arminstraub.com

Fall 2017: Calculus & Applications (Math 120)

Overview

Instructor Dr. Armin Straub
MSPB 313
straub@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-7262 (please use e-mail whenever possible)
Office hours R, 12:05-2:05pm; F, 10:05-2:05pm; or by appointment
These times will almost certainly change once a time for our research seminar has been set.
Lecture Section 701/720: F, 9:05-9:55am, in MSPB 140 (old ILB)
Section 702: F, 2:30-3:20pm, in MSPB 140 (old ILB)
Section 703: R, 2:25-3:15pm, in Humanities 160
Midterm exam September 28/29 during the usual class time
just pen and paper; no calculators, no notes, no other tools
Final exam needs to be completed until Wednesday, Dec 6
Text Calculus & Its Applications (Brief Version), 14th edition
by Goldstein, Lay, Schneider, Asmar (Pearson, 2017)
Note. An ebook version of the text comes with the MyLabsPlus access code.
Syllabus syllabus.pdf
MyLabsPlus http://usouthal.mylabsplus.com
Online questions https://piazza.com/southalabama/fall2017/ma120

Getting started: checklist

Welcome to Calculus & Applications!

  • Bookmark this site. This is where all the material for the course will be posted.
  • Join Piazza. This is the place for all questions (which may be of interest to others). If you have not received the sign-up email, please let me know.
  • Get access to MyLabsPlus. This is where homework, quizzes and three online tests will be done.
More details are included below and in the syllabus.

Getting help

You have several options to get help during this semester.
  • We will be using Piazza for online discussions and questions. Rather than emailing your question to me, you are strongly encouraged to post it on Piazza so that the whole class can join and benefit from the discussion (you have the option to post your question anonymously). You can find our class at: https://piazza.com/southalabama/fall2017/ma120
  • Free tutoring for this course is provided by JagPALs. Check out the JagSuccess website for details: http://www.southalabama.edu/departments/academicsuccess/jagpals.html
  • If you still have any questions, please visit me during office hours or make an appointment.

MyLabsPlus

We will use MyLabsPlus for homework, quizzes and three online tests. You are required to purchase an access code (which will also provide you with an electronic version of the textbook). See the note at Piazza for details, as well as your default login and password.

Lecture sketches and assignments

All assignments below should be completed before the next class meeting. Final due dates are available on MyLabsPlus (however, in order that I can help in case of any issues, do not wait until the due date).

