Week of 3/12/12 - More Identities and some Trigonometric Equations

Last Week
Based on last week's quiz results, we got off to a great start on Chapter 6.  We were well above our goal of 80% or more getting a B or better on the quiz for both classes.  The only room for improvement was with the tangent sum problem, just the final step of rationalizing the denominator.  Thanks to students who posted to the blog last week.  Everyone who posted may skip the 6.2 HW.  If you already did the 6.2 HW, we will figure out a different reward.  Section 6.2 is not a major emphasis, but there may be a question or two that will pop onto a quiz or the Chapter test. 

On the Horizon
Pi Day! on Wednesday.  This week we will work on the Double Angle and Half-Angle Identitities and transition into some Trigonometric Equation solving.

For our next class
We previewed section 6.3 and you should be reading pgs. 297-300.  The best thing to do before your next class would be to focus on these problems:

HW 6.3a 302/7-10 [Practice] and Class Exercises 302/1,3,5,12,14   
These are all double angle problems.  In class Friday, I said to focus on the double angles, and these are your best bet.
Question #12 will be the biggest challenge.

We will address both the double angle and half-angle identities next class.

One Pi Day Tribute Idea
Break out a new paper "pi" plate and create colorful unit circle with just the "pi/12" and "pi/8" angles and their multiples (which are not our memorized 30, 45, 60, 90 angles).  You will find that many of this week's problems involve those 15-degree and 22.5-degree angles.  Or you could draw the familiar 30, 45, 60, 90 mutliples and just color the pi/12 and pi/8 multiples that are not co-terminal with the familar angles.

Maybe the blog followers who read this and bring in a prepared pi plate will earn a reduced HW reward.  It has to be accurate, colorful, and done before your first class this week.  Spread the word for the non-followers.