qa 4

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course MTH 163

October 5, 2012 @ 8:09 PM

http://vhcc2.vhcc.edu/dsmith/geninfo/labrynth_created_fall_05/levl1_22/levl2_81/file3_259.htm

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Your solution, attempt at solution. If you are unable to attempt a solution, give a phrase-by-phrase interpretation of the problem along with a statement of what you do or do not understand about it. This response should be given, based on the work you did in completing the assignment, before you look at the given solution.

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Question: `q001. Note that this assignment has 4 questions

If f(x) = x^2 + 4, then find the values of the following: f(3), f(7) and f(-5). Plot the corresponding points on a graph of y = f(x) vs. x. Give a good description of your graph.

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Your solution:

- To find the y values (or the f(x) values, rather) one plugs in the given number wherever x appears in the given equation.

- The first will be (3, 13), second will be (7, 53) and the final point will be (-5, 29).

- One estimates that this parabola will be fairly wide.

- Using what one refers to as the “vertex equation,” being -b / 2(a), one sees that the vertex shall lie at the point (0, 4).

- NOTE: that the single variable item, variable ‘b’ one usually sees in the quadratic equation is missing, therefore it shall be valued as 0.

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

f(x) = x^2 + 4. To find f(3) we replace x by 3 to obtain

f(3) = 3^2 + 4 = 9 + 4 = 13.

Similarly we have

f(7) = 7^2 + 4 = 49 + 4 = 53 and

f(-5) = (-5)^2 + 9 = 25 + 4 = 29.

Graphing f(x) vs. x we will plot the points (3, 13), (7, 53), (-5, 29). The graph of f(x) vs. x will be a parabola passing through these points, since f(x) is seen to be a quadratic function, with a = 1, b = 0 and c = 4.

The x coordinate of the vertex is seen to be -b/(2 a) = -0/(2*1) = 0. The y coordinate of the vertex will therefore be f(0) = 0 ^ 2 + 4 = 0 + 4 = 4. Moving along the graph one unit to the right or left of the vertex (0,4) we arrive at the points (1,5) and (-1,5) on the way to the three points we just graphed.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

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Self-critique rating:

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Question: `q002. If f(x) = x^2 + 4, then give the symbolic expression for each of the following: f(a), f(x+2), f(x+h), f(x+h)-f(x) and [ f(x+h) - f(x) ] / h. Expand and/or simplify these expressions as appropriate.

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Your solution:

- I believe that this is the same scenario as always, just plugging in the values given into the same place that the variable ‘x’ inhabits in the given equation.

- For f(a) the original equation becomes f(a) = (a)^2 + 4

- For f (x+2) the equation becomes f(x+2) = (x+2)^2 + 4 => x^2 + 4x + 8

- For f(x+h) the equation becomes f(x+h) = (x+h)^2 + 4 => x^2 + 2hx + h^2 + 4.

- For f(x+h) - f(x) the equation becomes (2hx + h^2)/(h) one takes into mind that when this situation occurs, the items that match the denominator is terminated, so thus 2x + h is found.

confidence rating #$&*: 2

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Given Solution:

If f(x) = x^2 + 4, then the expression f(a) is obtained by replacing x with a:

f(a) = a^2 + 4.

Similarly to find f(x+2) we replace x with x + 2:

f(x+2) = (x + 2)^2 + 4, which we might expand to get (x^2 + 4 x + 4) + 4 or x^2 + 4 x + 8.

To find f(x+h) we replace x with x + h to obtain

f(x+h) = (x + h)^2 + 4 = x^2 + 2 h x + h^2 + 4.

To find f(x+h) - f(x) we use the expressions we found for f(x) and f(x+h):

f(x+h) - f(x) = [ x^2 + 2 h x + h^2 + 4 ] - [ x^2 + 4 ] = x^2 + 2 h x + 4 + h^2 - x^2 - 4 = 2 h x + h^2.

