Grade 12 Introduction to

Calculus (45S)
A Course for Independent Study

Field Validation Version

Gr ade 12 Introduc tion to
C a l c u l u s (4 5 S )

A Course for Independent Study

Field Validation Version

2015
M a ni t o b a E d u c a t i o n a n d A d v a n c e d L e a r nin g
Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning Cataloguing in Publication Data

Grade 12 introduction to calculus (45S) [electronic resource] :

a course for independent study—Field validation version

ISBN: 978-0-7711-5972-5

1. Calculus—Study and teaching (Secondary).

2. Calculus—Study and teaching (Secondary)—Manitoba.
3. Calculus—Programmed instruction.
4. Distance education—Manitoba.
5. Correspondence schools and courses—Manitoba.
I. Manitoba. Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning.
515
Copyright © 2015, the Government of Manitoba, represented by the Minister
of Education and Advanced Learning.

Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning

School Programs Division
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Every effort has been made to acknowledge original sources and to comply
with copyright law. If cases are identified where this has not been done, please
notify Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning. Errors or omissions will
be corrected in a future edition. Sincere thanks to the authors, artists, and
publishers who allowed their original material to be used.

All images found in this document are copyright protected and should not
be extracted, accessed, or reproduced for any purpose other than for their
intended educational use in this document.

Any websites referenced in this document are subject to change without

notice.

Disponible en français.

Available in alternate formats upon request.

Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction 1
Overview 3
What Will You Learn in This Course? 3
How Is This Course Organized? 4
What Resources Will You Need For This Course? 4
Who Can Help You with This Course? 5
How Will You Know How Well You Are Learning? 6
How Much Time Will You Need to Complete This Course? 9
When and How Will You Submit Completed Assignments? 11
What Are the Guide Graphics For? 13
Cover Sheets 15

Module 1: Limits 1
Module 1 Introduction 3
Lesson 1: Welcome to Calculus 5
Lesson 2: Understanding the Concept of the Limit 11
Lesson 3: Limit Theorems and Direct Substitution 23
0
Lesson 4: Evaluating the Indeterminate Form of Limits 35
0
Lesson 5: Exploring One-Sided Limits 47
Lesson 6: Using Limits to Determine the Asymptotes of a Graph 67
Lesson 7: Understanding the Concept of Continuity 87
Module 1 Summary 103
Module 1 Learning Activity Answer Keys

Contents iii
 Module 2: Derivatives 1
Module 2 Introduction 3
Lesson 1: The Slope of a Curve 5
Lesson 2: The Definition of the Derivative 21
Lesson 3: Basic Differentiation Rules 35
Lesson 4: Differentiation with Product and Quotient Rules 51
Lesson 5: Differentiation with the Chain Rule and Higher
Order Derivatives 69
Lesson 6: Implicit Differentiation 83
Module 2 Summary 101
Module 2 Learning Activity Answer Keys

Module 3: Applications of Derivatives 1

Module 3 Introduction 3
Lesson 1: Solving Inequalities 5
Lesson 2: Particle Motion Problems 17
Lesson 3: First Derivative Applications 33
Lesson 4: Optimization Problems 51
Lesson 5: Concavity and Sketching Polynomial Functions 73
Lesson 6: Related Rate Problems 91
Module 3 Summary 113
Module 3 Learning Activity Answer Keys

Module 4: Integration 1
Module 4 Introduction 3
Lesson 1: Antidifferentiation and Integration 5
Lesson 2: Differential Equations 23
Lesson 3: Definite Integral 39
Lesson 4: Area Under a Curve 53
Lesson 5: Area between Two Functions 71
Module 4 Summary 87
Module 4 Learning Activity Answer Keys

iv Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

Acknowledgements

Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning gratefully acknowledges the contributions of

the following individuals in the development of Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus (45S):
A Course for Independent Study: Field Validation Version.
Writer Paulo Teixeira Winnipeg School Division

