AP Precalculus flashcards
Which model fits, what a rate of change means, how a graph behaves. Answer out loud, then tap the card to flip it.
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Unit 1: Polynomial and Rational Functions
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Topic 1.1 · Say it in context is the temperature of a cup of coffee minutes after it is poured. On the graph is decreasing and concave up. Describe how the temperature changes.
The temperature drops the whole time. Concave up means the rate of change is increasing, so the negative rate gets closer to 0: the coffee cools quickly at first, then more slowly.
Review: 1.1 Change in Tandem
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Topic 1.1 · Know the termWhat is the preimage of an output value?
The set of all input values that the function rule sends to that output. For , the preimage of 9 is .
Review: 1.1 Change in Tandem
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Topic 1.2 · Work it out. Find the average rate of change of on .
. Over that interval the output rises by an average of 5 units per unit of input.
Review: 1.2 Rates of Change
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Topic 1.2 · Say it in context is the volume of water in a tank, in liters, minutes after a valve opens. The average rate of change of on is . Interpret it.
Over the first 10 minutes, the volume of water decreased by an average of 4 liters per minute. The negative sign means volume goes down as time goes up.
Review: 1.2 Rates of Change
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Topic 1.3 · Which one fitsInputs give outputs . Linear, quadratic, or neither? Justify with rates of change.
Quadratic. The average rates of change over consecutive unit intervals are . They change at a constant rate of 2, so they follow a linear pattern, which is what a quadratic produces.
Review: 1.3 Rates of Change in Linear and Quadratic Functions
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Topic 1.3 · Know the termWhat does the average rate of change of on look like on the graph?
It is the slope of the secant line through the points and .
Review: 1.3 Rates of Change in Linear and Quadratic Functions
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Topic 1.4 · Spot the mistakeA polynomial has real zeros at and . A student claims it could be increasing on all of . What is wrong?
Between two distinct real zeros of a nonconstant polynomial there must be a local maximum or minimum. The output is 0 at both ends, so it cannot rise the whole way.
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Topic 1.4 · Which one fitsWhich must have a global maximum or global minimum: a degree 3 polynomial or a degree 4 polynomial?
The degree 4 polynomial. Every polynomial of even degree has a global maximum or a global minimum. For a quadratic, it sits at the vertex.
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Topic 1.5 · Check the conditionsA degree 5 polynomial with real coefficients has zeros , and . How many complex zeros does it have, and what is another one?
Exactly 5, counting multiplicities, because the degree is 5. Non-real zeros come in conjugate pairs, so is also a zero.
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Topic 1.5 · Spot the mistakeA student says is an odd function because its degree is odd. Check the claim.
, but . They differ, so is not odd. The test is , and degree alone does not settle it.
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Topic 1.5 · Know the termWhat does it mean for a function to be even, on the graph and in the formula?
The graph is symmetric over the line , and for every input. For example, is even.
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Topic 1.6 · Work it outDescribe the end behavior of in limit notation.
The leading term dominates: even degree, negative leading coefficient. So and .
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Topic 1.6 · Spot the mistakeA student reads the end behavior of from the first term, 5, and says the graph levels off. What is the fix?
End behavior comes from the leading term, the one of highest degree, which is . As , , and as , .
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Topic 1.7 · Work it outFind the horizontal asymptote of .
Both polynomials have degree 2, so neither dominates. The quotient of the leading terms is , so the horizontal asymptote is .
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Topic 1.7 · Which one fits. Horizontal asymptote, slant asymptote, or neither?
A slant asymptote. The numerator dominates, and the quotient of the leading terms, , is linear. Long division gives plus a remainder that goes to 0, so the slant asymptote is , and there is no horizontal asymptote.
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Topic 1.8 · Check the conditionsTo solve , which values split the number line into intervals to test, and what is the solution?
, the zero of the numerator, and , the zero of the denominator. Testing each interval gives or . The value is excluded because the expression is not defined there.
Review: 1.8 Rational Functions and Zeros
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Topic 1.9 · Work it out. Where are the vertical asymptotes?
is a zero of the denominator only. is a zero of both, but its multiplicity is 2 in the denominator and 1 in the numerator, so it is also an asymptote. Answer: and .
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Topic 1.10 · Work it outFind the hole in the graph of .
is a zero of multiplicity 1 in both, so there is a hole, not an asymptote. For , , so outputs approach 4. The hole is at , and .