Assignments and things to check out
#1 slides01.pdf (Aug 17/18)
  • complete the getting started checklist above
  • immediately do the "Easy Points" assignment on MyLabsPlus (the final due date is 8/22)
  • do "Chapter 0. Some review" assigment (5 questions) on MyLabsPlus
  • graph some functions in GeoGebra
  • check out Sections 1.1 and 1.2 in the book
    The book is available under "eText" in MyLabsPlus.
  • do "1.1, 1.2. Lines and slopes" assignment (8 questions) on MyLabsPlus
#2 slides02.pdf (Aug 24/25)
  • go through the slides and work through the examples we didn't complete in class
  • check out Sections 1.3 and 1.6 in the book, as well as the first part of 1.7
  • do "1.3. The derivative" (10 questions) on MyLabsPlus
  • compute some derivatives in GeoGebra
    Also, when you compute a tangent line for some assignment, plot the function plus the tangent line.
  • take the quiz "1.2, 1.3. Power rule quiz" (4 questions) on MyLabsPlus
    See the end of the lecture slides for what to expect on this first quiz.
  • do "1.6. Rules for derivatives" (6 questions) on MyLabsPlus
  • begin "1.7. More on derivatives" (do the first 6 of the 8 questions)
#3 slides03.pdf (Aug 31/Sep 1)
  • go through the slides and work through the examples we didn't complete in class
    in particular, the example on velocity and acceleration
  • check out Sections 1.7 and 1.8 in the book
  • finish "1.7. More on derivatives" (8 questions)
  • do "1.8. Rate of change" (4 questions)
  • take the quiz "chapter 1 quiz" (10 questions)
    See the end of the lecture slides for a summary of the topics.
#4 slides04.pdf (Sep 7/8)
  • go through the slides and work through Example 6.
    We didn't get to the material after Example 6. That's where we pick up next time.
  • check out Sections 2.1, 2.2 in the book
  • do "2.1. Graphs" (5 questions)
  • do "2.2. First and second derivative rules" (7 questions)
  • have a first look at Section 2.3 in the book
    That's what we begin with next class.
  • begin with "2.3. First and second derivative tests" (5 questions)
  • I would suggest waiting to take "2.2, 2.3. Graphing quiz" (4 questions).
    These problems might feel a bit more tricky. More details next class.
#5 slides05.pdf (Sep 14/15)
  • check out Sections 2.3, 2.5, 2.7 in the book
  • finish "2.3. First and second derivative tests" (5 questions)
  • take "2.2, 2.3. Graphing quiz" (4 questions)
    This quiz is more tricky than others. See the end of the lecture slides for what to expect.
  • do "2.5. Optimization" (3 questions)
  • do "2.7. Applications to Business and Economics" (4 questions)
  • if you feel ready, take "2.5, 2.7 Optimization quiz" (3 questions)
    All three questions are taken from homework assignments.
  • start preparing for the in-class exam:
    midterm01-practice.pdf, midterm01-practice-solution.pdf
  • If this looks much for one week: nothing will be added next week!!
#6 slides06.pdf (Sep 21/22)
  • review Chapters 1, 2 in the book
  • finish all assignments and quizzes
    Until the exam, you can submit all of these, even if past the due date.
  • get ready for next week's in-class exam!
    midterm01-practice.pdf, midterm01-practice-solution.pdf
    The exam is pen and paper: no calculators, no notes, no anything else
#7 slides07.pdf (Oct 5/6)
  • check out Sections 3.1, 3.2 in the book
  • do "3.1. Product and Quotient rule" (6 questions)
  • do "3.2. Chain rule" (6 questions)
  • take "chapter 3 quiz" (5 questions)
    All five questions are taken from homework assignments.
  • review basic algebra of exponentials/logs
    for instance, read through Section 4.1 in the book
#8 slides08.pdf (Oct 19/20)
  • check out Sections 4.1-6 in the book
  • do "4.1, 4.2. Exponential functions and e^x" (10 questions)
  • do "4.3 On the derivative of e^x" (6 questions)
  • do "4.4, 4.5, 4.6. About ln(x)" (9 questions)
  • if you feel ready, take "chapter 4 quiz" (7 questions)
    All questions are taken from homework assignments.
  • If this looks much for one week: nothing will be added next week!!
#9 slides09.pdf (Oct 26/27)
  • review Chapters 3, 4 in the book
  • finish all assignments and quizzes from Chapters 3 & 4
    Until the online test, you can submit all of these, even if past the due date.
  • take the MyLabsPlus online test
#10 slides10.pdf (Nov 2/3)
  • check out Sections 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 in the book
  • do "5.1. Exponential growth and decay" (3 questions)
  • do "5.2. Compound interest" (5 questions)
  • do "5.3. Applications of ln(x) to economics" (3 questions)
  • take "chapter 5 quiz" (5 questions)
    All questions are taken from homework assignments.
#11 slides11.pdf (Nov 9/10)
  • check out Sections 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 in the book
  • do "6.1. Antiderivatives" (9 questions)
  • do "6.2. Net change of functions" (6 questions)
  • do "6.3. Areas under a graph" (4 questions)
  • take "6.1, 6.2, 6.3. quiz on integrals" (6 questions)
    All questions are taken from homework assignments.
#12 see previous slides for outline (Nov 16/17)
  • check out Sections 6.4, 6.5 in the book
  • do "6.4, 6.5. Areas and applications of integrals" (5 questions)
  • take "chapter 6 quiz" (6 questions)
    All questions are taken from homework assignments.

You need to complete the 3rd online test by Friday, Dec 1 (at the very latest!).
The password is: 2.718

#13 slides13.pdf (Nov 30/Dec 1)
  • get ready for the final exam

You need to complete the final exam by Wednesday, Dec 6 (at the very latest!).
The password is: 42

Exam practice material

To help you prepare for our in-class midterm exam on September 28/29, work through the following practice problems:

The actual exam will be considerably shorter but the problems will be taken from the practice exam (with changed numbers, of course).

Please let me know if you spot any typos! Any typo caught before it is fixed here, will be worth a bonus (an extra attempt on a quiz of your choice).

An online graphing calculator

You can easily plot functions (and do much more) using GeoGebra.

  • To plot a function, just type something like f(x)=x^2+1 (press "right" after f(x)=x^2 to leave the exponent). You can even just type x^2+1 and the system will add a name for the function automatically. Also, press enter and then type in a second function...
  • To compute the derivative of f(x), you just need to type f'(x) in another field. To only compute a specific value, use something like f'(5).

Have fun exploring! The possibilities are endless.