Math 120 A and B: Fall 2009

LECTURER

Dr. Andrew D. Loveless
aloveles@math.washington.edu
Office: Padelford C-339
Office hours: Click Here

TAs

AA, AB: Ariana Dundon
(adundon@math.washington.edu)

AC, AD: Ilker Kocyigit
(ilker@math.washington.edu)

AE, BA: Jeremy Berquist
(mathjedi@math.washington.edu)

BB, BC: Wenhan Wang
(wangwh@math.washington.edu)

BD, BE: Gautam Sisodia
(gautas@math.washington.edu)

EXAM DATES

Midterm 1: October 22
(IN QUIZ SECTION)

Midterm 2: November 19
(IN QUIZ SECTION)

Final Exam: December 12

FINAL EXAM TIME: 5pm to 8pm

FINAL LOCATIONS: KANE 130

Announcements:

• Announced 12/9/2009: As a reminder, all review sheets from the term can be found at the right of this page. In addition, I just created a list of the most basic tools we have used in this course. I created this document as something you can print out and take with you as you go on into Math 124. As you move on into Math 124, I encourage you to stop by my office for the occasional question. My door is always open to former students.
• Announced 12/2/2009: Here are a couple of homework hints (for 20.1c and 20.6). You should also check out the hints in my previous emails and you should check out my review sheet below.
• Announced 12/1/2009: Here is the Chapters 16-20 Review. This is the last review sheet for the quarter. With the other review sheets at the right of this page, you have review material for everything we have done.
• Announced 11/23/2009: Here are the Midterm 2 Solutions.
  • The grades are online.
  • The median for Midterm 2 was 41 out of 50 (82 percent).
  • The quartiles are 35, 41, and 45 out of 50 (So one-fourth of the class scored above 45 out of 50). These scores coorespond to GPA scores of 1.9, 2.8, and 3.6 respectively.
  • Thus the exam was more than fair.
  • The final exam tends to be more difficult because it is comprehensive. Thus if you wish to maintain a good grade (or improve a low grade), then you really need to spend a lot of time preparing for the final exam.
• Announced 11/20/2009: Here are two more Belt and Wheel Examples (list is an old sheet, so all the chapter numbers should read Chapter 16, not 14)
• Announced 11/12/2009: Here is a review of Chapters 13 through 15 which should help you are you work through the homework and start to think about the second exam. This review along with the review of Ch. 7-12 in my last announcement cover all the topics that can appear on exam 2.
  
  READ THE NOTE BELOW CAREFULLY, SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE THE EXAM ARCHIVE!
  The second exam in Math 120 is Thursday Nov. 19th in quiz section.
  Let me reitereate and add to what I have already said in class and in emails: The Exam Archive does not line up with the order that the material is being presented this year!!!
  
  Here is how to study and use the archive:
  1. First review problems from homework and lectures. You need to know how to do ALL the assigned homework problems.
  2. If you need extra practice on a specific topic. Go the old exam correspondence sheet at the right this page. You should only study old exam questions that correspond to Chapters 7-15. Skip over material that isn't from these chapters.
  3. Below I have taken several of the topics and listed problems from the Exam Correspondence sheet by topic (in chronological order):
  
  CHAPTER 7:
  Conroy Exam 1 Spring 2009: PROBLEM 3
  Conroy Exam 1 Winter 2009: PROBLEM 2
  Loveless Exam 1 Fall 2008: PROBLEM 2
  Loveless Exam 1 Fall 2007: PROBLEM 4
  Conroy Exam 1 Spring 2008: PROBLEM 3
  Conroy Exam 2 Fall 2008: PROBLEM 1
  Final Fall 2008: PROBLEM 7
  
  CHAPTER 8/9/13:
  Conroy Exam 1 Spring 2009: PROBLEM 4b
  Conroy Exam 1 Spring 2008: PROBLEM 4
  Loveless Exam 1 Fall 2007: PROBLEM 2b
  Conroy Exam 2 Winter 2009: PROBLEM 1
  Loveless Exam 2 Fall 2008: PROBLEM 2ab
  Final Winter 2009: PROBLEM 7
  Final Spring 2008: PROBLEM 7 and 8
  Final Fall 2007: PROBLEM 9
  
  CHAPTER 10/11/12:
  Final Winter 2009: PROBLEM 3
  Final Fall 2008: PROBLEM 3
  Final Spring 2008: PROBLEM 2
  Final Winter 2008: PROBLEM 2
  Final Fall 2007: PROBLEM 2
  
  CHAPTER 14:
  Conroy Exam 2 Spring 2009: PROBLEM 1
  Conroy Exam 2 Fall 2008: PROBLEM 2
  Loveless Exam 2 Fall 2008: PROBLEM 1
  Final Fall 2007: PROBLEM 3
  Final Spring 2007: PROBLEM 1
  Final Winter 2007: PROBLEM 6
  
  CHAPTER 15:
  Make sure you know how to do every assigned problems from Ch. 15 in the homework!
  
