Linear and Non-linear Equations Free Essay Example

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This week’s reading assignment has given me another opportunity to explore about linear and non-linear equations. In fact, the reflection of this week’s reading assignment shows that the problems I encountered last week has continually minimized drastically due to the lecture videos I watched on Khan Academy website and the other websites disclosed by Dr. B below:

MIT’s open courseware:

When I started this week’s reading assignment, it was a bit difficult so I switch to watching Khan, Stanford and MIT’s lecture videos as result, I understood it very well.

For example if I am given this question to solve. Bobby is three years older than twice Arianna’s age. If the total of their ages is 9, how old is Bobby and how old is Arianna?

Solution

Let b represents Bobby’s age and a represent Arianna’s age. Let’s change the expression into equations.

b = 3 + 2a equation (1)

b + a = 9 .equation (2)

Now, let’s substitute

3 + 3a = 9

3a = 6 divide both side by 3

a = 2

Put a = 2 into any of the equations

b = 3 + 2(2)

b = 7

This shows that, Bobby is 7 years old and Arianna is 2 years old

Formerly, I usually read mathematics with graphs, symbols and tables three times.

At the third time I converted it into words before some understanding is achieved. As a result of that, I always do double work in mathematics. Before the lecture videos websites were disclosed to me by Dr. B, part of this course that was most difficult to me were uncountable because when I was solving, I had to convert all the mathematical formulas into written formats before I can better understand it.

When I am solving assignment, I will convert all again into mathematical formats. Before some understanding is achieved, I read the passage thrice, at the third time I converted all into a format that I can understand well.

With this week’s reading assignment, I have been able to study all aspect of this unit by the help of the Khan Academy videos and the other websites disclosed to me by Dr. B, and it has increased my level of understanding in this chapter. I achieved much because of the Khan Academy lecture videos which explained further for better understanding of the passages. Formerly, when I am doing all the conversions and the applications, it wasted much of my time but now because of the Khan videos and other websites, I don’t do many conversions any more. For example, I can solve this question without any difficulty;

Solve the system: 2x + y = 5 x * y = 13

Solution

Firstly, the equation should be added together in order remove the y and also minimize the variables so that, the equation can be solved.

3x = 18, Divide each side by 3

x = 6

Put x = 6 into any of the equations

2(6) + y = 5

=12 + y =5 make y the subject

y = 5- 12

y = -7

This implies that x = 6 and y = -7

Moreover, parts of the text book that are alredy in written formats, I just read it twice and get full understanding without watching lecture videos because I don’t waste time to convert anything. When I solve similar problems of a particular topic several times, it build my retention and increases my understanding. So I always solve mathematical problems at any free period.

Conclusion

In this week’s reading assignment, no parts of the text was difficult to me. I have been able to study all aspect of this unit by the help of the Khan Academy and other consortium lecture videos, and it has increased my level of understanding in this chapter. I achieved much because of the lecture videos which explained further for better understanding of the passages. Thank you, Dr. B for such a wonderful help given to me.

References

1. MATH 1201 Text book, (chp. 8.1,30).
2. MATH 1201 Text book,( chp. 8.7, 9).

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