Math 128 Precalculus and Trigonometry
Great Basin College Fall Semester 2013
Math 128 Precalculus & Trigonometry Online Independent Study
Section 1006
Class Key: gbcnv 3255 7303
5 credits
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
Equations, relations, functions, graphing; polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and
circular functions with applications; coordinate geometry of lines and conics; analytic
trigonometry; matrices, determinants; binomial theorem. Prerequisite: Math 096 within two years,
sufficient placement test, or SAT/ACT score.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course serves as the bridge from algebra to calculus. We will cover all of the topics in our
textbook, PreCalculus, 5th ed by J. Douglas Faires. Recorded lectures are available in
WebCampus.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Write the solution to inequalities in interval
notation
Solve nonlinear polynomial inequalities
Solve inequalities that contain rational expressions
Solve absolute value equations and inequalities
Find the center and radius of a circle given the
equation of the circle in standard form.
Find the equation of a circle given the center and
the radius
Write the equation of a circle in standard form
Find the equation and sketch the graph of a
circle given the center and a point or the radius
on the circle
Sketch a region in the xy-plane bounded by a
given inequality or inequalities
Find the x- and y-intercepts of a given equation
and describe any symmetry (x-axis, y-axis, or
origin) the graph contains or if a function is even
or odd
Find the domain and range of a given function
Find the difference quotient (average rate of
change) and instantaneous rate of change of a
given function
Write the equation of a parabola in standard
form
Find the vertex given the equation of a parabola
Find the maximum/minimum value of quadratic
function
Solve applications that are modeled by
quadratic functions
Graph basic functions including 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 , 𝑦 = √𝑥 ,
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𝑦 = 𝑥 3 , 𝑦 = √𝑥, 𝑦 = ⟦𝑥⟧, 𝑦 = |𝑥|
Given the graph of y = f(x), find the graph of
y =f(x+c), y =f(x)+c, y =cf(x), y =f(cx), y =-f(x), and
y =f(-x)
Find the x-intercepts of a quadratic function by
using the quadratic formula
Find the equation of a parabola given a vertex
and a point on the parabola
Given two functions, find the
Chapter 1 Exam
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Math 128 Precalculus and Trigonometry
sum/difference/product/quotient of the functions
Given two functions, find the domain of the
sum/difference/product/quotient of those
functions
Given the function 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥), graph its reciprocal
Ch 1 & 2 Exam
Ch 1 & 2 Exam
𝑔(𝑥) = 1⁄𝑓(𝑥)
Given two functions find the composition of those
functions and the domain of the composition
Prove a function is one-to-one by showing 𝑓(𝑎) =
𝑓(𝑏) implies 𝑎 = 𝑏, the horizontal line test, or by
stating the functions are increasing/decreasing
Find the inverse of a one-to-one function
Sketch the graph of the polynomial function by
finding the axis intercepts, the intervals where f(x)
> 0 and f(x) < 0, and end behavior
Use long division to divide polynomials
Use synthetic division to divide polynomials by the
factor x - c
Use the factor (or remainder) theorem to
determine when the linear expression x – c is a
factor of a given polynomial and factor the
polynomial completely
Use the Rational Zero Test to determine all of the
possible rational zeros of a given polynomial
function and to then factor a polynomial
Find the vertical asymptotes of algebraic
functions (including rational functions).
Find the horizontal asymptote(s) of algebraic
functions
Sketch the graph of a rational function by finding
zeros, asymptotes, and using a sign chart.
Sketch the graph of an algebraic function by
finding zeros, asymptotes, and using a sign chart
Find a polynomial when given the zeros of the
polynomial and a point on the graph of the
polynomial
Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide complex numbers
Find the conjugate of a complex number
Find the radian measure of a given angle
Find the reference angle of a given angle
Find all six trigonometric ratios in a right triangle
and use these ratios to solve applied problems
involving right triangles
Find the values of the six trigonometric functions
𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋
for the special angles 𝜃 = 0, , , , , 𝜋 and the
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6 4 3 2
multiples of these angles
Solve equations involving the trigonometric
functions.
Sketch the graphs of the six basic trigonometric
functions and these graphs with
horizontal/vertical shifts, stretches/compressions,
and reflections
Memorize and use the Pythagorean Identities in
solving equations
Use the sum and difference formulas for sine,
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Math 128 Precalculus and Trigonometry
cosine, and tangent
Use the half-angle and double-angle formulas
Find the exact value of expressions involving the
inverse trig functions
Solve triangles using the Law of Sines
Solve triangles using the Law of Cosines
Sketch the graph of an exponential function
Find the future value using the compound interest
formula
Find the future value using the continuously
compounding interest formula
Sketch the graph of a logarithmic function
Use the arithmetic properties of logarithms to
rewrite logarithmic expressions as a single log.
Use the arithmetic properties of logarithms to
simplify logarithmic expressions and solve
equations
Solve exponential equations
Use the exponential function to solve continuous
and compound interest problems and to model
population growth/decay
Identify and sketch the graph of a conic section
and label the vertex and foci of the conic section
and find and write the equation in standard form
Convert polar coordinates to rectangular
coordinates and rectangular to polar
Convert polar equations to rectangular equations
Sketch the graph of a given polar equations
Identify and sketch the graph of the conic section
given by 𝑟 =
𝑒𝑑
1±𝑒 cos 𝜃
or 𝑟 =
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𝑒𝑑
1±𝑒 sin 𝜃
Find the equation of a conic section in polar
coordinates given the eccentricity and the
equation of the directrix.
Rewrite parametric equations as rectangular
equations
Sketch the curve described by parametric
equations indicating where 𝑡 = 0 and the
direction of increasing values of 𝑡.
Demonstrate the appropriate mathematical
format and notation in solving problems.
Ch 5 & 6 Exam, Final
Ch 5 & 6 Exam, Final
Ch 5 & 6 Exam, Final
All Exams and Final
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor:
