Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
Problem Statement
The CAT graduation fundraisers, Dakarai, Leah, and John C., are planning for a
CATnival for the Stellar class. They thought of a great ride that will attract people, but
with a little twist. The ride was the Farrell Ferries Wheel and to attract people with a little
twist, they thought of danger since it sells so well. They thought of what they can possibly
do and thought of a fantastic danger plan that will sell.
They asked Kaid, Sheryl, and Andre to help with this danger plan and they agreed.
The fundraisers told them that Kaid and Sheryl would drop Andre into a moving pool of
water at the same time when the Farrell Ferris Wheel is moving.
When the Farrell Ferris Wheel is turning, Kaid and Sheryl are to drop Andre
upside down and let him go exactly at the right time, so that Andre will be dropped into
the moving pool of water.
For this unit problem, we are suppose to find the exact time that Kaid and Sheryl
are to drop Andre into the moving pool of water.
Information I Know
The radius of the Farrell Ferris Wheel is 50 ft.
The center if the Farrell Ferris Wheel is 65 ft. off ground.
The Farrell Ferris Wheel goes at a constant speed making a complete turn
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
every 40 sec.
The Farrell Ferris Wheel turns counterclockwise.
The cart travels at a constant speed of 15 ft./sec.
The water level in the cart is 8 ft. above the ground.
When the cart starts moving, the diver’s platform is at 3 o’clock position
on the Farrell Ferris Wheel.
Information I Had To Find
The equation to solve the unit problem.
Defining the variables for the equations.
The exact time that Sheryl and Kaid should drop Andre to get him into the
moving cart.
Math Needed To Be Done To Solve The Problem
Trigonometry:
o Sine – sin (q) = opposite/hypotenuse
o Cosine – cos (q) = adjacent/hypotenuse
The equation to solve the unit problem – “240 + 15 (w + Ö57 + 50 sin
(9w)/16) = 50 cos (9w)”
Plan
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
My plan to solve this unit problem, is to understand all the equations that I needed
to know in order to derive to the long simplified equation and from knowing that, I can
easily understand what the equation means. I will then choose the method I will use to
solve the problem, which is the guess and check method. I would then substitute w for a
time that I think Andre will possibly land into the moving cart. Besides the guess and
check method, I will ask my peers for help when I do not know how to solve the problem.
I know that I will have trouble to start off this unit problem, so I am thinking on asking
Christine and Sarah Jane for help in order to start my unit problem. After Christine and
Sarah Jane help me start off the problem, then I think I will have a sense on how to do
this unit problem on my own.
Work
For this unit problem, I used the equation, “240 + 15 (w + Ö57 + 50 sin (9w)/16)
= 50 cos (9w)” to solve the time when Kaid and Sheryl should drop Andre because from
this equation, it can be used to solve at the exact time that Andre should fall to be dropped
into the moving pool.
The variables in the equation I used, “240 + 15 (w + Ö57 + 50 sin (9w)/16) = 50
cos (9w)” represents:
240 – the distance of the moving pool of water from the center of the
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
ferris wheel.
15 – the speed of the moving pool is moving,
w – the time/speed of the ferris wheel.
Ö57 + 50 sin (9w)/16 – the falling time of when Andre will be dropped by
Kaid and Sheryl.
50 – the radius of the ferris wheel.
50 cos (9w) – the speed of the ferris wheel moving when Andre is at his
vertical position.
To get the equation above, we had to do many classwork to figure out and
combine all the little equations into one simplified equation. Some of the little equations
before deriving to the long and simplified equation:
65 + [50 sin (9t)] – this equation helps us find the height of Andre at any
given time.
t = √h/16 – this equation helps us find the time it’ll take to fall h feet.
½ gt2 – this equation helps find the distance fallen after t sec.
57 + [50 sin (9t)] – this equation helps us find the height of Andre between
the Ferris Wheel and the moving cart.
Before getting the equation, we had to under the trigonometry connected with this
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
unit problem. We were refreshed on the topic of sine, cosine, and tangent.
