Unit+1+Journal


 * 1.1** I know it's kind of lame, but I honestly don't remember what math I've taken in High School. At my old school I (believe I) took Algebra I and Geometry 1A and 1B... I was supposed to take Trig and Precalc, but I dropped the class before I went in. I don't approve of my old the teacher's teaching methods. (I can't learn when you just put a paper infront of me and leave the room. I need at least minimal explination.) I'm not fond of my old school's math teachers (did I make that apparent enough?).

Now you have to check your work. If x really does equal 60, then when you plug in 60 for x in Step Seven, 1/2(60)+4 will equal 3/5(60)-2. First things is first, there are no parenthesis to deal with, and no exponents, so you move on to multiplication and division, from left to right in Step Eight. When that's done you have 30+4=36-2. Lastly you do addition and subtraction from left to right for Step Nine and you'll have 64=64. Everything checked out, so everything is okay, and x really does equal 60.
 * 1.2** In order to solve the problem given, Step One is to multiply everything by the least common denominator of the two fractions (10). For Step Two you will have 5x+40=6x-20, now (Step Three) you have to subtract 6x from each side because you want all your variables on one side, in order to cancel 6x you have to add the opposite, and you always have to do it for the other side too. You should have -1x+40=-20, Step Four is to subtract 40 from each side, leaving you with -1x=-60. You're not done yet though, you have to make the x positive in Step Five! In order to do that you have to multiply each side by -1. Your final result is Step Six, and it should be x=60.

[Note: Really excellent job with 1.2! Very thorough explanation! It's sad to hear about your experiences from your previous school. Where did you go? -Mr. G]

( Thank you. :) Also, I went to TMHS (Tewksbury), I did have a really, really good teacher though. It's not just the teacher, it's mostly the length of time that class is. I can't go through 84 minutes of math, my brain dies, and so does my focus.... It's mostly my fault, but I'm trying to fix it.)

a. Read them through again, carefully. b. Write down what's the most important. and c. Keep a list of formulas or notes at the ready, just in case I need a reference to solve it.
 * 1.3** The easiest type of problems for me to solve are the Numerical Expressions. The most difficult for me are Word Problems, which we haven't encountered yet. I just can't go from English to Math quickly, so I have difficulty turning word problems into equations, and sometimes I forget what I'm supposed to do with them. I usually make errors in formatting the actual equation. What I usually do to make it easier/remember what I'm supposed to write is make sure to:

**1.4**
 * Linear Function - A linear equation where every input has one output, and no more than that.
 * Relation - The way in which two points are connected?
 * Domain - All the inputs put together.
 * Range - All the outputs put together.
 * Increasing - When the value is going up.
 * Decreasing - When the value is going down.
 * Slope - the 'rate' of the line's ascension or declension...?
 * Intercept - Where the line hits the y and x axis(es?)
 * Degree - The amount something happens... I have no idea.


 * 1.6** To match the equations to the graph, first I looked at the problem as if it were "y=mx+b", then I found out what the y was for each, and then the slope. I matched them the way they were numbered, 1 to 8. In order to match them to a graph, I found the y intercept, and then counted down and across the way the slope should go. If it matched then I put them together.


 * 1.7** Before I even attempted to match the equations to graphs, I tried to match them to each other. After I did that, then I could just figure out which pair went to which graph. I did this the same way I did it in 1.6, by putting the equations into "y=mx+b" and then finding the y-intercept and the slope, then counting out the slope after plotting the y and matching them that way.

[Note: What were the matches you came up with for 1.6 and 1.7? -Mr. G]