Welcome to the VHCC Precalculus I homepage. This page contains notes, assignments and other related information. Please E-mail dsmith@vh.cc.va.us and dasmith@naxs.com with questions or comments.
General Information about Distance Courses
For shareware MPEG player click to download (approx. 4 megabytes).
Getting Started: First instructions, first assignment, course syllabus, linked outline of concepts and procedures.
Problems marked with asterisk * to be submitted in self-documented form via e-mail. Scanned documents are not required, but such documents may be submitted through the dsmith@vh.cc.va.us address only; such documents may become public and therefore should not contain your name or any identifying marks.
Read What to Include in Submitted Work
See also Class Notes #01 and #02
Daily Assignments:
Read and think about Introduction to Central Themes; Examples and submit your answers to questions posed and your comments on the ideas presented.
Also go to Randomized Problems, Precalculus I, Introductory Problems, First Set and randomly choose one of the nine problem versions. Follow the directions.
Introductory Flow Experiment If you wish to use simulated data, go to Randomized Problems and choose Simulated Data for Flow Experiment.
Suggested Review: Text Sections 1.1 and 1.2, if necessary
Overview and Introduction: The Modeling Process applied to Flow From a Cylinder (Class Notes #01) ** Note: Instead of the problems stated in the documents, go to Randomized Problems, Introductory Flow Model (Model 1), and randomly choose one of the nine problem versions. These problems are similar but not identical to those in your documents. **
Completion of the Introductory Flow Model (Class Notes #02) Distance students: submit your solutions to the exercises. ** Continue to use the Randomized Problems from the preceding document. **
Suggested Review: Text, Section 1.5
Week 2: 8/30/99 - 9/05/99
See also Class Notes #03 and #04
Properties of Quadratic Functions (note the DOS program QUADEQ provides useful practice; use it if practice is required) (Class Notes #03)
Optional Exercises for Practice: Graphs of selected parabolas (a series of DOS-based exercises)
Review of algebra: Text Section 1.1 work all problems highlighted in blue. If you can't get the correct answer to a problem before looking at the back of the book (check back of book after working), you should do more problems of similar nature. You are responsible throughout the course for knowing all the algebra in this section. If you run into difficulties please e-mail the instructor with questions.
Introduction to f(x) notation and the generalized modeling process (Class Notes #04)
Complete Exercises
Suggested Review: Text Section 3.1
Randomized Problems, Week 2 Quiz #1 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
Week 3: 9/06/99 - 9/12/99
See also Class Notes #05 and #06
Introduction to Basic Function Families (Class Notes #05)
Basic Function Families and Introduction to Rates and Slopes (Class Notes #06)
Randomized Problems, Week 3 Quiz #1 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
Randomized Problems, Week 3 Quiz #2 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
Suggested Review: Text Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3
Week 4: 9/13/99 - 9/20/99
See also Class Notes #07
Introduction to linear functions (Class Notes #07)
Suggested Review: Text Section 1.6
Check Linked Outline for summary of topics to be included on the Major Quiz. Topics through Rates and Slopes (Class Notes #06) are included. Click on links to see a brief discussion of topics. Check assignments, class notes and CD for details.
Initial DERIVE exercise
Major Quiz #1, Covering Assignments Through Week 2
Quiz Available Thursday Afternoon, 9/16/99 (take quiz in Learning Lab by following Thursday)
Sample Major Quiz (Recommendation: Complete this quiz and submit for feedback before taking actual quiz)
Review major quiz; work on DERIVE (suggestion: work on DERIVE exercise after taking Major Quiz)
Randomized Problems, Week 4 Quiz #1 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
Randomized Problems, Week 4 Quiz #2 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
Randomized Problems, Week 4 Quiz #3 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
Week 5: 9/20/99 - 9/26/99
See also Class Notes #08 and #09
Text Assignment: Section 2.5, #'s 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35
Symbolic Calculation of Slope (Class Notes #08)Text assignment: Section 1.3. Follow the same instructions as for the Section 1.1 assignment of Week 1.
Text assignment: Sections 2.1 and 2.2. Read these sections and be sure you understand them thoroughly.
Randomized Problems, Week 5 Quiz #1 and submit your solution to a randomly chosen version.
The Family of Linear Functions (Class Notes #09)
The Equation of a Line, all exercises
Week 6: 9/27/99 - 10/03/99
See also Class Notes #10 and #11
Introduction to Proportionality Exercises 1-10 (Class Notes #10)
Power Function Proportionalities Exercises 1-10 (Class Notes #11)
Recommended Reading: Text Section 2.4
Randomized Proportionality Problems: Study and master one version, use other version for practice (click on desired version): V ersion 1 V ersion 2
Suggested Review: Text section 3.2, subsection on Power Functions
Week 7: 10/04/99 - 10/10/99
See also Class Notes #12 and #13
Complete final assignment prior to test 1. (Class Notes #12, #13)
Study Linked Outline
Two Examples and a Picture
Optional practice problem set More practice problems (6 problems, by student request)
Text Assignment: Sections 2.3 and 2.5. Read 2.3 and be sure you understand transformations. Read 2.5 and to the 'blue' problems, following the usual instructions.
