Category: Webwork

We’ll finish up course material on Thursday, but you can get started on remaining Webwork sets now.

• Complex Numbers – Direction
  • you can complete all problems now
  • “argument” means “angle” or “direction”
• Complex Numbers – Magnitude
  • you can complete all problems now
• Complex Numbers – Polar Form
  • you can complete most problems now
  • you can find the modulus (magnitude) and angle or $a+bi$ form of complex numbers $\zeta$ now
  • ignore questions asking you for the product $\zeta_1 \cdot \zeta_2$ or quotient $\zeta_1 \div \zeta_2$ until after Thursday’s class
• Vectors – Components
  • you can complete all problems now
• Vectors – Magnitude and Direction
  • you can complete all problems now
• Vectors – Unit Vectors
  • ignore this set until after Thursday’s class

All Webwork  sets have been reopened. You have until Wednesday, December 18 to complete anything you didn’t complete previously. Please note that while most sets are due at 11:59pm, the following sets are due at 11:58pm (these are the sets corresponding to topics we’re discussing now):

• Complex Numbers – Direction
• Complex Numbers – Magnitude
• Complex Numbers – Operations
• Complex Numbers – Polar Form
• Sequences – Binomial Theorem
• Vectors – Components
• Vectors – Magnitude and Direction
• Vectors – Unit Vectors

1. I’ve changed the deadline for one of the sets that was due on Monday; Logarithmic functions – equations is now due Wednesday.
2. This week’s quiz will cover material/exercises from Sections 13-16 of your text.
3. Our conversation about Part #1 of the project in class last week about bank accounts, credit cards, and investments made me think about a few things:
   1. We talked about how difficult it is to get along in the US in 2019 without a bank account or without a credit card, but it’s not necessarily in everyone’s best interest to have one. For example, if someone is undocumented or doesn’t have a permanent address, they would have to weigh the pros and cons of making such a decision. There could be other reasons as well.
   2. We talked a little about investing money in the stock market instead of keeping it in a bank account. It’s important to stress that the value of the stock market over time is not an exponential function; in particular, it goes up and down. However, over a long period of time, the stock market does display approximate exponential growth. For example, the average annual return of the S&P 500 over the last 50 years is around 8 or 9%. Compare this rate to the rates you looked up for savings accounts, which are much lower.
4. We are about to start the trigonometry unit of the course. I will assume you have seen some trigonometry in your life. You have the option to complete a trigonometry activity as a refresher outside of class. Anyone who completes the project perfectly will earn 5 participation points (there is no partial credit). The trigonometry activity can be accessed here. It is due by 11:59pm on Tuesday, November 19.

1. There is no class next Tuesday, October 8
2. Webwork
   • Polynomials – Division due 10/09/2019
   • Polynomials – Graphs due 10/09/2019
     Polynomials – Theory due 10/16/2019
3. Quiz #3 will be given next Thursday, October 10. It will cover material/exercises from today’s class (Sections 8 and 9)
4. Test #1 Solutions are due on the OpenLab on Monday night
5. Graph Your Name exercise is due the night of Monday, October 14

Some of you have noticed that Webwork accepts “none” instead of “no solution” in some of the Absolute Value Inequalities questions. This is because Webwork isn’t recognizing the space in “no solution.” Here’s what you should do instead:

When you click on the entry box, a set of choices appears on the right-hand side of the screen. At the bottom, you’ll see Tt. (This means entry will be in text mode rather than in math mode.) Click this to enter “no solution.”

Later in the semester, you may have other answers to enter in text mode; it’s useful when your answers need units as well.