Wolfram - Alpha Activity - Topic, Linear Functions - Intermediate Algebra Activity 2
Wolfram - Alpha Activity - Topic, Linear Functions - Intermediate Algebra Activity 2
Wolfram - Alpha Activity - Topic, Linear Functions - Intermediate Algebra Activity 2
Activities Using WA
WA Activity # 2 ‐‐ Linear Functions
Type "solve 3‐2(‐3x‐7)=4+13x” into the WA search engine. Use the results to answer the
following questions.
1. What is the exact answer in the form of a fraction? What is the exact answer in the form of a
mixed number? What is the approximate answer, rounded off to four places past the decimal
point?
2. Click on the “Show steps” link. Would you use the same steps to solve the problem, or
would you do something different? Explain.
3. Look at the Plot. What does the blue line represent? How do you know? What does the red
line represent? How do you know? What does the red dot represent?
4. What happens when you click on the “More digits” link? What is the approximate answer,
rounded off to six places past the decimal point?
Type “line through (‐4,‐8) and (4,2)” into the WA search engine. Use the results to answer the
following questions.
5. What is the equation of the line in slope‐intercept form? What is the equation of the line in
standard form? Does WA give the standard form where the leading coefficient is positive? If not
give that form of the equation as well.
6. What is the slope of the line?
7. Name three additional pairs of input‐output points for the line.
8. If you weren’t given the x‐intercept how would you find it?
9. If you weren’t given the y‐intercept how would you find it?
10. If you weren’t given the distance between the two points how would you find it?
11. Type “evaluate (5/4)x ‐ 3 for x = ‐10 to 10” into the WA search engine. What is the result?
Type “linear fit {(2,5.17),(4,7.9),(6, 14.03),(11, 22.8)}” into the WA search engine. Use the
results to answer the following questions.
12. Let f be the line of best fit through these points. What is the equation of f?
13. What is the slope of the function f?
14. WA shows the plot of the function f. The plot has a horizontal axis at the bottom. This is
usually the x‐axis or the line y = 0. What is the equation of this horizontal line in WA? The plot
has a vertical axis on the left‐hand side. This is usually the y‐axis or the line x = 0. What is the
equation of this vertical line in WA?
Linear Functions 2 Intermediate Algebra
Activities Using WA
15. What do the orange dots represent? What are the coordinates of the first point, the one at
the end on the left? What are the coordinates of the next point?
16. Approximate the x‐intercept of the function f. How did you get your answer?
17. Approximate the y‐intercept of the function f. How did you get your answer?