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Topic 1.10 · Spot the mistakeA student sees the factor in both the numerator and denominator of a rational function and says there is a vertical asymptote at . When is that wrong?
When the multiplicity of 1 as a zero of the numerator is greater than or equal to its multiplicity in the denominator. Then the graph has a hole at . Only a larger multiplicity in the denominator gives an asymptote.
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Topic 1.11 · Which one fitsWhich form of a rational function shows the x-intercepts, holes and vertical asymptotes fastest, and which form shows end behavior?
Factored form shows the real zeros of the numerator and denominator, so it reveals x-intercepts, holes, vertical asymptotes and the domain. Standard form shows the leading terms, which give end behavior and any horizontal or slant asymptote.
Review: 1.11 Equivalent Representations of Polynomial and Rational Expressions
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Topic 1.11 · Work it outUse polynomial long division to find the slant asymptote of .
, so . The remainder term goes to 0 for inputs of large magnitude, so the slant asymptote is .
Review: 1.11 Equivalent Representations of Polynomial and Rational Expressions
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Topic 1.12 · Work it outThe graph of passes through . Where does that point go on the graph of ?
Horizontally, gives , a shift right 2. Vertically, dilate by 3 and then shift up 5: . The image is .
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Topic 1.12 · Spot the mistakeA student says shifts the graph of right 3 units. Correct it.
is a horizontal translation by units, so the graph moves 3 units left. Check: , so the point that was at input 0 is now at input .
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Topic 1.13 · Which one fitsA store's monthly sales rise by about 40 units every month. Which function type should model them, and why?
Linear. Roughly constant rates of change over equal-length intervals are what a linear model captures.
Review: 1.13 Function Model Selection and Assumption Articulation
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Topic 1.13 · Which one fitsAn open box is made by cutting squares of side from the corners of a sheet. Which function type models its volume, and which models the area of its base?
Volume is three-dimensional, so a cubic function of fits it. The base area is two-dimensional, so it is a quadratic function of .
Review: 1.13 Function Model Selection and Assumption Articulation
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Topic 1.13 · Check the conditions models the number of people waiting in line minutes after a store opens. What restrictions does the context put on this model?
A range restriction: people come in whole numbers, so outputs should be rounded. A domain restriction: , and only as far as the data or the store's hours actually go.
Review: 1.13 Function Model Selection and Assumption Articulation
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Topic 1.14 · Say it in context is the cost, in dollars, to print posters. The average rate of change of on is 0.75. Interpret this with units.
Between 100 and 200 posters, the cost goes up by an average of 0.75 dollars for each additional poster.
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Topic 1.14 · Which one fitsThe brightness of a lamp is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from it. Which function type models brightness as a function of distance?
A rational function, such as for a positive constant . Inverse proportion puts the input in the denominator.
Unit 2: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
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Topic 2.1 · Work it outAn arithmetic sequence has and . Find and .
. Then .
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Topic 2.1 · Know the termWhy is the graph of a sequence a set of separate points instead of a curve?
A sequence is a function from the whole numbers to the real numbers. It has outputs only at whole-number inputs, with nothing in between.
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Topic 2.2 · Which one fitsOver equal-length input intervals, table A's outputs go and table B's go . Which is linear and which is exponential?
A changes by a constant 4 each step, so it is linear. B changes proportionally, by a constant factor of 2, so it is exponential.
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Topic 2.2 · Spot the mistakeA student says the sequence and the function are the same thing. What is different?
The rule matches, but the domains differ. The sequence is defined only on whole numbers, so its graph is discrete points. The linear function accepts any real input, so its graph is a line.
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Topic 2.3 · Check the conditionsFor with , which values of give exponential growth and which give exponential decay?
gives growth and gives decay. The base must be positive and cannot equal 1.
Review: 2.3 Exponential Functions
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Topic 2.3 · Spot the mistakeA student says has a minimum value because its graph flattens out on the left. What is wrong?
Exponential functions are always increasing or always decreasing, so they have no extrema except on a closed interval. As , gets arbitrarily close to 0 but never reaches a lowest value.
Review: 2.3 Exponential Functions
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Topic 2.4 · Work it outRewrite as a vertical dilation of .
By the product property, . A horizontal translation of an exponential function is the same as a vertical dilation.