  4. Once you review your homework and go through the problems listed above, you should be able to look at other old midterms and finals and be able to easily tell if a given problem is from material you know for the second exam.
• Announced 11/2/2009: Here is a review of Chapters 7 through 12 which should help you are you work through the homework and start to think about the second exam.
• Announced 10/25/2009: Here are the exam one solutions:
  • Full Written Out Midterm 1 Solutions
  • Bare Minimum/Problem Correspondence Information: This should give you an idea of my perspective of the exam and how I created it. These are the things that I expected everyone to put on their exams. In addition, I make some comments about where you should have seen similar problems in your studying. Please use this to review your studying.
    • If you DID NOT study the problems I refer to in the problem correspondence information, then I hope this gives you a better idea of the things you should be studying to prepare for the exams.
    • If you DID study the problems I refer to in the problem correspondence information, then try to figure out why your studying did not translate to success on the exam. Use this to try to find ways to better simulate an exam situations when you are studying in the future.
• Announced 10/16/2009: EXAM 1 IS THURSDAY, OCT. 22 IN QUIZ SECTION! The exam covers Chapters 1-7. Here is a Review for Exam 1. You should make sure you go back and understand how to do all the homework problems and then try some of the exams in the exam archive (I also sent a previous email with advice about studying for the exam). In addition, here are some tips for using the archive while studying for the first midterm exam:
  • Begin your studying by going over all of the assigned homework first. Make sure that you understand how to solve all of the assigned homework before diving into the exam archive.
  • In the archive, concentrate on the exam written by Dr. Conroy and me (the ones marked "Conroy" or "Loveless").
  • One topic that appears on some old midterm 1 problems that you need not worry about (for this exam) is function composition. If a problem involves an expression like f(g(x)), you may safely skip it. Problem 4 on some of my spring exams are this sort of problem (e.g., problem 4b on my Spring 2009 midterm 1). For the last 10 exams, I have make a page that shows you which chapter corresponds with which problems on old exams. You don't need to worry about the problems marked chapter 8.
  • Uniform linear motion problems do not appear on old Midterm Ones. So, to supplement those midterms, take a look at the following exams:
    • Problem 5 (a) and (b)
    • Problem 6
    • Problem 3
    • Problem 4 (a) and (b)
    • Problem 8
• Announced 10/14/2009: Here are two more examples from chapter 6 (cake and pizza cutting examples). I had planned to do one of these at lecture, but we ran out of time, so I decided to post it (along with another that I made up).
• Announced 10/12/2009: I have posted a few hints for homework 2.
• Announced 10/2/2009: I have posted two hints for homework 1.
• Announced 10/2/2009: ADVICE TO MATH 120 STUDENTS! Many students find the first two weeks to be the most difficult in this course. It is an adjustment and I do believe that you will get more used to it. My main advice is as follows:
  • Start the homework as early as possible.
  • Try all tutoring options including: the math study center, CLUE (in Mary Gates Hall Commons, 7:00 pm - midnight, Sunday - Thursday), use quiz section wisely, visit your TA's office hours, and visit my office hours
  • HOMEWORK COMPLETION STRATEGY:
    • First, work through each problem systematically as we have done in class (that is, visualize, find equations for curves, translate the question, and solve for what you can). If you do all this and still get stuck, then look at examples from lecture and from the textbook. If you still are stuck, then make a note of the problem and move on to the next one. I don't want you to spend more than 15-20 minutes on your own on one problem (don't come to me upset that you spent 4 hours on a problem, because you should have found help way before you ever reached 4 hours).
    • When you have completed the problems that you can do, then you can go back and look at the problems where you were stuck. Perhaps you will have fresh ideas after working on the other problems. If not, then you need to first discuss the problem with a classmate. Then ask a question during quiz section. Then visit the math study center or CLUE. In this way you can be efficient with your time. Again this does not work, unless you start the homework as early as possible.
  • Please note that our grading policy on the homework allows for a little bit of flex. I select 3 problems at random to be graded carefully (out of 3 points each). I also give 6 points for overall completion and presentation. So if you occasionally cannot complete one or two problems on a given homework assignment, then it will likely not have a great impact on yourgrade. As long as you show some attempt on all the problems, then your homework scores will likely be in the 12-15 out of 15 range. So if there is one or two problems on this first assignment that you absolutely cannot finish, it's okay. Just don't make it a habit.
  • If you are worried that you will have difficulty on the exams. It is a good idea to start looking at old midterm exams. If you see a certain type of problem on several old exams, then it is somewhat likely that a related problem will appear on your exam. So if you know the appropriate techniques for such a problem, then you can almost guarantee yourself a certain amount of partial credit.
• Announced 9/19/09: Welcome to Math 120 C, Autumn quarter 2009. Announcements and other useful things will be posted here during the quarter, so check this site frequently.

  Textbook: The textbook for this course is Precalculus, by Collingwood and Prince, the 2009-10 edition. The book can be purchased at Professional Copy and Print, located at 1414 NE 42nd St. It is not available at the UW bookstore.

  You do not have to purchase the textbook. It is available electronically on the Math 120 Materials Website (link at right).

  It is necessary that you use the 2009-10 edition. Many changes were made from the 2008-9 to the 2009-10 edition, and there will be much confusion if you try to use the 2008-9 or earlier editions.

COURSE RESOURCES

Syllabus (pdf)

Homework Problems

Course Calendar

Grades

Grading Scale


Chapters 1-7 Review

Chapters 7-12 Review

Chapters 13-15 Review

Chapters 16-20 Review

OLD EXAMS

The link below will take you to an archive which contains old exams and some solutions for previous quarters. I will not post solutions for exams which do not already have posted solutions, however I will gladly discuss any questions you have during office hours or in class reviews.

Old Exam Archive

Old Exam Problem Correspondence: This tells you which problems go with which chapters.

Math 120 materials website

A student expecting to get a good grade should work through several (6+) of these old exams before each midterm and before the final. You should treat these as practice tests. Take them yourself without looking up the answers first, and then see how well you did and see what you need to work on.

CHALLENGING EXTRA PROBLEMS

Speed and Conversion Challenge

UW RESOURCES

Math Study Center

Center for Learning
and Undergraduate
Enrichment (CLUE)

Student Counseling Center

Information for Students
of International TAs