MAT 170: Calculus I

Fall 2014
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jeff Heath, Wiseman 102, jeffrey.heath@centre.edu, (859) 238-5407
COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introduction to single variable calculus. Topics include functions and
graphing, limits, continuity, the derivative, rules of differentiation, applications of the derivative,
antiderivatives, Riemann sums and the definite integral, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus,
and applications of the integral. Prerequisite: placement.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this course is for students to be able to:
Compute basic limits, derivatives, and integrals,
Apply appropriate calculus techniques to real-world problems, and
Improve their algebra and trigonometry skills.
CLASS: Section A: MWF 8:00 9:00 a.m. in Olin 129
Section B: MWF 9:10 10:10 a.m. in Olin 129
OFFICE HOURS: Please do not hesitate to stop by my office and ask questions!
My office hours this spring are:
MW: 111 p.m.
R: 12:30 p.m.
F: 11noon
Also, my door is generally open when Im working in my office, so feel free to come in if you
have any questions. Otherwise, you are welcome to set up an appointment by email.
TEXTS: Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 2nd Ed., by Briggs et al., ISBN-10: 0321947347
MOODLE: I will post the syllabus, the up-to-date homework schedule, and any pertinent course
information on Moodle at courses.centre.edu
STUDY SESSIONS: There are regularly held study sessions throughout the semester for MAT 170
help. Matt McCurdy will be available in Olin 129 from 9 10 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays, and
Thursdays. Please take advantage of this opportunity for assistance and group study time.
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: Class attendance and participation are important
facets of any math class. Students are expected to be present at every class meeting. Attendance
will be taken at each class. Missing class due to a college-sponsored activity, illness, family
emergency, or religious holiday is excused, but please contact me prior to the missed class to make
arrangements for submitting work. Written documentation from the Associate Dean, Athletic
Department, Parsons, or other doctor is required to be able to make up an exam. Please refer to
the Student Handbook for more specifics on the college policies regarding attendance. No late or
make-up work will be accepted due to an unexcused absence.
Students are expected to be actively engaged in every class in order to maximize their class
participation points. This includes working all of the homework exercises, reading the text,
putting solutions on the board, asking and answering questions, frequently contributing to group
discussions, and participating in all class activities.

Each student will be required to present at least one homework exercise or in-class exercise at the
board during the semester. The presentation will be graded on correctness, clarity, and
explanation. The presentation will contribute to the class participation grade. You may present
more than once over the course of the semester. In this case, each presentation will be graded and
the highest presentation grade will count toward your final class grade.
CLASSROOM DECORUM: Students are asked to exhibit classroom behavior that is respectful of
others in the classroom and not disruptive. Please arrive on time, and be certain that all cell
phones are on silent and put away. A student text messaging during class will automatically lose
10% of their class participation points.
CALCULATORS: Only the TI-30 calculators provided by the math department will be allowed on
exams. You are welcome to use your personal calculator on quizzes and other assignments.
HOMEWORK: Homework is a very important aspect of this course, because working problems is
essential to learning the material. There will be homework assigned daily in this course, with the
up-to-date schedule posted on Moodle. Homework assignments will often include some reading
and a couple of problems from the upcoming section. Students are encouraged to work together
on assignments, as discussing and explaining the ideas plays an important role in understanding
the material. However, to gain the full benefit of the assigned homework you should first study
the book and notes and try some problems independently. Simply copying a fellow classmates
homework is not permitted and will be reported to the Associate Dean. All students must write up
and turn in their own solutions.
You will turn in the homework periodically, every other week or so, on the dates announced in
class. The homework grades will be based on completeness, effort, and notation. If you
encounter questions on the homework, please submit them on the Google forms link on Moodle
by 7am of the next class day. This will give me an idea of where students are having difficulties
prior to class, therefore saving class time.
Late homework will not be accepted. If you must miss class due to an excused absence, please
email me at earliest notice to arrange a time to turn in your work. In addition to the written
homework assignments, students are encouraged to take a few minutes to read the next class
periods material before coming to class. This will help the class discussion and increase the
amount of learning done in class.
WRITTEN QUIZZES: There will be weekly quizzes given throughout the semester, generally on
Wednesdays. These are meant to measure your comprehension of the material and your problemsolving skills. I do not issue make-up quizzes; however, if you miss a quiz for an excused absence,
I will not factor that quiz into your grade.
CLICKER QUIZZES: There may be one or more unannounced clicker quiz questions in any given class.
Each clicker quiz question is worth 2 points and will be graded as follows: 2 points for a correct
answer and 1 point for an incorrect answer. The questions may cover any of the previous course
material, but will often cover material from the upcoming section in the HW.
PROJECT: There will be two group projects during the term that will allow you to apply your knowledge
of calculus to real-world problems. The project descriptions will be distributed in class.