Reviewer Joey Lafrance St. James-Assiniboia School Division

Manitoba Education and Carole Bilyk Development Unit

Advanced Learning Project Leader Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch
Staff
Louise Boissonneault Document Production Services Unit
Coordinator Educational Resources Branch

Ian Donnelly Development Unit

Consultant Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch

Lynn Harrison Document Production Services Unit

Desktop Publisher Educational Resources Branch

Megan Hudson Development Unit

Instructional Design Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch
Assistant

Myrna Klassen Distance Learning Unit

Consultant Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch

Gilles Landry Development Unit

Project Manager Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch

Philippe Leclercq Conseiller pédagogique—Mathématiques 9 à 12

Conseiller pédagogique Division du Bureau de l’éducation française Division

Susan Lee Distance Learning Unit

Coordinator Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment Branch

Grant Moore Document Production Services Unit

Publications Editor Educational Resources Branch

Acknowledgements v
Gr ade 12 Introduc tion to
C a l c u l u s (4 5 S )

Introduction
 Introduction

Overview

Welcome to Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus! This course is a continuation of

the concepts you have studied in previous years, as well as an introduction to
new topics. It builds upon the pre-calculus topics you were introduced to in
Grade 12 Pre-Calculus Mathematics. Many of the skills that you have already
learned will be put to use as you solve problems and learn new skills along
the way. This course helps you develop the skills, ideas, and confidence you
will need to continue studying mathematics in the future.
As a student enrolled in a distance learning course, you have taken on a dual
role—that of a student and a teacher. As a student, you are responsible for
mastering the lessons and completing the learning activities and assignments.
As a teacher, you are responsible for checking your work carefully, noting
areas in which you need to improve and motivating yourself to succeed.

What Will You Learn in This Course?

In this course, problem solving, communication, reasoning, and mental math

are some of the themes you will experience in each module. You will engage
in a variety of activities that promote the connections between symbolic math
ideas and the world around you.
This course is divided into four modules, organized as follows:
QQ Module 1: Limits
QQ Module 2: Derivatives
QQ Module 3: Applications of Derivatives
QQ Module 4: Integration

Introduction 3
 How Is This Course Organized?

The lessons in this course are organized as follows:

n Lesson Focus: The Lesson Focus at the beginning of each lesson identifies
one or more specific learning outcomes (SLOs) that are addressed in
the lesson. The SLOs identify the knowledge and skills you should have
achieved by the end of the lesson.
n Introduction: Each lesson begins by outlining what you will be learning in
that lesson.
n Lesson: The main body of the lesson consists of the content and processes
that you need to learn. It contains information, explanations, diagrams, and
completed examples.
n Learning Activities: Each lesson has a learning activity that focuses on the
lesson content. Your responses to the questions in the learning activities will
help you to practise or review what you have just learned. Once you have
completed a learning activity, check your responses with those provided
in the Learning Activity Answer Key found at the end of the applicable
module. Do not send your learning activities to your tutor/marker for
assessment.
n Assignments: Assignments are found throughout each module within this
course. At the end of each module, you will mail or email all your completed
assignments from that module to your tutor/marker for assessment. All
assignments combined will be worth a total of 55 percent of your final mark
in this course.
n Lesson Summary: Each lesson ends with a brief review of what you just
learned.

What Resources Will You Need for This Course?

Please note that you do not need a textbook to complete this course. All of the
content is included with this package.

Required Resources
The only required resources for this course are a scientific calculator and
graph paper. Graph paper is available as one of the online resources found on
the downloads page.

4 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 Optional Resources
QQ A graphing calculator, a freeware graphing program, or a graphing
calculator app. None of these are required or allowed when writing your
final examination.
QQ Access to a computer with spreadsheet and graphing capabilities will be
an advantage, but not a requirement. Use of the Internet may be suggested
as a resource in some places, but if you do not have access to an online
computer, you will still be able to complete the related learning activities
and assignments.
QQ Access to a photocopier would be helpful because it would let you make
a copy of your assignments before you send them to your tutor/marker.
That way, if you and your tutor/marker want to discuss an assignment, you
would each have a copy to refer to.

