Pre-Calculas Vs. Calculas

Line

I've studied Pre-Calculas with derivitaves and all but not Calculas. Is it that much different from Precal or is it about the same as Precal?

HallsofIvy

I'm not sure what you mean by "Pre-Calculus with derivatives". That sounds like at least the first part of Calclulus! You do need to be very, very good at algebra in order to do calculus so "pre-calculus" typically involves a lot of algebra. How much like or unlike calculus it is depends a lot on the particular course. Some of the concepts in calculus, particularly those involving limits, are very subtle and very different from "before calculus" courses.

Line

Just what does a typical Calculas course consist of?

ranger

• Limits and Rates of Change
  Derivatives
  Applications of Derivatives
  Antiderivatives,Integrals, Definite Integrals, indefinite integrals
  Applications of Integration

Thats a typical of topics for calculus 1.

amcavoy

In my precalculus class a while back I studied derivatives at the very end of the course. However, most of single-var. differential calculus was actually taught in calc. 1. Is this similar to what you're thinking of?

Alex

Tom Mattson

Where I teach we have a sequence entitled "Calculus with Precalculus I-II". I don't know how common it is, but basically it has all the material from Precalculus and Calculus I folded in together. The idea is that you learn a that bit of Precalc that you need for a particular Calc unit, right before you need it.

Maybe that's what the OP is getting at.

Line

I got Precal but is Calculas much harder?

mezarashi

You won't know until you try it :P
But I think most people would agree that of all the "post-precal" mathematics, calculus would be the easiest, even in vector form.

stmoe

I know a lot of kids who took precalc , which isn't really all that worthwhile IMAO ,... i didn't do it, I just went to calc .... and the kids struggled a little, but it was only because the stuff was new to them .. like precalculus didn't really give them skills to be used in calculus.. then again they also didn't cover the state standards and stuff, so maybe i was better off ....

Line

I need a website that explains Calculus.

1800bigk

Here is a good website on calulus 1 and 2 topics. http://archives.math.utk.edu/visual.calculus/

Here is one for calc 3 stuff
http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/AllBr.../2415/2415.asp

leon1127

Upon the schedual of the pre-cal classes, most teacher would introduce the definition of derivative by using limit. Moreover, I assume that they will not go in to power rule and anything beyond.