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Topic 2.5 · Say it in contextA town's population is modeled by , with in years. Interpret 1.03.
It is the growth factor: each year the population is multiplied by 1.03, which is a 3% increase per year.
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Topic 2.5 · Work it outAn exponential model passes through and . Find it.
The initial value gives . Then , so and . The model is .
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Topic 2.5 · Say it in context, with in days. What weekly growth factor does an equivalent form reveal?
, so the quantity is multiplied by 128 every week.
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Topic 2.6 · Say it in contextThe residual plot for a linear model shows a clear U shape. What does that tell you?
The residuals follow a pattern, so the linear model is not appropriate. A model is justified when its residual plot appears without pattern; a model with curvature, such as quadratic or exponential, may fit better.
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Topic 2.6 · Work it outA model predicts 52 at , and the actual value is 47. Find the residual and say whether the model overestimates or underestimates.
Residual = actual minus predicted . The negative residual means the model overestimates at .
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Topic 2.6 · Know the termWhat is a residual, and how is a residual plot set up?
A residual is the actual value minus the value the model predicts at a given input. A residual plot puts the residuals on the vertical axis and the independent variable on the horizontal axis.
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Topic 2.7 · Work it out and . Find and .
, so . Also , so . The results differ because composition is not commutative.
Review: 2.7 Composition of Functions
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Topic 2.7 · Check the conditions and . What is the domain of ?
Only inputs whose output from is in the domain of work. That needs , so the domain is .
Review: 2.7 Composition of Functions
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Topic 2.7 · Know the termWhat is the identity function, and what does it do in a composition?
It is . Composing it with any function gives back : , the way adding 0 or multiplying by 1 leaves a number unchanged.
Review: 2.7 Composition of Functions
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Topic 2.8 · Work it outFind the inverse of .
Swap and : . Solve: , so . Check: .
Review: 2.8 Inverse Functions
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Topic 2.8 · Check the conditionsWhy does need a restricted domain to have an inverse function, and what is one choice?
Each output must come from a unique input, but . Restricting the domain to makes invertible, with .
Review: 2.8 Inverse Functions
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Topic 2.9 · Work it outEvaluate and .
, so . With no base written the base is 10, and , so .
Review: 2.9 Logarithmic Expressions
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Topic 2.9 · Say it in contextOn a base 10 logarithmic scale, two marks are 3 units apart. How do the quantities they stand for compare?
Each unit is a multiplicative change by the base, so the larger quantity is times the smaller one.
Review: 2.9 Logarithmic Expressions
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Topic 2.10 · Know the termExponential growth versus logarithmic growth: how do the outputs change as the inputs change?
Exponential: outputs change multiplicatively as inputs change additively. Logarithmic: outputs change additively as inputs change multiplicatively, so each doubling of the input adds the same amount to the output.
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Topic 2.11 · Check the conditionsWhat are the domain and range of , and what happens near ?
Domain: . Range: all real numbers. The graph is vertically asymptotic to : as , .
Review: 2.11 Logarithmic Functions
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Topic 2.11 · Spot the mistakeA student says a logarithmic function levels off to a horizontal asymptote as . Is that right?
No. It grows slowly, but its end behavior is unbounded: is or . It also has no extrema except on a closed interval.
Review: 2.11 Logarithmic Functions
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Topic 2.12 · Work it outRewrite as a vertical translation of .
By the product property, . A horizontal dilation of a logarithmic function is the same as a vertical translation.
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Topic 2.13 · Work it outSolve .
Divide by 5: . Then .
Review: 2.13 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations and Inequalities
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Topic 2.13 · Spot the mistakeSolving produces and . What must you check before reporting both?
Check for extraneous solutions. is not defined, so is rejected. The only solution is , and it works: .
Review: 2.13 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations and Inequalities
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Topic 2.14 · Which one fitsA sound meter's reading goes up by 10 each time the sound's intensity is multiplied by 10. Which function type models the reading as a function of intensity?
Logarithmic. The output rises by equal steps while the input is multiplied by a constant factor, which is the pattern a logarithmic model describes.
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Topic 2.14 · Work it outA model passes through . Find and predict .
, so . Then .
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Topic 2.15 · Say it in contextData plotted on a semi-log plot, with the y-axis logarithmically scaled, fall close to a line. What kind of model fits the original data?
