Good Graphing Calculator Examples



Good Graphing Calculator Examples

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This polynomial looks cubic in many viewing windows. This is a good example to illustrate the need to understand the general behavior before graphing. This is a good place to use TABLE or the Evaluate program to determine a window.

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Most graphing calculators do not graph asymptotes. This one looks pretty misleading in the standard window. This function provides a good exercise to emphasize the need to determine basic characteristics before graphing. Actually, most rational functions look strange on the calculator.

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This function provides a great opportunity to discuss domain and symmetry. If students type x^2/3 or even x^(2/3), they may get an incorrect or incomplete graph.

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This function does not look even remotely like an exponential function in the standard window. Zooming out does nothing. This is a great place to discuss transformations of functions and exponential growth.

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This is a great one for zooming in or using zoom box. As always, students should be anticipating the function behavior before graphing. Good example to launch a discussion on the period of a trig function and/or the sum of two functions. Students are surprised by the “hidden” features.

6. Any set of perpendicular lines or any circle. The standard window will make these

look “squat”, and therefore will not show the expected characteristics. This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss the poser of the viewing window – scale is everything. Zoom Square will give the correct settings, but in general a 3:2 ratio of x to y will do it.

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