30 am-2:30 pm in Gilbreth 101. WeBWorK HMK9 is already posted. Due date: 5/01.

Current Events

Click on the links below to access Practice Exams 1,2,3 and answers to Practice Exams.

Practice Exam 1 Solutions to Practice Exam 1

Practice Exam 2 Answers to Practice Exam 2

Practice Exam 3 Answers to Practice Exam 3

Remember that my office hours this semester are scheduled as follows:

Mondays, 3 pm - 5 pm, Tyler 218
Wednesdays, 3 pm -5 pm, Library Computer Lab.

You can also get help at The Roosevelt Hall Learning Assistance Center and from our Maple helpers. Click below for a quick link to the help section.

Available Help

If you'd like to review quizzes and worksheets that we did during our lab hours, here are quick links for your convenience.

Lab Hour 1 Lab Hour 2 Lab Hour 3 Lab Hour 4 Lab Hour 5 Lab Hour 6 Lab Hour 7

Lab Hour 8 Lab Hour 9 Lab Hour 10

Welcome to the Future in Learning Mathematics!

Our two sections will be taught with an extensive use of some of the newest, exciting computer technologies. We hope it will make learning quicker, easier, and a lot more fun for you.

WeBWorK

We shall be using a newly-developed computerized homework system called WeBWorK. You will access your weekly homework assignments through the link:

WeBWorK Login Page

I will tell you in class how to log into the system. When you work on your homework problems, the system will tell you if your answers are correct or not. Most of the time, you will be allowed an unlimited number of attempts before electronically submitting your final answers. You will find that the system is user friendly and forgiving. WeBWorK is designed to make learning more convenient and efficient.

Calendar and Syllabus

Our syllabus is a little different than that of the other sections of MTH111. Click below to see the sections from the text that we will cover and the problems suggested for practice:

CALENDAR and SYLLABUS

Our evening exams and the final exam will be separate from other sections. For times and locations of Exam 1,2,3 see top of this page. The time and location of the final exam will be announced in class and on this page.

Wednesday Classes

Most of our Wednesday classes (but not the first one!) are going to be held in the computer lab Ballantine 212/211. We will use Maple, cute Java applets, and other exciting things to illuminate concepts of Precalculus. You will find specific instructions for each lab hour at the bottom of the syllabus, in the section "Lab Hours".

Grading

Your grade will be determined based on your percentage of the following 700 points:

Three hour tests	300 points
Final exam	200 points
WeBWorK assignments	100 points
Classwork, i.e., quizzes, labwork, and attendance	100 points

You must attend classes in order to draw the full benefit from the course. Hence, attendance will be kept.

Available Help

In addition to my office hours, the Mathematics Department has an extensive system of walk-in help sessions scheduled in Roosevelt Hall. Click on the link below for the schedule:

Schedule of tutoring hours in Learning Assistance Network

Our Maple helpers at the Library Computer Lab may help you too. Below is the link to their schedule:

Schedule of Maple and WeBWorK Helpers

Lab Hours

During lab hours we are going to use, among others, Java applets, Maple worksheets, on-line quizzess. Each hour will start from this page, from here. You will find your instructions in the corresponding "Lab Hour" paragraph.

Lab Hour 1

Click on the Java applet link below to see the list of applets.
Click Here for Java Applets
We are prepared to work on the first three applets on the list, time permitting. Click on the first applet "Term Manipulation Puzzle".
Work out problems using paper and pencil. Only after that, use the mouse to drag and drop formulas to match them up. If you drag and drop to find the right answer by trial and error, you will not learn anything. If you can't find the right answer, or you don't quite understand what you are doing, raise your hand and ask.
Once you are finished with the first applet, go back to the list and try the next one. Don't rush! Whatever we don't do during the first lab hour, we can do during the next hour or at home.The materials will stay on the web.

Lab Hour 2

First we shall practice radicals. Click below for the first quiz.
Quiz I on Radicals
After you finish the firts quiz, click on the familiar link below to Java Applets, scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, and click on the link called "radicals":
Click Here for Java Applets
The rest of the time during Lab 2, we shall work on the introductory Maple worksheet. To download the worksheet simply click on the link below. In the dialog box that appears, mark "Open file" and click OK. Maple will start automatically. You will find instructions what to do in the worksheet.