To find [ f(x+h) - f(x) ] / h we can use the expressions we just obtained to see that

[ f(x+h) - f(x) ] / h = [ x^2 + 2 h x + h^2 + 4 - ( x^2 + 4) ] / h = (2 h x + h^2) / h = 2 x + h.

You should have written these expressions out, and the following should probably be represented on your paper in form similar to that given here:

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Self-critique (if necessary): Some of this algebra I haven’t done since high school, but it’s coming back to me once I had seen what the answer is supposed to look like. When I know what the answer should look like, I can take usually care of the rest.

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Self-critique rating:

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Question: `q003. If f(x) = 5x + 7, then give the symbolic expression for each of the following: f(x1), f(x2), [ f(x2) - f(x1) ] / ( x2 - x1 ). Note that x1 and x2 stand for subscripted variables (x with subscript 1 and x with subscript 2), not for x * 1 and x * 2. x1 and x2 are simply names for two different values of x. If you aren't clear on what this means please ask the instructor.

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Your solution:

- f(x) = 5x + 7

f(x1) = 5x1 + 7

- f(x2) = 5x2 + 1

- [ f(x2)- f(x1) ]/ (x2 - x1) becomes 0, since the opposing values cancel each other out.

@&

Mathematics education would be well-served by banishing the word 'cancel', which is almost universally misused by students.

I almost never use the word in my classes. There are a handful of laws and properties, it isn't that hard to apply them, and once mastered they avoid ambiguity and misapplication (or, as I call it, 'mathematics by superstition as opposed to laws'). (I also characterize the mentality of mathematics education as 'why teach a dozen rules when you can teach 10,000 tricks?', but I'm up front about this as being pretty much unfair hyperbole to make a point).

[ f(x2)- f(x1) ]/ (x2 - x1) becomes

( 5x2 + 7 - (5 x1 + 7) ) / (x2 - x1)

which simplifies to

(5 x2 - 5 x1) / (x2 - x1)

then to

(5 x2 - 5 x1) / ( x2 - x1).

and finally to

5 ( x2 - x1 ) / ( x2 - x1 ) = 5,

since (x2 - x1) / (x2 - x1) = 1 by the identity property of multiplication (or less precisely 'because a quantity divided by itself is 1')

*@

confidence rating #$&*: 1

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Given Solution:

Replacing x by the specified quantities we obtain the following:

f(x1) = 5 * x1 + 7,

f(x2) = 5 * x2 + 7,

[ f(x2) - f(x1) ] / ( x2 - x1) = [ 5 * x2 + 7 - ( 5 * x1 + 7) ] / ( x2 - x1) = [ 5 x2 + 7 - 5 x1 - 7 ] / (x2 - x1) = (5 x2 - 5 x1) / ( x2 - x1).

We can factor 5 out of the numerator to obtain

5 ( x2 - x1 ) / ( x2 - x1 ) = 5.

Compare what you have written down with the expressions below:

- The only difference was that I made each 5x1+7 portion one entire value, as (5x1 +7) and treated it such to terminate all values to equal 0. Other than that discrepancy, everything matches up.

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Self-critique (if necessary): See above

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Self-critique rating:

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Question: `q004. If f(x) = 5x + 7, then for what value of x is f(x) equal to -3?

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Your solution:

- The value for which f(x) = 5x +2, when f(x) is equal to -3, is -1. Because 5( -1 ) + 2 = -3.

CORRECTION: Thought the number 7 was a 2. Basically, plug in -3 to = the equation:

5x + 7 = -3

5x = -10

x = -2

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

If f(x) is equal to -3 then we right f(x) = -3, which we translate into the equation

5x + 7 = -3.

We easily solve this equation (subtract 7 from both sides then divide both sides by 5) to obtain x = -2.

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Self-critique (if necessary):

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#*&!

&#Your work looks good. See my notes. Let me know if you have any questions. &#