An exponential model. With the y-axis logarithmically scaled, data with exponential characteristics appear linear.
Review: 2.15 Semi-log Plots
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Topic 2.15 · Work it outOn a base 10 semi-log plot, data from follow the line . Find and .
The slope is , so . The intercept is , so . The model is .
Review: 2.15 Semi-log Plots
Unit 3: Trigonometric and Polar Functions
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Topic 3.1 · Work it outA periodic function has period 6, and . Find and .
and , so both inputs differ from 2 by whole periods. That makes .
Review: 3.1 Periodic Phenomena
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Topic 3.1 · Say it in contextThe water height at a harbor repeats every 12.4 hours. What does 12.4 mean for the function ?
It is the period, the smallest positive with for all . Every feature of one 12.4-hour cycle, including its highs, lows and fastest rise, repeats in every cycle.
Review: 3.1 Periodic Phenomena
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Topic 3.2 · Work it outThe terminal ray of meets the unit circle at . Find , and .
, the y-coordinate. , the x-coordinate. , the slope of the terminal ray.
Review: 3.2 Sine, Cosine, and Tangent
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Topic 3.3 · Work it outFind the exact values of and .
The terminal ray is in Quadrant II and makes an angle of with the negative x-axis. So and .
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Topic 3.4 · Say it in contextAs increases from 0 to , describe the outputs of using the unit circle.
The point moves counterclockwise from over the top to . Its y-coordinate rises from 0 to 1 at , then falls back to 0.
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Topic 3.4 · Know the termWhat are the domain and range of ?
Domain: all real numbers, since every angle measure has a cosine. Range: ; the outputs oscillate between and , taking every value in between.
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Topic 3.5 · Work it outA sinusoidal graph has a maximum of 14 and a minimum of 2. Find the amplitude and the midline.
Amplitude is half the difference: . The midline is the mean of the maximum and minimum: .
Review: 3.5 Sinusoidal Functions
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Topic 3.5 · Spot the mistakeA student says is an odd function, just like . Correct it.
The graph of has reflective symmetry over the y-axis, so cosine is even. Sine is the odd one: its graph has rotational symmetry about the origin.
Review: 3.5 Sinusoidal Functions
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Topic 3.6 · Work it outFor , give the amplitude, period, midline and phase shift.
Amplitude 3. Period . Midline . Here , so the phase shift is , to the right.
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Topic 3.6 · Spot the mistakeA student says has period . What went wrong?
The period changes by a factor of , so it becomes . Multiplying the input by 3 makes the cycles three times as short, not three times as long.
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Topic 3.7 · Work it outA city's temperature peaks at 30 degrees at 3 p.m. and bottoms out at 18 degrees at 3 a.m. every day. Find the amplitude, midline and period for a sinusoidal model.
Amplitude: degrees. Midline: degrees. Consecutive maxima are 24 hours apart, so the period is 24 hours.
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Topic 3.7 · Say it in context gives a Ferris wheel rider's height in meters after minutes. Interpret the 20 and the period.
20 m is the midline, the height of the center of the wheel. The period is , so one full turn of the wheel takes 10 minutes.
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Topic 3.8 · Work it outOn , where does have vertical asymptotes, and what is its period?
Asymptotes are where : and . The period is , because the slope of the terminal ray repeats every half revolution.
Review: 3.8 The Tangent Function
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Topic 3.9 · Work it outEvaluate and .
Arcsine outputs lie in , so . Arccosine outputs lie in , so .
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Topic 3.9 · Spot the mistakeA student says . Fix it.
, and . Sine is invertible only on the restricted domain , and is outside it.
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Topic 3.10 · Work it outSolve for .
. Arcsine gives . Sine is also positive in Quadrant II, which gives . Solutions: and .
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Topic 3.10 · Spot the mistakeSolving with no domain restriction, a student finds and stops. What is missing?
Trigonometric equations usually have infinitely many solutions. Cosine is even and periodic, so for any integer . A context often limits which of these count.
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Topic 3.11 · Work it outFind and .
, so . , so .
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Topic 3.11 · Spot the mistakeA student says for some angle. Why is that impossible?
Cosecant is the reciprocal of sine, and sine values lie between and . So cosecant values are never between them: the range is .
