Function Patterns Homework Help

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the concept of "Function Patterns," specifically related to recognizing patterns in function values, particularly in the context of a tracking substance's half-life. The key takeaway is that increasing the time variable (t) by 2 hours results in halving the previous value of M(t), which is crucial for understanding the problem. The half-life of the tracking substance is approximately 2 hours, and while the term "function pattern" may not be widely recognized, the underlying principle of identifying value patterns is essential for solving related problems.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic algebraic functions
  • Familiarity with the concept of half-life in scientific contexts
  • Ability to interpret and analyze function values
  • Knowledge of time intervals in mathematical problems
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the concept of half-life in chemistry and its mathematical implications
  • Learn how to derive function values from established patterns
  • Explore more complex function patterns in algebra
  • Practice solving problems involving exponential decay functions
USEFUL FOR

Students preparing to teach secondary education concepts, educators seeking to understand function patterns, and anyone interested in the mathematical principles behind exponential decay and half-life calculations.

hammonjj
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Homework Statement


So I'm taking a class that's purpose is to go over, in great detail, the concepts that secondary students learn. It's intended to prepare teachers for the material they will have to teach.

Unfortunately, we are working on something called "Function Patterns" and I have no clue what they are. I've Googled this thing until I hit the end of the internet and am still lost. I'm sure this is super simple, but I have no idea what he is talking about.

I've included a picture of the whole page, so I don't miss showing anything!

http://imgur.com/uwk71

Thanks in advance!
 
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hammonjj said:

Homework Statement


So I'm taking a class that's purpose is to go over, in great detail, the concepts that secondary students learn. It's intended to prepare teachers for the material they will have to teach.

Unfortunately, we are working on something called "Function Patterns" and I have no clue what they are. I've Googled this thing until I hit the end of the internet and am still lost. I'm sure this is super simple, but I have no idea what he is talking about.

I've included a picture of the whole page, so I don't miss showing anything!

http://imgur.com/uwk71

Thanks in advance!
I don't think the term "function pattern" is in common usage, but the idea is to recognize patterns in the function values. In this problem you're supposed to recognize that each time you increase the t value by 2 (hours), you halve the previous value of M(t). As stated in the problem, the half-life of the tracking substance is about 2 hours.
 
Mark44 said:
I don't think the term "function pattern" is in common usage, but the idea is to recognize patterns in the function values. In this problem you're supposed to recognize that each time you increase the t value by 2 (hours), you halve the previous value of M(t). As stated in the problem, the half-life of the tracking substance is about 2 hours.

I guess I'm still confused them, question C asks why you can't use this "pattern" to to find M(21), but you clearly can. It's tedious, but you just have to find all of the previous values.

Thoughts?
 
hammonjj said:
I guess I'm still confused them, question C asks why you can't use this "pattern" to to find M(21), but you clearly can. It's tedious, but you just have to find all of the previous values.

Thoughts?

Numbers on the left column are integers.
 

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