Sine – sin (q) = opposite/hypotenuse
Cosine – cos (q) = adjacent/hypotenuse
Tangent – tan (q) = opposite/adjacent
But for this unit problem, we didn’t need to know much about the tangent because
it was irrelevant to our unit problem. We only used sine and cosine because these two
trigonometry functions that shows the position of Andre on the ferris wheel. In this unit
problem, sine represented the y coordinate and this horizontal position and cosine
represented the x coordinate and the vertical position of Andre. The unit circle is a circle
with the radius of 1 and the center point coordinate is (0,0). It shows the coordinate for
the degrees on the circle. On the unit circle, sin would be the y coordinate because the
radius is determined with opposite/hypotenuse, which the opposite represents the radius.
Also, this is a big order of operation (PEMDAS) problem because if you don’t
follow the order of operation (PEMDAS), then you can do the math wrong, which will
deliver you to the wrong answer. We should always follow the order of operation
(PEMDAS) because not only would you get the answer wrong, but also you will do the
entire math problem wrong and that will result in a bad grade because of the wrong
operations you do first. The order of operation (PEMDAS) goes in order like this:
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
P – Parenthesis
E – Exponents
M – Multiplication
D – Division
A – Addition
S – Subtraction
So, in an equation, you would solve the answer for the parenthesis, exponents,
multiplication, division, addition, and lastly, subtraction. Follow the order of operations
and then you would do the problem correctly.
I used the guess and check method to solve this unit problem because it was one
of the fastest and most efficient way to calculate this problem without a graphing
calculator. It is one of the ways in which I usually solve math problems when I get an
equation like this because there is a lot of math problems you will have to fill in a number
for the variable in order to find the answer and that is what I did with this unit problem.
w 240 + 15 (w + Ö57 + 50 50 cos (9w)
sin (9w)/16)
12 21.6558 15.4508
12.1 20.2014 16.1958
12.2 18.7492 16.9368
12.25 18.0239 17.3058
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
Answer
The answer to this unit problem I have is 12.28285 seconds because when you
plug in 12.28285 seconds, you get both sides very close to equaling each other and that is
how you know that you have the right time.
12.28285 seconds is the right answer because it’s the closest number I can find
that is very close in equaling each other. When you plug in 12.28285m you get one side
that is 17.5477 (rounded) and 17.5476 (rounded), which you can see is the closest number
I have calculated to find the answer of when Kaid and Sheryl should drop Andre.
Reflection
When I first started to solve this problem I was stuck. I didn’t know what to do. I
joined Christine and Sarah Jane’s table and worked with them. We reviewed the problem
together and decided we should plug in different numbers. During class, we plugged in
different numbers and it wasn’t close enough, so when I got home, I continued to find the
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
answer by plugging in different numbers to get the closest number possible. The method I
used was guess and check, which worked really well for me. That is how I found my
answer.
I didn’t know where to start, but the best method for me was guess and check and
that is what I did. When I was working on this with the guess and check method, I never
thought there was any faulty in my method. But when I was computing on paper, it kept
messing me up and so I have to do all my work on the calculator and type the answer in
the data table in my work section.
My problem solving strategy was not a failure and worked really well for me
because I got the answer to the unit problem with this strategy. Therefore, this problem
solving method is not a failure for me. Guess and check is one of the bets methods in this
unit problem because it’s a way to solve this unit problem without a graphing calculator.
If I did follow not follow the order of operations, then my work will be wrong.
Also, I would not get the right answer for Kaid and Sheryl to drop Andre at the exact time
to land in the moving pool. The order of operation is an essential rule to follow in this
problem because there are so many operations to do in this unit problem’s equation that if
you don’t follow one of these rules, then you will not get the right answer and you will
also do the work all wrong. This would also change your answer. You will get a really
IMP4 Ivy Leung
Farrell March 19, 2008
Iota
HIGH DIVE UNIT PROBLEM: CAN WE SAVE ANDRE?
weird number and that you may never find the equation to equal each other since you did
not follow the order of operation.
Another way that the unit problem is related to real world scenarios are when
you’re on a rollercoaster trying to get through the loopy loop and trying to drop a slim jim
into your mouth from when you’re at the top of the loopy loop to the bottom of the loopy
loop. You will need to know how fast you’re going and at the exact time to drop the slim
jim so it’ll land in your mouth. You will also need to find how big you mouth is and how
long the slim jim is to have an accurate shot that will land in your mouth. Another way is
trying to dive into a pool to land on the shark’s back and kill it with a knife. You will need
to know how long the shark is and how fast it’s going. You will also need to know the
height from the shark’s back to the diver’s platform.