Who Can Help You with This Course?

Taking an independent study course is different from taking a course in a

classroom. Instead of relying on the teacher to tell you to complete a learning
activity or an assignment, you must tell yourself to be responsible for your
learning and for meeting deadlines. There are, however, two people who can
help you be successful in this course: your tutor/marker and your learning
partner.

Your Tutor/Marker
Tutor/markers are experienced educators who tutor Independent Study
Option (ISO) students and mark assignments and examinations. When you
are having difficulty with something in this course, contact your tutor/
marker, who is there to help you. Your tutor/marker’s name and contact
information were sent to you with this course. You can also obtain this
information in the Who Is My Tutor/Marker? section of the distance learning
website at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/iso/assistance.html>.

Introduction 5
 Your Learning Partner
A learning partner is someone you choose who will help you learn. It may be
someone who knows something about mathematics, but it doesn’t have to be.
A learning partner could be someone else who is taking this course, a teacher,
a parent or guardian, a sibling, a friend, or anybody else who can help you.
Most importantly, a learning partner should be someone with whom you feel
comfortable and who will support you as you work through this course.
Your learning partner can help you keep on schedule with your coursework,
read the course with you, check your work, look at and respond to your
learning activities, or help you make sense of assignments. You may even
study for your examinations with your learning partner. If you and your
learning partner are taking the same course, however, your assignment work
should be done independently and should not be identical.
One of the best ways that your learning partner can help you is by reviewing
your final practice examination with you. It is found at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/
k12/dl/downloads/index.html>, along with the answer key. Your learning
partner can administer your practice examination, check your answers with
you, and then help you learn the things that you missed.

How Will You Know How Well You Are Learning?

You will know how well you are learning in this course by how well you
complete the learning activities, assignments, and examination.

Learning Activities
The learning activities in this course will help you to review and practise
what you have learned in the lessons. You will not submit the completed
learning activities to your tutor/marker. Instead, you will complete the
learning activities and compare your responses to those provided in the
Learning Activity Answer Key found at the end of each module.
Each learning activity has two parts—Part A has BrainPower questions and
Part B has questions related to the content in the lesson
Part A: BrainPower
The BrainPower questions are provided as a warm-up activity for you before
trying the other questions. Each question should be completed quickly and
without using a calculator, and most should be completed without using
pencil and paper to write out the steps. Some of the questions will relate
directly to content of the course. Some of the questions will review content
from previous courses—content that you need to be able to answer efficiently.
DPSU 05–2015

6 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 Being able to do these questions in a few minutes will be helpful to you as
you continue with your studies in mathematics. If you are finding it is taking
you longer to do the questions, you can try one of the following:
n work with your learning partner to find more efficient strategies for
completing the questions
n ask your tutor/marker for help with the questions
n search online for websites that help you practice the computations so you
can become more efficient at completing the questions
None of the assignment questions or exam questions will require you to do
the calculations quickly or without a calculator. However, it is for your benefit
to complete the questions as they will help you in the course. Also, being
able to successfully complete the BrainPower exercises will help build your
confidence in mathematics. BrainPower questions are like a warm-up you
would do before competing in a sporting event.

Part B: Course Content Questions

One of the easiest and fastest ways to find out how much you have learned is
to complete Part B of the learning activities. These have been designed to let
you assess yourself by comparing your answers with the answer keys at the
end of each module. There is at least one learning activity in each lesson. You
will need a notebook or loose-leaf pages to write your answers.
Make sure you complete the learning activities. Doing so will not only help
you to practise what you have learned, but will also prepare you to complete
your assignments and the examination successfully. Many of the questions
on the examination will be similar to the questions in the learning activities.
Remember that you will not submit learning activities to your tutor/marker.