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Topic 3.12 · Work it out and is in Quadrant II. Find .
Pythagorean identity: . Cosine is negative in Quadrant II, so .
Review: 3.12 Equivalent Representations of Trigonometric Functions
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Topic 3.12 · Work it outUse a sum identity to find exactly.
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Topic 3.13 · Work it outConvert the polar point to rectangular coordinates.
and , so the point is .
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Topic 3.13 · Say it in contextWhere is the polar point ?
A negative means move 2 units along the line containing the terminal ray of , but in the opposite direction. It is the same point as .
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Topic 3.14 · Know the termIn the graph of a polar function , what do the input and the output stand for?
The input is an angle measure from the polar axis. The output is a radius: the signed displacement from the origin along the line of that angle.
Review: 3.14 Polar Function Graphs
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Topic 3.14 · Work it outFor , find at , and , and describe each point.
At , : the point 4 units out on the polar axis. At , : 2 units up the y-axis. At , , so the curve passes through the origin.
Review: 3.14 Polar Function Graphs
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Topic 3.15 · Say it in contextOn an interval, is negative and decreasing. Is the point on the graph getting closer to the origin or farther away?
Farther. Negative and decreasing means moves away from 0, so the distance from the origin increases.
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Topic 3.15 · Work it out and for . Find the average rate of change of with respect to and interpret it.
. Over that interval the signed radius grows by about 1.91 units per radian, on average.
Unit 4: Functions Involving Parameters, Vectors, and Matrices
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Topic 4.1 · Know the term · Not on the AP ExamWhat is a parametric function in the plane?
A pair of equations, and , that make both coordinates depend on a single independent variable , the parameter. Together they form .
Review: 4.1 Parametric Functions
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Topic 4.2 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamA particle moves with and for . When and where does it cross the y-axis?
It is on the y-axis when , so and, with , . Then , so the point is .
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Topic 4.3 · Say it in context · Not on the AP ExamOn an interval, is decreasing and is increasing. Which way is the particle moving?
Left, because is decreasing, and up, because is increasing. So it moves up and to the left.
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Topic 4.4 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamParametrize the circle of radius 3 centered at , traced counterclockwise once.
and for . It is a transformation of .
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Topic 4.5 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamFrom , write a function whose graph is the top half of the circle.
Solve for and keep the positive root: for . The negative root gives a second function, the bottom half.
Review: 4.5 Implicitly Defined Functions
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Topic 4.6 · Which one fits · Not on the AP ExamWhich conic section is , and which way does it open?
A hyperbola centered at . The term is the positive one, so it opens left and right. Its asymptotes are .
Review: 4.6 Conic Sections
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Topic 4.7 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamParametrize the ellipse .
and for . Substituting gives , so every point satisfies the equation.
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Topic 4.8 · Work it out · Not on the AP Exam. Find the magnitude of and a unit vector in the same direction.
Magnitude: . Multiply by the reciprocal, : .
Review: 4.8 Vectors
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Topic 4.9 · Say it in context · Not on the AP ExamAt , a particle's velocity vector is . Which way is it moving, and how fast?
The first component is negative, so it moves left; the second is positive, so it moves up. Its speed is the magnitude: .
Review: 4.9 Vector-Valued Functions
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Topic 4.10 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamMultiply .
Each entry is a row dotted with the column: and . The product is .
Review: 4.10 Matrices
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Topic 4.11 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamFind and for .
. It is not 0, so the inverse exists: .
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Topic 4.12 · Check the conditions · Not on the AP ExamCan be a linear transformation?
No. A linear transformation maps the zero vector to the zero vector, but .
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Topic 4.13 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamWrite the matrix that rotates every vector by counterclockwise about the origin.
Use with : . It sends to .
Review: 4.13 Matrices as Functions
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Topic 4.14 · Work it out · Not on the AP ExamEach year 10% of a city's renters buy homes and 5% of its owners become renters. Now there are 1000 renters and 500 owners. Predict next year's numbers.
Renters: . Owners: . As a product: .
Review: 4.14 Matrices Modeling Contexts
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Topic 4.14 · Know the term · Not on the AP ExamIn a transition matrix model, what is a steady state, and how can you find it?
A distribution between states that does not change from one step to the next. Multiply the state vector by the transition matrix again and again; the results approach it.
Review: 4.14 Matrices Modeling Contexts