Week 8: 10/11/99 - 10/17/99
Complete Test #1 by 10/19/99
See also Class Notes #14 and #15
Introduction to Exponential Functions Problems 1-28 (Class Notes #14) ** Note: Instead of the problems stated in the documents, go to Randomized Problems, Precalculus I, Exponential Model, and randomly choose one of the nine problem versions. These problems are similar but not identical to those in your documents. **
Behavior and Source of Exponential Functions Complete All Problems (Class Notes #15) ** Note: Instead of the problems stated in the documents, go to Randomized Problems, Precalculus I, Exponential Model Part 2, and randomly choose one of the nine problem versions. These problems are similar but not identical to those in your documents. **
Suggested Review: Text Section 4.2
Week 9: 10/18/99 - 10/24/99
See also Class Notes #16 and #17
Linearizing Data and Curve Fitting Complete all problems
Suggested Review: Text Section 4.1
Inverse Functions and Logarithms Complete all problems (Class Notes #16)
Suggested Review: Text Section 4.3
Week 10: 10/25/99 - 10/31/99
See also Class Notes #18 and #19
Logarithms, Logarithmic Functions, Logarithmic Equations Complete all problems (Class Notes #17)
Fitting Exponential Functions to Data Complete all problems (Class Notes #18)
Suggested Review: Text Section 4.4, 4.5
Week 11: 11/01/99 - 11/07/99
See also Class Notes #20 and #21
Suggested Review: Text Section 4.6-4.8
View and understand an actual analysis used in a physics class in Analysis of a Pendulum Experiment (Class Notes #19, #20)
Introduction to Polynomials Complete all problems (Class Notes #21)
Shapes of Polynomial Graphs Complete all problems
Suggested Review: Text Section 3.2
Week 12: 11/08/99 - 11/14/99
See also Class Notes #22 and #23
Possible Numbers of Zeros, Approximations Complete all problems (Class Notes #22)
Suggested Review: Text Section 3.5
Review Exponential, Logarithmic and Polynomial Functions
Properties of Functions Part I Complete all problems
Week 13: 11/15/99 - 11/22/99
See also Class Notes #24 and #25
Combining Graphs of Functions Complete all problems (Class Notes #23)
Text Assignments: Sections 4.5 - 4.7. Read sections and problems and be sure you can do everything.
Suggested Review: Text Section 2.4
Product Functions and Composite Functions Complete all problems (Class Notes #24, 25)
Week 14: 11/23/99 - 11/29/99
Test #2. Test consisting of problems randomly chosen from problem bank may be taken in class or in Learning Lab by 12/1/99.
Week 15: 11/30/99 - 12/05/99
See also Class Notes #26 - #28
Sex and Drugs Complete all problems (Class Notes #26)
DERIVE strategies for curve fitting Complete the exercise (Class Notes #27, #28)
Week 16: 12/06/99 - 12/12/99
The Illumination Experiment Complete the Exercise
Review for Final
Complete final exam by 8/09/99 for grade during regular summer term; later completion by students having taken the first two tests will result in grade of I; course should be completed by 8/20/99.
#01: Depth vs. Clock Time Model
#02: Quadratic Model of Depth vs. Clock Time (3 points, 3 simultaneous equations)
#03: Graphs of Quadratic Functions
#04: Graphs of Quadratics Functions; Function Notation
#05: Introduction to Function Families
#06: Power Functions, Rates and Slopes
#07: Rates; Modeling by a Linear Function
#08: Symbolic Slopes; Slope = Slope Equation
#09: Linear Functions
#10: Proportionality and Sand Piles
#11: Proportionality
#12: Proportionality, Laws of Exponents, Sequences
#13: Review Notes for Test
#14: Exponential Functions
#15: Test Questions; Behavior of Exponential Functions
#16: Exponential Functions; Inverse Functions and Logarithms
#17: Using Logarithms
#18: Logarithms; Modeling Exponential Behavior
#19: Linearizing Exponential Data; Introduction to Polynomials
#20: Linearizing Data
#21: Graphs of Polynomials
#22: Graphs of Polynomials and Power Functions
#23: Combining Functions: Ball down Incline and onto Floor
#24: Review; Practice Test
#25: Combining Functions Graphically
#26: Sex and Drugs
#27: Review I
#28: Review II
1.1: Overview and Introduction: The Modeling Process applied to Flow From a Cylinder
1.2: Completion of the Introductory Flow Model
1.3: Properties of quadratics
1.4: Introduction to f(x) notation and the generalized modeling process
1.5: Introduction to Function Families and Basic function families
1.6: Introduction to Rates and Slopes
1.7: Initial DERIVE exercise
1.8: Review Highlights for Test #1 NOTE review DERIVE
2.1: I ntroduction to linear functions
2.2: The family of linear functions
2.3: Symbolic Calculations of Slopes
2.4: The Equation of a Line
2.5: Initial derive exercise
2.6: Introduction to Proportionality
2.7: Power Function Proportionalities
Test #2 Followup: Instructor's Commentary on Test #2
3.1: Introduction to Exponential Functions
3.2: Behavior and Source of Exponential Functions
3.3: Inverse Functions and Logarithms
3.4: Logarithms, Logarithmic Functions, Logarithmic Equations
3.5: Linearizing Data and Curve Fitting
3.6: Fitting Exponential Functions to Data
4.1: Introduction to Polynomials
4.2: Shapes of Polynomial Graphs
4.3: Possible Numbers of Zeros, Approximations
4.4: Properties of Functions Part I
4.5: Combining Graphs of Functions
4.6: Product Functions and Composite Functions
5.1: Sex and Drugs
5.2: DERIVE strategies for curve fitting
5.3 The Illumination Experiment