EXAMS: There will be three in-class exams during the semester. The exams are an opportunity for you
to demonstrate your knowledge of the material. Further, they should be viewed as a learning
opportunity to improve your problem-solving skills. The exams will be held on the following
dates:
Exam 1: Weds., Sep. 24
Exam 2: Weds., Oct. 22
Exam 3: Mon., Nov. 24
Note: Only an excused absence with written documentation will warrant the opportunity to take a
make-up exam. If you know in advance you will have to miss an exam, you should make
arrangements to take it early.
FINAL EXAM: The final exam will be comprehensive and will be held on the following date:
Section A: Tues., Dec. 9, 8:30 11:30 a.m. in Olin 129
Section B: Weds., Dec. 10, 8:30 11:30 a.m. in Olin 129
GRADING COMPOSITION:
Homework
Participation
Written Quizzes
Clicker Quizzes
Projects
In-class Exams
Final Exam

8%
5%
12%
5%
8%
42%
20%

Final letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

A
93 100
A90 92
B+
87 89
B
83 86
B80 82
C+
77 79
C
73 76
C70 72
D
60 69
U
<= 59
Note: I reserve the right to modify these letter grade assignments, but only in the direction
beneficial to the students.
STUDENT DISABILITIES: Students with physical impairments and/or learning disabilities will
sometimes need accommodations to help them have an equal opportunity to learn. If necessary, it
is the students responsibility to seek these accommodations at the beginning of the term., if
necessary. To do so, please contact the Assistant Dean for Advising, Dr. Mary Gulley, in the
Office of Academic Affairs.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: You are responsible for following the academic honesty policy as set forth in
the Centre College Student Handbook. As previously mentioned, collaboration on homework
assignments is perfectly acceptable; however, all work on quizzes and exams should be your own.

Tentative Class Schedule

Class
1
2

Date
M 9/1
W 9/3

Section(s)
1.1, 1.2
1.3

Topic(s)
Review of Functions
Inverse, Exponential, and Logarithmic Functions

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

F 9/5
M 9/8
W 9/10
F 9/12
M 9/15
W 9/17
F 9/19
M 9/22
W 9/24
F 9/26
M 9/29
W 10/1
F 10/3
M 10/6
W 10/8
F 10/10
M 10/13

1.4
2.1, 2.2
2.3
2.3, 2.4
2.5
2.6
3.1
Review
Exam 1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9, 3.10

20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
-

W 10/15
M 10/20
W 10/22
F 10/24
M 10/27
W 10/29
F 10/31
M 11/3
W 11/5
F 11/7
M 11/10
W 11/12
F 11/14
M 11/17
W 11/19
F 11/21
M 11/24
M 12/1
W 12/3
F 12/5
A: Tu 12/9,
B: W 12/10

3.11
Fall Break
Review
Exam 2
Project #1
4.1
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.8
Project #2
5.1
5.2
4.9
5.3
Review
Exam 3
Thanksgiving
5.3
5.5
5.5
Final Exam

Trigonometric Functions and their Inverses

Introduction to Limits
Computing Limits
Computing Limits; Infinite Limits
Limits at Infinity
Continuity
Introducing the Derivative
Recollections for Exam 1
Working with Derivatives
Derivative Rules
Product and Quotient Rules
Derivatives of Trigonometric Functions
Derivatives as Rates of Change
Chain Rule
Implicit Differentiation
Derivatives of Exponential, Logarithmic, and
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Related Rates
Recollections for Exam 2
Chp. 3 Project
Maxima and Minima
First Derivative Test
Optimization
Mean Value Theorem
LHopitals Rule
Newtons Method
Chp. 4 Project
Approximating Areas Under Curves
Definite Integrals
Antiderivatives
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Recollections for Exam 3
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Integration by Substitution
Integration by Substitution
-

Note: This daily schedule is tentative and may change during the semester. The current up-todate schedule will be maintained on Moodle. The exam dates are highly unlikely to be modified,
however.