Assignments
Lesson assignments are located throughout the modules, and include
questions similar to the questions in the learning activities of previous
lessons. The assignments have space provided for you to write your answers
on the question sheets. You need to show all your steps as you work out
your solutions, and make sure your answers are clear (include units, where
appropriate).
Once you have completed all the assignments in a module, you will submit
them to your tutor/marker for assessment. The assignments are worth a total
of 55 percent of your final course mark. You must complete each assignment
in order to receive a final mark in this course. You will mail or email these
assignments to the tutor/marker along with the appropriate cover page
once you complete each module.
DPSU 05–2015

Introduction 7
 The tutor/marker will mark your assignments and return them to you.
Remember to keep all marked assignments until you have finished the course
so that you can use them to study for your examination.

Final Examination
This course contains a final examination.
QQ The final examination is based on Modules 1 to 4 and is worth 45 percent of
your final course mark. You will write the final examination when you have
completed Module 4.
In order to do well on the examination, you should review all of the work
that you have completed from Modules 1 to 4 for your final examination,
including all learning activities and assignments. You will be required to
bring the following supplies when you write your final examination: pencils
(2 or 3 of each), blank paper, a ruler, and a scientific calculator.
You will write your examination under supervision.

Practice Examination and Answer Key

To help you succeed in your examination, you will have an opportunity to
complete a Final Practice Examination. This examination, along with the
answer key, are found in the Student Downloads section of the distance
learning website at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/downloads/index.html>. If
you do not have access to the Internet, contact the Independent Study Option
office at 1-800-465-9915 to obtain a copy of the practice examinations.
The practice examination is similar to the actual examination you will be
writing. The answer key enables you to check your answers. This will give
you the confidence you need to do well on your examinations.

Requesting Your Examination

You are responsible for making arrangements to have the examination sent
to your proctor from the Independent Study Option office. Please make
arrangements before you finish Module 4 to write the final examination.
To write your examination, you need to make the following arrangements:
QQ If you are attending school, ask your school’s Independent Study Option
(ISO) school facilitator to request your examination. Do this at least
three weeks before you are ready to write your examination. For more
information on examination procedures, please contact your ISO school
facilitator or visit the Grading and Evaluation section of the distance
learning website at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/iso/assignments.html>.

8 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 QQ If you are not attending school, check the Examination Request Form
for options available to you. The form was mailed to you with this course.
Three weeks before you are ready to write the examination, fill in the
Examination Request Form and mail, fax, or email it to
ISO Office
555 Main Street
Winkler MB R6W 1C4
Fax: 204-325-1719
Toll-Free Telephone: 1-800-465-9915
Email: distance.learning@gov.mb.ca

How Much Time Will You Need to Complete This Course?

Learning through independent study has several advantages over learning

in the classroom. You are in charge of how you learn and you can choose
how quickly you will complete the course. You can read as many lessons
as you wish in a single session. You do not have to wait for your teacher or
classmates.
From the date of your registration, you have a maximum of 12 months to
complete the course, but the pace at which you proceed is up to you. Read the
following suggestions on how to pace yourself.

Chart A: Semester 1
If you want to start this course in September and complete it in January, you
can follow the timeline suggested below.

Module Completion Date

Module 1 Late September

Module 2 Late October

Module 3 Late November

Module 4 Mid-January

Final Examination Late January

Introduction 9
 Chart B: Semester 2
If you want to start this course in January and complete it in June, you can
follow the timeline suggested below.

Module Completion Date

Module 1 Late February

Module 2 Late March

Module 3 Late April

Module 4 Late May

Final Examination Late May

Chart C: Full School Year (Not Semestered)

If you want to start this course in September and complete it in June, you can
follow the timeline suggested below.

Module Completion Date

Module 1 Late October

Module 2 Mid-January

Module 3 Mid-March

Module 4 Mid-May

Final Examination Late May

Timelines
Do not wait until the last minute to complete your work, since your tutor/
marker may not be available to mark it immediately. It may take a few weeks
for your tutor/marker to assess your work and return it to you or to your
school.
If you need this course to graduate this school year, remember to schedule and
complete your final examination by May 31.

10 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 When and How Will You Submit Completed Assignments?

When to Submit Assignments

While working on this course, you will submit completed assignments to
your tutor/marker four times. Each time you submit assignments, you must
include the applicable Cover Sheet, which you will find at the end of this
Introduction.
The following chart shows you exactly what assignments you will be
submitting at the end of each module.

