course Mth 163 Mr. Smith,I had quite a bit of trouble with Assignment 3. I can't put my finger on why really, I just became very confused. I'd love to get your feedback on this (as much as you can provide with my lack or absence of self-critiqe), review the class notes and text and try it again. Thank you. ???????a~???B? Student Name: assignment #003
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???????B??B?C?y Student Name: assignment #003
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11:27:17 `q001. Note that this assignment has 6 questions The function y = a x^2 + b x + c takes the value y = 0 when x = [ -b + `sqrt(b^2 - 4 a c ] / (2 a) or when x = [ -b - `sqrt(b^2 - 4 a c ] / (2 a). For the function y = - 0.45833 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875, which you obtained as a quadratic model of the points (1, -2), (3, 5) and (7, 8) in the preceding assignment, find the values of x for which y = 0. Compare to the estimates you made from the graph through (1,-2), (3, 5) and (7, 8) in Assignment 1.
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RESPONSE --> O.K. This was very difficult for me. It's been a while since I've used the quadratic formula. But here it goes. x= -5.33333 + - sqrt 5.33333^2 - 4 * -0.45833 * -6.875/2* - 0.45833
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11:35:23 For the function y = - 0.45833 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875 we have a = -0.45833, b = 5.33333 and c = -6.875. The quadratic formula therefore tells us that for our function we have y = 0 when x = [-5.33333 + `sqrt(5.33333^2 - 4 * (-0.45833 ) * (-6.875)) ] / ( 2 * (-0.45833)) = 1.47638 and when x = [-5.33333 - `sqrt(5.33333^2 - 4 * (-0.45833 ) * (-6.875)) ] / ( 2 * (-0.45833)) = 10.16006.
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RESPONSE --> My answer was completely different, and I'm not really sure where I went wrong. I set the problem up correctly, but I attempted to simplify it by breaking it down with the Order of Operations. I've tried using my calculator, thinking I'd made an error, but I still get the wrong answer.
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12:39:46 `q002. Extend the smooth curve in your sketch to include both points at which y = 0. Estimate the x value at which y takes its maximum value.
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RESPONSE --> I think that y takes it's maximum value at (7,8). I plotted the points 1.47638 and 10.16006 on the x axis at y=0. Is this correct?
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12:42:01 Your graph should clearly show how the parabola passes through the x axis at the points where x is approximately 1.5 (corresponding to the more accurate value 1.47638 found in the preceding problem) and where takes is a little more than 10 (corresponding to the more accurate value 10.16006 found in the preceding problem). The graph of the parabola will peak halfway between these x values, at approximately x = 6 (actually closer to x = 5.8), where the y value will be between 8 and 9.
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RESPONSE --> My parabola looks a little off. Instead of being a smooth arch at the top, it looks very pointy.
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12:48:02 `q003. For the function of the preceding two questions, y will take its maximum value when x is halfway between the two values at which y = 0. Recall that these two values are approximately x = 1.48 and x = 10.16. At what x value will the function take its maximum value? What will be this value? What are the coordinates of the highest point on the graph?
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RESPONSE --> Halfway between the two values of 1.48 and 10.16, I think is approx. 4.34. But isn't y still at 0? I'm sorry, I really confused. My highest coordinates are the original (7,8)
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12:49:10 09-22-2006 12:49:10 The x value halfway between x = 1.48 and x = 10.16 is the average x = (1.48 + 10.16) / 2 = 5.82. At x = 5.82 we have y = - 0.45833 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875 = -.45833 * 5.82^2 + 5.33333 * 5.82 - 6.875 = 8.64 approx.. Thus the graph of the function will be a parabola whose maximum occurs at its vertex (5.82, 8.64).
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NOTES -------> I had subtracted 10.16-1.48 and divided that by 2 and got 4.34. I should have added the two and divided by 2 to get the average.
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12:49:18 09-22-2006 12:49:18 `q004. The function y = a x^2 + b x + c has a graph which is a parabola. This parabola will have either a highest point or a lowest point, depending upon whether it opens upward or downward. In either case this highest or lowest point is called the vertex of the parabola. The vertex of a parabola will occur when x = -b / (2a). At what x value, accurate to five significant figures, will the function y = - 0.458333 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875 take its maximum value? Accurate to five significant figures, what is the corresponding y value?
