The tutor shows how to convert a quadratic function from standard form to vertex form. Quadratic functions are often written in standard form y=ax2+bx+c but more useful is vertex form y=a(x-p)2+q A quadratic function in standard form can be converted …
Math: quadratic functions: standard form to vertex form: 1x² case Read more »
The tutor continues exploring annuities. In my previous post I introduced the idea of an annuity with an example. That example had each payment at month’s-end; hence, it was an ordinary annuity. With an annuity due, the payment is …
Financial math: ordinary annuity versus annuity due Read more »
Financial math awaits many students. The tutor introduces annuities. From the point of view of a typical consumer, an annuity is the reverse of a loan. The consumer becomes the lender, while the institution pays them back, often with monthly …
Here’s an example of calculating a loan payment on the HP-10B. Hewlett-Packard’s business calculator, the HP-10B, is designed to be easy to use. Let’s see how easy it is with an example: Example 1: Calculate the monthly payment on a …
Factored form, when it can be done, is a very useful form of a quadratic function. Let’s imagine you are asked the following question: For the quadratic function y=x^2 – 6x -16 find the a) vertex b) domain and range …
Graphing linear inequalities is covered in high school math. Let’s imagine you need to graph the inequality 2x-3y≤12 I recommend that to start, you graph the corresponding equation 2x-3y=12 which will be a line. (See my post here about how …
Math: how to graph a linear inequality in two variables Read more »
In high school, the tutor had a calculator much like the TI-30XA. For scientific notation, there’s probably none better. What some people call the “normal” way to write a number, is also known as “float”. So 1.35×10-3 is 0.00135 in …
Scientific notation: toggling back and forth on the TI-30XA Read more »
A lifetime ago, the tutor studied financial planning. That’s when he got acquainted with the HP-10B. Of the financial calculators I know, the Hewlett-Packard HP-10B is potentially the easiest to use. One feature of particular value to anyone in financial …
Financial math: interest rate conversions on the HP-10B Read more »
Tutoring high school math, you’re sometimes asked about geometric mean. Imagine a number, call it n. You multiply it by a number, r, to get nr. Then you multiply it by r again, to get nr2. n nr nr2 In the sequence …
Tutoring high school math, you encounter arithmetic sequences. The tutor shows two examples connected with them. An example of an arithmetic sequence is 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34…. You add the same amount each time to get the …
Math: arithmetic sequences: how to solve two common problems Read more »