Submission of Assignments
Submission Assignments You Will Submit

1 Module 1: Limits
Module 1 Cover Sheet
Assignment 1.1: Limits
Assignment 1.2: Limit Theorems
Assignment 1.3: Solving the Indeterminate Form of Limits
Assignment 1.4: Exploring One-Sided Limits
Assignment 1.5: Determining the Asymptotes of a Graph
Assignment 1.6: Continuity
2 Module 2: Derivatives
Module 2 Cover Sheet
Assignment 2.1: Slope of the Tangent Line to a Curve
Assignment 2.2: Definition of the Derivative
Assignment 2.3: Basic Differentiation Rules
Assignment 2.4: Differentiation with Product and Quotient Rules
Assignment 2.5: Differentiation with the Chain Rule and Higher
Order Derivatives
Assignment 2.6: Implicit Differentiation
3 Module 3: Applications of Derivatives
Module 3 Cover Sheet
Assignment 3.1: Solving Inequalities
Assignment 3.2: Particle Motion Problems
Assignment 3.3: First Derivative Applications
Assignment 3.4: Optimization Problems
Assignment 3.5: Concavity and Sketching Polynomial Functions
Assignment 3.6: Related Rates
4 Module 4: Integration
Module 4 Cover Sheet
Assignment 4.1: Antidifferentiation and Integration
Assignment 4.2: Differential Equations
Assignment 4.3: Definite Integral
Assignment 4.4: Area under a Curve
Assignment 4.5: Area between Two Functions

Introduction 11
 How to Submit Assignments
In this course, you have the choice of submitting your assignments either by
mail or electronically.
QQ Mail: Each time you mail something, you must include the print version of
the applicable Cover Sheet (found at the end of this Introduction).
QQ Electronic submission: Each time you submit something electronically,
you must include the electronic version of the applicable Cover Sheet (found
in the Student Downloads section of the distance learning website at
<www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/downloads/index.html>) or you can scan the
Cover Sheet located at the end of this Introduction.
Complete the information at the top of each Cover Sheet before submitting it
along with your assignments.

Submitting Your Assignments by Mail

If you choose to mail your completed assignments, please photocopy/scan
all the materials first so that you will have a copy of your work in case your
package goes missing. You will need to place the applicable module Cover
Sheet and assignments in an envelope, and address it to
ISO Tutor/Marker
555 Main Street
Winkler MB R6W 1C4
Your tutor/marker will mark your work and return it to you by mail.

Submitting Your Assignments Electronically

Assignment submission options vary by course. Sometimes assignments can
be submitted electronically and sometimes they must be submitted by mail.
Specific instructions on how to submit assignments were sent to you with this
course. You can also obtain this information in the Grading and Evaluation
section of the distance learning website at <www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/dl/iso/
assignments.html>.
If you are submitting assignments electronically, make sure you have
saved copies of them before you send them. That way, you can refer to your
assignments when you discuss them with your tutor/marker. Also, if the
original assignments are lost, you are able to resubmit them.
Your tutor/marker will mark your work and return it to you electronically.
The Independent Study Option office does not provide technical support for
hardware-related issues. If troubleshooting is required, consult a professional
computer technician.

12 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 What Are the Guide Graphics For?

Guide graphics are used throughout this course to identify and guide you in
specific tasks. Each graphic has a specific purpose, as described below.

Lesson Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for the

lesson. It may draw upon prior knowledge or briefly describe the
organization of the lesson. It also lists the learning outcomes for the
lesson. Learning outcomes describe what you will learn.

Learning Partner: Ask your learning partner to help you with this
task.

Learning Activity: Complete a learning activity. This will help

you to review or practise what you have learned and prepare you
for an assignment or an examination. You will not submit learning
activities to your tutor/marker. Instead, you will compare your
responses to those provided in the Learning Activity Answer Key
found at the end of the applicable module.
Assignment: Complete an assignment. You will submit your
completed assignments to your tutor/marker for assessment at the
end of a given module.

