Lab – Math 95 - Calculator Use
David Lippman – F05
Name: ________________________
Part 1 – Basic Calculations
If you entered “ 3  10  2 ” on a basic calculator, you’d probably get 66 as the answer. On a
scientific calculator, you might get 66 or you might get 23.
1. What is the correct answer to 3  10  2 ?
2. Try entering 3  10  2 on your graphing calculator. What answer do you get?
54
. What would be wrong with entering “ 5  4 / 2  1 ”
2 1
on your calculator? How could you change this so it evaluates correctly?
3. Suppose you needed to evaluate
4. Evaluate  3  4  1
5. Evaluate 2 5
6. If f ( x)  x 2 , then f (3)  9 . What’s wrong with entering “-3^2” on your calculator to do
this evaluation? How could you change this so it evaluates correctly?
Part 2. Tables
7. Create a table for the function f ( x)  x 2  2 , starting at x = 3, and with an increment of 2.
List the first three entries of the table.
8. Suppose you are planning on replacing the carpet in your bedroom. The carpet costs $3.15
per square foot.
a) Write a function that gives the total cost c as a function of the area a (in square feet)
of the room.
b) What would be a reasonable practical domain for this function?
c) Create a short table of values for this function, choosing an appropriate start an
increment based on the practical domain.
Part 3 – Graphing
For each of these problems, list your window and give a quick sketch of the graph.
9. Graph the function f ( x)  x 2  2
10. Graph the function f ( x)  2 x  40 . Set the window to get a good view of the function.
11. Graph the function from problem 8, setting the window based on your practical domain.