Comments for Why? See! Math

Comment on MAT 172: Writing Your Technical Memo for Project 1 by davidg

davidg — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:14:54 +0000

Send me what your equations are as well as your what your reduced row echelon form…perhaps I can see what you are talking about.

Comment on MAT 172: Writing Your Technical Memo for Project 1 by Alexandria

Alexandria — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:41:42 +0000

When I go to solve for my equation, I end up getting zero in the z’s place. I am so lost. I have my equations set up to solve for z, kind of like the forks, spoons, and knives problem. What am I doing wrong? Is anybody else coming upon this?

Comment on MAT 152: What Should Be In Your Technical Memo for Project 1? by davidg

davidg — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:47:29 +0000

Under the title, should be your name and your institution, Yavapai College.

Comment on MAT 152: What Should Be In Your Technical Memo for Project 1? by Marla Sutcliffe

Marla Sutcliffe — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:15:17 +0000

I noticed that the due date is needed on our Technical Memo for Project 1. Do you want our name on the paper or just the email?

Comment on Finite Math by davidg

davidg — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:30:37 +0000

All you need to do in Excel is get the rref (reduced row echelon form). Everything else is done by hand.

Comment on Finite Math by Bryce Schuler

Bryce Schuler — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:13:54 +0000

Dear Dr. Dave,

I really appreciate the examples you have given with a similar equation that has only two equations solving for three variables. Because this equation has many solutions and a variable is always left unsolved I was wondering how we should show this in the Excel document. Should we just leave the equations in a partially solved matrix or should we insert the variables to make it more clear what we have solved for?

Thanks, Bryce

Comment on MAT 152: Week 3 Homework Hints by Amber

Amber — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:33:42 +0000

I understand your frustration Julian, I have done that before. To qualify that I have taken all my math classes online, and I had to start from math82. I found that the MyMathLab & MathLabPlus are the best programs for math. There are others that don’t have the functionality of this program.

Some tips if you want them are:
For the homework section only.
When you get the answer wrong always read the text box when it pops up, it will give you an idea where you went wrong though, sometimes it is still unclear. I didn’t always do this and it led to a lot of frustration.
Then read the question again and look for the function of _t,x,y… , I catch myself in this still, we are such creatures of habit.
Then I check my math, and usually I got something wrong in this section.
If it is in the homework section, and I find that I can’t figure a problem out I will use the help me solve this button. It will walk you through the problem. Sometimes I will print this walk through out as a reference. Then when I am done with that I go back to the problem and at the bottom is a button for a similar problem, I hit that and answer the question. I usually can get it right by then, but not always, sometimes with a particularly hard question I have done this an couple of times before I can move on. Doing this is like having the teacher right there helping me through the problem.
If you get a problem wrong in the homework section you can always rework the wrong questions till you get them right. I find doing that helps me to get a better grade in the quiz, where you can’t do this.

I hope this will help you and anyone else who has the same problem.
Thanks for listening.

Comment on MAT 172: Finding Your Equations by davidg

davidg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:51:16 +0000

Look at the comment right above yours…the link shows a handout where a system of two equations in three variables is solved. Example 3 in http://www.whyseemath.com/pdf172/mixing_ethanol_system.pdf also involves a system like this.

Comment on MAT 172: Finding Your Equations by Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:38:01 +0000

MAT172: Tech Assign 2

Ok, I understand the example given in the tech assign 2 on how to use a graphing calculator solving a 2×3 matrix. However, our equation is a 2×4 matrix. How do we solve a 2×4 matrix with our graphing calculator? That is, solving for three variables (x,y, and z; in my case). Any hints?

Comment on MAT 152: Week 3 Homework Hints by davidg

davidg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:55:01 +0000

What you are referring to is not “program parameters”, it is just plain correct. If the problem says to write your linear function as a function of t, it really means it! If I were grading your answer by hand and you wrote y = 2.1x + 7.2 instead of f = 2.1t + 7.2, I would also mark it wrong. If it said to write the equation of a line and you wrote 3200t + 32,000 instead of y = 3200t + 32,000, it would be wrong. An equation must have an equals sign in it!

Make sure you read and understand what you are being asked to write down. MML is very specific to avoid confusion in answers. You can certainly email me if you feel you have been wronged, but make sure you are not overlooking anything.