Mail or Electronic Submission: Mail or electronically submit your

completed assignments to your tutor/marker for assessment.

Tutor/Marker: Phone your tutor/marker.

Examination: Write your examination at this time.

Note: Take note of and remember this important information or

reminder.

Introduction 13
 Notes

14 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

Gr ade 12 Introduc tion to
C a l c u l u s (4 5 S )

Module 1
Limits
 M o d u l e 1:
L imi t s

Introduction

Upon successful completion of this module, you will develop an

understanding of the limit concept and how it applies to graphical and
analytical functions. You will also be exposed to contextual applications to
provide meaning behind this abstract mathematical concept.

Assignments in Module 1
To obtain credit for Module 1, you will need to send the following six
assignments to your tutor/marker when you have completed this module.
Your evaluation for this module is based on these assignments.

Lesson Assignment Number Assignment Title

2 Assignment 1.1 Limits

3 Assignment 1.2 Limit Theorems

4 Assignment 1.3 Solving the Indeterminate Form of Limits

5 Assignment 1.4 Exploring One-Sided Limits

6 Assignment 1.5 Determining the Asymptotes of a Graph

7 Assignment 1.6 Continuity

Important Note about Assessment

All the assignments and the final examination will be evaluated under three
categories:
QQ concept—correct demonstration of the use of the concept
QQ procedure—logical steps taken to arrive at a conclusion
QQ notation—mathematical language communicated correctly
Often students will describe how they are frustrated with little mistakes they
have made but they usually are referring to errors in procedure and notation.
Although it is important to understand the concept, it is equally important
to communicate your understanding logically with correct mathematical
language.

M o dul e 1: L imi t s 3
 Notes

4 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 L e s s o n 1 : W e l c o m e to Calculus

Lesson Focus

In this lesson, you will

q identify connections between pre-calculus and calculus concepts
q describe applications of calculus

Lesson Introduction

Why Study Calculus?

You have spent the last three years studying pre-calculus mathematics, so
a natural progression would be to study calculus. Calculus is beautiful,
empowering, and fascinating. It allows you to solve more complex problems
than you would be able to solve with the algebra of pre-calculus mathematics
alone. Calculus is used in many occupations by professionals such as
engineers, scientists, and economists. Anyone planning to study mathematics
or science at the university level would benefit by getting a head start from
taking a calculus course at high school. Although this calculus course does
not cover the topics to the same depth as a first-year university calculus
course, it covers the fundamental concepts.

What Is Calculus?
In pre-calculus courses, you learned 
about a wide variety of functions. In
mathematics, functions are useful for 
modelling real-world phenomena, 
such as weather patterns, planetary

motion, business trends, and 
population growth. Here are some
examples. Trigonometric functions 

can be used to represent repeating or 
cyclical patterns, such as the energy 
in a heartbeat. Exponential and
logarithmic functions can be used to 

represent population growth and      

radioactive decay. Polynomial

functions can be used as approximations
to many other functions in a restricted domain.

M o dul e 1: L imi t s 5
 Calculus was developed to perform 
further analysis on these familiar
functions, including an analysis of 
the slope of and the area under a
function curve. For example, the
 
slope of a line on a distance-time
graph indicates the rate of change of

distance over time. In this case, the 

slope has a specific meaning, which 

is the speed or velocity of the object 

in question. In reality, objects do not


often move at a constant speed and 
     
the distance-time graph may be a
complex curve rather than a line.
Without calculus, you can approximate the rate of change over a small time
interval and estimate the slope. Then, you can zoom in on the function over
an increasingly smaller time interval. You will learn the concept of limits to
formalize the “zooming in” process on a function curve. Then, you will learn
to use a branch of calculus called differential calculus to determine the exact
rate of change of a function at an instant in time.
More analysis can be done when 
you learn to use a branch of
calculus called integral calculus
that involves the area under a 
function curve. Without
calculus, you can approximate

the area under an interval of a
function by drawing rectangles
under the curve and using the 
sum of the rectangle areas as an
estimate. You can use the

concept of limits to formalize
the process of adding the areas
of infinitely narrow rectangles. 