Lynne Owens
Address:
Great Basin College
Office:
MCML 136
1500 College Pkwy
Phone:
(775) 753-2152
Elko, NV 89801
Fax:
(775) 738-8771
E-mail:
lynne.owens@gbcnv.edu (preferred method of contact; please do not
e-mail me in WebAssign)
Office hours:
MW 12:30p – 3:00p or by appointment
I will not check email or voice mail in the evenings, weekends, or holidays.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
The homework management system, Enhanced WebAssign and the ebook , Precalculus by J.
Doublas Faires, 7th edition have been bundled together. This by far presents the cheapest option
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Math 128 Precalculus and Trigonometry
for students ISBN: 9781285858319. Even though it is not required for this course, you can get the
hard copy of the text, but the ebook comes free with WebAssign, and hard copies of math
textbooks are notoriously expensive.
Scientific calculator Note: Use of graphing calculators is NOT allowed on exams.
Internet access
Access to a scanner
GRADING
Grades will be based on a syllabus quiz in WebCampus (5 points), 32 homework assignments (2
points per assignment), and three exams (100 points each )and a final exam (200 points). Your
assignments are weighted as follows: syllabus quiz 2%, homework 18%, exams 80%. Grades are
distributed as follows.
90 –100%
80 – 89%
70 – 79%
60 – 869%
Below 60
A
B
C
D
F
Withdrawing from class
If you decide that you need to drop or withdraw from this class, make sure you fill out the required
paperwork. Monday, October 28, 2013 is the last day you can withdraw from this class. If you fail to
turn in your paperwork on or before that date, you will receive the grade you are earning in the
class. This bears repeating. You are responsible for withdrawing yourself from this class. I will not
assign grades of W; if you simply stop attending class without turning in your drop/withdraw form to
Admissions and Records, you will get the grade you have earned at the end of the semester.
Please consult the Great Basin College catalogue for further information on "I" and "W" grades.
HOMEWORK
To access your homework go to https://www.webassign.net/login.html and click on “I have a class
key.” You will see three boxes. In the first box type gbcnv, in the second box put 3255, and in the
third box 7303. Note WebAssign is NOT WebCampus. Your homework, exams, and grades are not
in Webcampus. They are in WebAssign.
Homework is due on Mondays at 11:55pm, except on those weeks with a Monday holiday-then
homework is due on Sunday. Late homework is not accepted. A reminder: Once again, your
homework, exams, and grades live on Webassign, not WebCampus. They are different systems. If
at any time you want to check your current grade, go to Webassign.
EXAMS
Your exams, except for the final, will be due on the Thursdays of the weeks where you have
completed a two-chapter chunk. Your final is due on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. All exams are
due by 11:55 PM, but please check the days and times your local test center (or your proctor) is
open for testing and schedule your exams appropriately. Make sure you bring a photo ID to your
test site. You may not use a graphing calculator on your exams, nor may you use the calculator in
your cell phone or a website on the computer. You may only access WebAssign and no other
websites during your test. Your exams are timed—4 hours for each exam. It is unlikely that you will
need the full 4 hours for your exam, but I wanted to ensure that you did not feel a time crunch to
complete your exam. You may not use books or notes on your exam. For the chapters 3 & 4 exam
and the final, the proctor will provide you with a sheet of formulas. Late exams are not accepted.
I want to see the work for your exams, so in that sense you should treat it like a regular pencil and
paer exam. Your work must be legible and organized with all of the problems numbered. To get
your work to me, you will need to scan it, save it as a jpg, and upload it to the test dropbox in
WebCampus. If your scanner does not provide you with the option of saving your work as a jpg,
you will need to do this yourself by using http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdf-to-jpg/ or
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Math 128 Precalculus and Trigonometry
http://www.zamzar.com/url/ to convert your pdf file to a jpg. If your work is not legible and
organized with the problems numbered, or if it is not in the jpg format, I will not accept your work.
PROCTORS
Your exams need to be supervised by a proctor. If you live near a GBC campus in Elko,
Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Ely, or Pahrump, or if you are a high school student in these areas or
at Nevada State High School, there are proctors already set up for you at those campuses. If you
live outside of these areas, you will need to provide me with an e-mail address of someone (not a
relative or spouse) who would be willing to serve as your proctor and vouch for the security of your
exams. Only the proctors have the passwords which will enable you to sign on to your exams.
If you will be testing in Elko, please use the Testing Center located in the Academic Success Center
(ASC), EIT building, room 114 on our campus. The hours for the ASC and the Testing Center are
9am-8pm Monday-Thursday and 9-4 on Friday. The number for the ASC is 775-753-2149.
ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
Great Basin College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified
students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified
student must furnish current verification of disability.
This course is designed to be compatible with most universal screen readers. If you are a student
needing video and/or audio captioning, GBC's Disabilities Office will provide captioning for you in
this course.
The Students with Disabilities Office, located in Berg Hall, will assist qualified students with disabilities
in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids, and services. For
more information or further assistance, please call 775-753-2271.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
The University and Community College System of Nevada expressly forbids all forms of academic
dishonesty, including (but not limited to) all forms of cheating, copying, and plagiarism. Plagiarism
is presenting someone else’s word, ideas or data as one’s own. When a student submits work that
includes the words, ideas, or data of others, the source of that information must be acknowledged
through complete, accurate, and specific references; and if verbatim statements are included,
through quotation marks as well. In academically honest writing or speaking, the students will
acknowledge the source whenever:

