Ms. Meyer’s Weblog

Web Assignment 4 December 27, 2007

We have now completed a thorough chapter about derivatives. Now we will be getting into their uses. Click 4. Flowing Through Mathematics or go to http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=16. When you get to “Flowing through Mathematics,” you should see a tube full of water, some buttons to make adjustments and a graph.

First read the Instructions by pressing the plus sign next to “Instructions.” Now, for the first time, just click “Start” and watch what happens. Next, change the Diameter by using the arrows under “Adjust Diameter,” then click “Start” again and see what happens. This way you can compare graphs with different diameters. However you can not compare height of water verses volume in the same graph, you will have to do that on your own.

Second, click on the plus sign next to “Exploration” and answer the 7 questions listed there. After you finish those, then finish with the following graph.

Pick a Diameter to test. Then run the test while measuring the height till the end. Using the “Enter a Time” and “Enter a Height” to get a good list of data points to graph on your paper. Then do it again with the same Diameter but while measuring the volume. Then get a good set of points to graph on a different graph. Then using the points and best-fit curve, compare the height and volume at the same time. Then make a new graph with height and volume. What do you notice about this graph? Explain. Also tell me if there is anything that you figured out while doing this.