When you learn integral      

calculus, you can determine the

exact area under a function curve.

6 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 Applications of Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics that studies the rate at which quantities
change. Although many mathematicians were involved in its development,
the discovery of calculus is attributed to two very famous individuals from
the 17th century: Isaac Newton, a British scientist; and Gottfried Leibniz, a
German mathematician. Although it has long been a point of controversy
over who should take credit for inventing calculus, both men independently
made discoveries that led to what we know now as calculus.
The analysis of the slope at a point on and the area under a function curve
forms the basis of the study of calculus. In the late 1600s, the mathematics
concepts of calculus were developed in part as a tool to aid in geometry and
physics work on the motions of celestial bodies. As with many developments
in mathematics, calculus was developed with one area in mind but it has been
found to be crucial to the study of many other fields. For instance, calculus
is used in economics to determine marginal cost and marginal profit. The
marginal cost is the extra cost for a manufacturer to produce one more item;
similarly, marginal profit is the profit expected from selling one more item.
Calculus is also used in the study of electronics. For example, the PID
electronic control-loop feedback system that is used in automatic ship steering
or heat controllers requires both integral and differential calculus. The
electronics in vehicles and airplanes also use calculus. Calculus is also used
to analyze the graphs of seismic surveys and gravity and magnetic data that
are collected as part of the process of oil exploration. Even many everyday
items require calculus, such as the way a cube root is calculated in a scientific
calculator.
One of the primary purposes of the pre-calculus courses you have taken is to
give you the skills and knowledge that are essential to learning calculus. For
example, you have learned how to factor polynomials, which is a foundational
skill that you will use in each of the modules of this course. You have also
learned about several different function types and how to sketch them. You
will be using your knowledge of functions throughout the course, including
sketching more complicated functions with the help of calculus. In pre-
calculus, you learned how to calculate the sum of infinite geometric series
that are convergent. This concept and the concept of infinity in general are
directly related to the main concept you will study in Module 1: Limits. After
studying calculus, you will be able to solve real-world problems such as:
1. Finding the radius and height of a cylinder to minimize the material needed
to make an aluminum pop can that has a volume of 355 mL.
2. Finding the time it takes a ball to return to the ground if it is thrown
upward with an initial velocity of 10 m/s.

M o dul e 1: L imi t s 7
 You will encounter many other connections between what you have learned
in previous math courses and what you are learning as you study calculus.

Learning Activity 1.1

Complete the following, and check your answers in the Learning Activity
Answer Keys found at the end of this module. Questions 1 to 3 relate to the
topic of limits that you will study in Module 1. Question 4 relates to the topic
of derivatives that you will study in Module 2. Question 5 relates to the topic
of integration that you will study in Module 4.
Remember, these questions are similar to the ones that will be on your
assignments and exam. So, if you were able to answer them correctly, you are
likely to do well on your assignments and exam. If you did not answer them
correctly, you need to go back to the lesson and learn the necessary concepts.
1
1. What happens to the value of as x increases and gets very large,
x
approaching infinity?
1
2. What happens to the value of as x decreases and gets very close to zero?
x

1
3. Given the geometric series 8  4  2  1  . . .
2
a) Find the sum of the first 5 terms of the series.
b) Find the sum of the first 8 terms of the series.
c) Find the sum of the first 10 terms of the series.
d) Keep adding more terms. As the number of terms in the series gets
larger (approaching infinity), what happens to the sum of the series?
continued

8 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 Learning Activity 1.1 (continued)
4. Estimate the slope of f(x) at the point:
a) where x = 3  
b) where x = 2


 

 


      

5. Estimate the area above the x-axis and below g(x).

a) 
b) 

 

  

  
  
      
      

M o dul e 1: L imi t s 9
 Notes

10 Grade 12 Introduction to Calculus

 Released 2015

Printed in Canada
Imprimé au Canada