Another person’s actual words are quoted

Another person’s idea, opinion or theory is used, even if it is completely paraphrased in the
student’s own words

Facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials are borrowed, unless the information is
common knowledge.
Students who are discovered cheating will be subject to discipline as outlined in the Great Basin
College catalog.
In an online setting, academic dishonesty also includes the use of websites to find or check
solutions to your exam questions while you are taking the exam.
RESOURCES
There are videos for this course that I have recorded . They are available in WebCampus. These
recordings are to be used only by students in this class and are not allowed to be copied,
reproduced, or shared with people outside of this course.
Academic Success Center (ASC) EIT Building Room 114, 753-2149
For those of you in Elko, the ASC provides free tutoring. They also have computers that you can use
for your homework. ASC hours: 9am-8pm Monday-Thursday and 9-4 on Friday.
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Math 128 Precalculus and Trigonometry
The ASC also offers online tutoring. Send an email to tutor@gbcnv.edu for assistance.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Because of the nature of an online course, we rely heavily on three technology systems to deliver
course materials: WebCampus and WebAssign. Unfortunately, technology can fail and often at
inopportune moments. Should you experience technical difficulties, please get help from the
appropriate source as quickly as possible.
Product
WebCampus
WebAssign
Support
helpdesk@gbcnv.edu or 775-753-2167
Webassign.net, click on “student support” or
800-955-8275
COMPUTER ASSIGNMENTS and EXAMS DUE DATES
Section
Due Date
Syllabus quiz
Sunday September 1, 2013
1.2 –1.4
Sun. Sept. 1
1.5 – 1.8 (omit 1.5)
Mon. Sept. 9
2.2 – 2.4
Mon. Sept. 16
2.5 – 3.3
Mon. Sept. 23
CHAPTERS 1 & 2 Exam
Thursday, Sept. 26
3.4 – 3.6
Mon. Sept. 30
4.2 – 4.4
Mon. October 7
4.5 – 4.7
Mon. Oct. 14
4.8 – 5.2
Mon. Oct. 21
CHAPTERS 3 & 4 EXAM
Thurs. Oct. 24
Official Course Drop
Mon. Oct. 28
Deadline
5.3 – 5.4
Mon. Nov. 4
6.2 – 6.3
Mon. Nov. 11
6.4 – 6.5
Mon. Nov. 18
6.6
Mon. Nov. 25
6.7
Mon. December 2
CHAPTERS 5 & 6 EXAM
Thursday, Dec. 5
FINAL EXAM
Tues. Dec.10
All homework/exams are due by 11:55pm of the due date. Of course, check the availability of
your proctor/testing center on exam day. They may not choose to be available until 11:55pm.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
While precalculus can be a difficult subject to master, the burden of learning is on you; therefore,
you must be your own advocate. Here are some steps you can take that may increase the
probability of your success.

If you don’t understand a concept, get some help and get it fast. Do not sit like a bump
on a log suffering in silence. Go to the Academic Success Center for free tutoring if you
live in Elko. Take advantage of our LiveNet capabilities to ask me a question. Be
cognizant of class policies and due dates. For example, what are the policies regarding
late work?

Do your homework. Math is not a subject that can be skimmed. You learn by doing.

Do some math every day. Math is like a language and your proficiency will increase if you
expose yourself to some math every day.

Do not procrastinate with the computer homework. Technology is our friend and enemy.
Allow yourself enough time to complete the homework in case you run into technological
difficulties.
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