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VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Mathematical Methods CAS => Topic started by: NE2000 on January 07, 2009, 11:32:11 am

Title: Approximation by left rectangles and right rectangles
Post by: NE2000 on January 07, 2009, 11:32:11 am: It's on the study design, has anyone from last year ever come across a past paper where this is the required method to calculate the area under the graph?
Title: Re: Approximation by left rectangles and right rectangles
Post by: shinny on January 07, 2009, 12:14:39 pm: I definitely recall there being a Tasmania Jones question involving this so yes, do learn it if that's what you're wondering.
Title: Re: Approximation by left rectangles and right rectangles
Post by: NE2000 on January 07, 2009, 12:28:22 pm: Quote from: shinny on January 07, 2009, 12:14:39 pm
I definitely recall there being a Tasmania Jones question involving this so yes, do learn it if that's what you're wondering.

yep OK thanks, it wasn't so much whether I was going to learn it and do the exercise but more whether I was going to worry about organizing the setting out of my answers and whether I was going to do more stuff on it later on...and if there's been a question on it I guess I better do
Title: Re: Approximation by left rectangles and right rectangles
Post by: shinny on January 07, 2009, 12:34:22 pm: I usually just have something along the lines of (making up numbers here);
$Area \approx (1 \times 5)+(2 \times 4)+(5 \times 0.5)$ , and then just simplify as you go down, or just go straight to the answer in your next step. Showing arithmetic isn't really required, but I'd advise it to prevent stupid mistakes anyway.

Basically, make a separate bracket for each rectangle. It keeps your working out much clearer which also avoids mistakes. Oh, and try and remember the $\approx$ symbol, although I doubt you'll lose a mark for it.
Title: Re: Approximation by left rectangles and right rectangles
Post by: /0 on January 07, 2009, 12:58:32 pm: Rectangle approximation is in practically every paper, I remember half of one of my SACs was on it.
Title: Re: Approximation by left rectangles and right rectangles
Post by: Edmund on January 08, 2009, 03:07:21 pm: They are in Exam 2 multi choice VCAA papers

also, they were plenty in my 2008 trial exam, which was the heffernan paper i believe