The tutor explains his recent understanding of a function he’s wondered about. I’ve noticed the ENG function on more than one calculator, but have never used it. I’ve always assumed it means “engineering”; since I’m not one, it makes sense…
Oracle Tutoring, Campbell River, BC
(250) 203-6544 (text) or (250) 830-0295 (talk)
Month: October 2015
Math: trigonometry: reference angles
The tutor offers a couple of illustrations of an important concept from trigonometry. When an angle is drawn in standard position, it opens counterclockwise from the positive x axis. Example 1: Show the angle 160° in standard position, along with…
Financial math: can time be negative?
The tutor answers a question that brought someone to his site. These days, Oracle Tutoring gets between 5000 and 6000 distinct visitors per month. Looking over the raw log entries of how some visitors arrived, I saw an inquiry yesterday…
Modern manufacturing: brandless products
The tutor asks: Is this a modern phenomenon? During 2005-2010, I’d occasionally go to Future Shop just to see what was new. Ironically, I’d usually end up buying something “old” – aka, outdated – that was offered for cheap because…
Calculator usage: finding the derivative with the Sharp EL-520W
The tutor shares how to find the derivative with the Sharp EL-520W. To my knowledge, the Sharp EL-520W won’t give the symbolic derivative. Rather (as you’d likely expect anyway), it evaluates a function’s derivative at the x value the user…
Spreadsheets: LibreOffice Calc: the determinant of a matrix
The tutor shares a feature of LibreOffice Calc that’s very convenient. I don’t evaluate determinants very often, but in the past I’ve done it a few times. I find it’s a process that requires care. LibreOffice Calc will evaluate the…
Easter eggs: the factor command
Here, the tutor is happy to report, Easter comes early. An easter egg is a feature not reported. To become aware of it, the user must either stumble upon it, or else find out from research. Reading about Linux terminal…
Tagged with: easter egg, factor command, Linux terminal, prime factorization, windows command prompt
The handyman role: reconnecting the barbecue
The tutor shares an adventure in his handyman-lite role. For big jobs, I call in professionals with crews, etc. (It’s amazing what those guys know and can do.) The smaller jobs I try to handle myself. Even a small job…
Tree identification: black locust, continued
The tutor brings another finding about the beloved black locust tree. The black locust is a tree I remember from my childhood, back in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley (see my post here). This summer I became aware that black locust…
Tagged with: black locust tree
Physics: projectile motion: maximum height
Continuing about projectiles, the tutor finds the maximum height of the golf ball. My post from Oct 16 sets the premise: a golf ball is struck at 55m/s at 27° elevation. The velocity is resolved thus: vx=49m/s vy=25m/s To find…
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