Math 142: Unit 8
Target Date: Saturday August 5
Deadline: Monday August 7
Note: The information on this page is
for the 6th edition of the textbook.
- Table of Contents:
- Topics
Study Guidelines
Unit Pretest and Exam Description
Checklist
Topics
This unit begins our study of the conic sections: parabolas, ellipses, and hyperbolas.
We will only consider conics in standard position (parabolas with vertex at the
origin, ellipses and hyperbolas with center at the origin), and in standard orientation
in this unit. We will study translated conics and rotated conics in Unit 9. Therefore,
certain portions of sections 11.2-4 (detailed below in the Study Guideline) will
not be covered in this unit.
- Parabolas (9.2)
- definition
- focus, vertex, axis, directrix
- graphing a parabola
- finding the equation of a parbola
- applications
- Ellipses (9.3)
- definition
- foci, major and minor axes, vertices, center, x and y intercepts
- graphing an ellipse
- finding the equation of an ellipse
- applications
- Hyperbolas (9.4)
- definition
- foci, transverse and conjugate axes, vertices, center, x and y intercepts, asymptotes
- graphing a hyperbola
- finding the equation of a hyperbola
- applications
Study guidelines for the 6th edition of
Sullivan's Precalculus
These reading and problem assignments are designed to help you learn the course
material. You should complete all of these problems, check your answers in the back
of the textbook, and get help with the problems that you missed. Most of the problems
are odd-numbered, so you can check the solutions in the Solutions
Manual.
The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics, so while these problems
will not be collected or graded, you will probably not do well in the course if you
do not complete these and check your work as described above. After completing these
problems, go on to the Unit Exam Description below and follow
directions.
- Section 9.1: Conics
- Section 9.2: Parabolas
- Reading: section 9.2
Read objectives 1-3 and objective 5 (Reflecting Property).
Read and work through examples 1-5 and example 8 and their matched problems.
- The parabolas applet illustrates the various
types of parabolas which have vertex at (0,0).
- Objective 4 (Vertex at (h,k)) will be covered in Unit 9. However, you
should be able to find the equation of any parabola using the definition on pages
575-576.
- Practice Problems: 9.2 #1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 19,
25, 27, 51-61 odd
- Section 9.3: Ellipses
- Reading: section 9.3
Read objectives 1-3 and objective 5 (Applications).
Read and work through examples 1-4 and example 7 and their matched problems.
- The ellipses applet illustrates the various
types of ellipses which have center at (0,0).
- Objective 4 (Center at (h,k)) will be covered in Unit 9.
- Practice Problems: 9.3 #1-4, 5-23 odd, 51-67 odd
- Section 9.4: Hyperbolas
- Reading: section 9.4
Read objectives 1-4 and objective 6 (Applications).
Read and work through examples 1-6 and example 9 and their matched problems.
- The hyperbolas
applet illustrates the various types of hyperbolas which have center at (0,0).
- Objective 5 (Center at (h,k)) will be covered in Unit 9.
- Practice Problems: 9.4 #1-4, 5-25 odd, 49-55 odd
- Supplementary material (optional):
Unit 8 Pretest and Exam Description
After completing the above work, do the following:
- Read the exam description:
- This exam has 20 questions, and will count 20 points toward your
grade.
- This exam has a one hour time limit.
- Unless otherwise specified, all
questions on this exam require an exact answer.
You should not try to use a calculator approximation for these questions.
- Be sure to look under the entry box for the type of answer expected.
- Some problems expect a list of values or formulas separated by
commas, such as 16,9. The values must be listed
in the order requested in the problem.
- The answer to some problems is an equation (for example, the equation
of a line). In this case, simply type in the equation. For example, your answer might
be y=2x-3.
- Complete the online Unit
8 Pretest assignment for Math 142. You may use your book if you wish,
and redo the pretest as many times as you like. Your pretest score will be scaled
to 5 points maximum.
- Directions: Click on the link above for your class, then choose
the Unit 8 Pretest.
- The pretest must be completed by the deadline date listed at the top of this
page.
However, you may redo the pretest as many times as you like before the due date.
Your best score counts, and it will be rescaled to 5 points maximum.
- If you are having trouble with any of the problems listed above
or on the pretest or practice exams, make use of the help resources listed on the
Help page.
- Arrange with your proctor to take the online proctored Unit 8 Exam assignment
for Math 142. Remember to bring identification, and remember that you will not be able
to take the unit exam after the deadline date given at the top of this page.
You may NOT use your book or notes on this exam.
- Directions: Click on the link above for your class, then choose
Unit 8 Exam.
- The proctored unit exam must be completed by the deadline date listed at the
top of this page, and may be repeated under certain conditions. See the Detailed
Schedule page for Math 142 for specific
rules.
Note: Remember that you can always go back and take
practice exams on this unit for Math 142 after the deadline has passed. In
particular, this will help you prepare for the midterm and final exams.
- Directions: Click on the link above for your class, then choose
Unit 8 Practice Exam. After the deadline has
passed, this exam will be available in practice mode.
Unit 8 Checklist
To finish Unit 8, make sure that you have completed the following
items:
- Read the material listed in the Study Guidelines.
- Practice the problems listed in the Study Guidelines, and use any of the listed supplementary
material to help you understand the concepts.
- Complete the online Unit
Pretest (read the exam description first).
- Complete the online proctored Unit
Exam.
back to the self-paced Math 141-142 home page