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NOTES ------->
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12:57:55 In the preceding problem we approximated the x value at which the function is maximized by averaging 1.48 and 10.16, the x values at which the function is zero. Here we will use x = -b / (2 a) to obtain x value at which function is maximized: x = -b / (2a) = 5.33333 / (2 * -0.45833) = 5.81818. To find corresponding y value we substitute x = 5.81818 into y = - 0.458333 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875 to obtain y = 8.64024. Thus the vertex of the parabola lies at (5.81818, 8.64024).
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RESPONSE --> When I used x= -b/(2a), I got 5.81818 also and substitued it into the equation and got 8.64024. Since there is a zero in that number, we actually used six digits, it that right? Because zero isn't a significant number?
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13:12:56 `q005. As we just saw the vertex of the parabola defined by the function y = - 0.45833 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875 lies at (5.8182, 8.6402). What is the value of x at a point on the parabola which lies 1 unit to the right of the vertex, and what is the value of x at a point on the parabola which lies one unit to the left of the vertex? What is the value of y corresponding to each of these x values? By how much does each of these y values differ from the y value at the vertex, and how could you have determined this number by the equation of the function?
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RESPONSE --> Since a parabola is symetric of itself, and if you folded it in half, the two parts would match, I know that a<0 since it opens downward, so one unit to the right would be 6.8182 and one unit the the left would be 4.8182.
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13:15:37 The vertex lies at x = 5.8182, so the x values of points lying one unit to the right and left of the vertex must be x = 6.8182 and x = 4.8182. At these x values we find by substituting into the function y = - 0.458333 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875 that at both points y = 8.1818. Each of these y values differs from the maximum y value, which occurs at the vertex, by -0.4584. This number is familiar. Within roundoff error is identical to to the coefficient of x^2 in the original formula y = - 0.458333 x^2 + 5.33333 x - 6.875. This will always be the case. If we move one unit to the right or left of the vertex of the parabola defined by a quadratic function y = a x^2 + b x + c, the y value always differ from the y value at the vertex by the coefficient a of x^2. Remember this.
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RESPONSE --> So y stays the same. No, I'm sorry but I am REALLY confused. I'm going to review the class notes and book sections and take another crack at this.
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13:29:52 `q006. In the preceding problem we saw an instance of the following rule: The function y = a x^2 + b x + c has a graph which is a parabola. This parabola has a vertex. If we move 1 unit in the x direction from the vertex, moving either 1 unit to the right or to the left, then move vertically a units, we end up at another point on the graph of the parabola. In assignment 2 we obtained the solution a = -1, b = 10, c = 100 for a system of three simultaneous linear equations. If these linear equations had been obtained from 3 points on a graph, we would then have the quadratic model y = -1 x^2 + 10 x + 100 for those points. What would be the coordinates of the vertex of this parabola? What would be the coordinates of the points on the parabola which lie 1 unit to the right and one unit to the left of the vertex? Sketch a graph with these three points, and sketch a parabola through these points. Will this parabola ever touch the x axis?
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RESPONSE --> x= -10/2*-1 x= 5 y= -1*5^2+10*5+100 y=125 So the vertex is (5,125) One unit to the right would be (6,125) and one unit to the left would be (4,125) I sketched (4,125) (5,125) and (6,125) Yes it does appear that it would touch the x axis eventually.
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13:32:16 The vertex of the parabola given by y = -1 x^2 + 10 x + 100 will lie at x = -b / (2 a) = -10 / (2 * -1) = 5. At the vertex the y value will therefore be y = -1 x^2 + 10 x + 100 = -1 * 5^2 + 10 * 5 + 100 = 125. It follows that if we move 1 unit in the x direction to the right or left, the y value will change by a = -1. The y value will therefore change from 125 to 124, and we will have the 3 'fundamental points' (4, 124), (5, 125), and (6, 124). Your graph should show a parabola peaking at (5, 125) and descending slightly as we move 1 unit to the right or left of this vertex. The parabola will then descend more and more rapidly, eventually crossing the x-axis both to the left and to the right of the vertex. The points to the right and left show clearly that the parabola descends from its vertex. This is because in this case a = -1, a negative value, which effectively pulls the parabola down on either side of the vertex. Had the value of a been positive, the points one unit to the right and left would lie above the vertex and the parabola would asscend from its vertex.
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RESPONSE --> o.k. Yes I see that. It opens downward, but if it had been the other way around it would have open upward and would have never touched the x axis.
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