Download "Introduction to Maple" (sheet1.mws)
Work carefully through all the problems in the worksheet. If you have questions, raise your hand.
If you finish all problems and still have time, click on the Java Applets link above and work on the applet "Equation Equivalence Quiz" and/or "Number Substitution Puzzle"

Lab Hour 3

For most of the lab hour we shall work on the Maple worksheet "Transformations of Functions". Click on the link below to download the worksheet. When the dialog box appears, check "Save file" and save it to the Desktop. (Go all the way up the directory tree to reach the Desktop.) When the file is saved, you can close a browser. Click and double click on the file, sheet2, that will have appeared on the Desktop. Maple will open, and you can start working on the file. Work slowly and carefully. Be very careful with Maple syntax. Try to understand the mathematical meaning of what you see. Save your work. I will want to check what you have done before the class is over.

Download "Transformations of Functions" (sheet2.mws)
If you finish your work on the Maple worksheet, and I checked it, open a browser and go back to this page. Click on the familiar link below leading to the list of Java Applets:
Click Here for Java Applets
You can work on "Is this the graph of a function?" first. Again, show me your answers before you exit the quiz. Then you can work on "Function Properties Quiz".

Lab Hour 4

Below is an assortment of on-line quizzes and puzzles that may be helpful in your review before Exam 1. You can choose topics and quizzes in any order you like. If you have questions, raise your hand.

Algebra

Functions

If you finish with all the quizzes, you may want to open again Maple Worksheet 2 (sheet2.mws), see the link in Lab Hour 3. There probably are a few problems that you haven't finished before.

Lab Hour 5

Below is an assortment of on-line quizzes and puzzles concerning the material that we have covered recently. If you have questions, raise your hand.

The latter item is a really interesting and entertaining Java applet that may help you greatly in mastering quadratic functions.

If you finish with all the quizzes, you may want to open again Maple Worksheet 2 (sheet2.mws), see the link in Lab Hour 3. There probably are a few problems that you haven't finished before.

Lab Hour 6

Click on the link below to download a Maple worksheet on asymptotes. In the dialog box you can choose either "Open from current location" or save the worksheet to the desktop and then click on it to have Maple open it. Work through the worksheet slowly and step-by-step. If you have questions, raise your hand.

Download "Vertical and Horizontal Asymptotes" (sheet3.mws)

After you finish with the worksheet, try the following puzzles

Lab Hour 7

Click on the link below to download a Maple worksheet on inverse functions. In the dialog box you can choose either "Open from current location" or save the worksheet to the desktop and then click on it to have Maple open it. Work through the worksheet slowly and step-by-step. If you have questions, raise your hand.

Download "Inverse Functions" (sheet4.mws)

After you finish with the worksheet, try the following quizzes:

Inverse Functions--Quiz

Lab Hour 8

Below is an assortment of on-line quizzes and puzzles that may be helpful in your review before Exam 2. You can choose topics and quizzes in any order you like. If you have questions, raise your hand.

Lab Hour 9

Do the following quizzes in the order they appear. Work your answers out. Do not guess.

Lab Hour 10

Review before Exam 3 -- Trigonometry

The first two quizzes concern converting degrees to radians and applications of right triangles.

The first applet explains the origin of the graphs of the basic trigonometric functions: sin, cos , tan. Click on the link below to access the applet and instructions.

The Origin of Graphs of Trigonometric Functions

The next applet allows you to play with the function a*sin(b*x) by changing coefficients a and b by sliding rulers. Here is what you should do:

Observe the effects that each of the coefficients has on the function. Which changes the amplitude and which the period?
Make the coefficient b really large and the coefficient a small, say about 0.3. (What does it mean in terms of the function a*sin(b*x)?) Click on the field where you see a*sin(b*x). Add the function sin(x) to a*sin(b*x); that is, type in +sin(x) next to a*sin(b*x). Graph the new fuction by clicking on the button "New Function". Can you explain the shape of the graph? Play with coefficients a and b and try to understand what you see.

Transformations Of Graphs of Trigonometric Functions: Amplitude and Period

If you understood the applets, you should have no problem with the next two quizzes.

Review before Exam 3 -- Exponentials and Logarithms