Preparing for AP Calc w/ Algebra FX2.0 Plus - Finding Area & Past Papers

[aliveyuen]

As I needn't use graphic calculator at school, I'm still not very familiar with my newly bought algebra fx2.0 plus:-(

and I'm now having troubles. :-(
Can this calculator find area between curves?
also, can it find area bounced by a polar curve?

I can only find area under curve by this calculator:-(

I know I can find these by pens... but I want to utilize the functions of this calculator!
and use it as answer checking etc...

I hope you can help... as I'm really panic, 2 weeks before my AP!



one more question: does anyone know where to find AP CAL BC MC past paper?
I have a princeton review 2011 at home, but found it contains inadequate practice exams...

many thanks! XOXO

 

[micromass]

The area between two curves is easily found by the calculator. Just find the area under the first curve, and subtract the area under the second curve. This gives you the desired area...

 

[aliveyuen]

The area between two curves is easily found by the calculator. Just find the area under the first curve, and subtract the area under the second curve. This gives you the desired area...

but for the polar curve... it's a bit more difficult... :-(
you know sometimes they have interceptions but at different Θ :-(
and it's will be great if it has this function for me checking the solutions...

 

[thegreenlaser]

As much as having a calculator is nice, I'd be surprised if they'll let you use one in university. All my math courses (Calculus, Linear Algebra...) have been 100% mental math. If you're that dependent on a calculator at this point, you're going to have trouble in college. I mean, sure it's great to check your answers with, but you should feel perfectly confident if that ability is taken away from you. Panicking about not being able to use your calculator shows a dependence on it that's probably just going to hurt you later.

Not attacking your character or anything, my friend and I both used our graphing calculators for everything and then had to play quite a bit of mental math catch up when we got to university math. We both have said many times how much we wished we'd developed our brains in high school instead of relying on a calculator.

 

[eczeno]

i am not familiar with the calculator you have, but polar coordinates should be easy if you can set up the integral on paper. remember, when doing a definite integral, the variable of integration is a dummy variable and x works just as well as theta. for example, the area enclosed by r = 1+cos(theta) from theta = 0 to theta = pi/4 is:

$$\frac{1}{2}\int_{0}^{\frac{\pi}{4}}{(1+\\cos(\theta))^2}d\theta$$


but this represents the same number as:

$$\frac{1}{2}\int_{0}^{\frac{\pi}{4}}{(1+\\cos(x))^2}dx$$

which should be easy to evaluate on your calculator.

 

[Mark44]

The area between two curves is easily found by the calculator. Just find the area under the first curve, and subtract the area under the second curve. This gives you the desired area...

Or, if the upper curve is y = f(x) and the lower curve is y = g(x), and f(x) >= g(x) throughout the interval being considered, you can integrate f(x) - g(x) over the interval. This gives the same answer as integrating the two functions separately, as micromass suggested.

 

[aliveyuen]

Thank you all!

well, in fact, I was trained not to use those powerful graphic calculator, but then I turned to use Wolfram lol even more powerful, and make me completely depend on it...

last night I've also realized that I had somehow put the cart before the horse...
Seeing my friends all owning a Ti89 make me feels that they may have more advantage... :-(

I don't know why I always have trouble with the area bounced by polar curve type question...
anyway, I've decided to use my brain to work on those problems ;)

once again a big hug to you all, I'm a newbie and found that ppl here are so helpful and nice: )