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2013-03-04 Understanding Polar Graphs

This document contains an assignment on understanding polar graphs. Students are asked to plot and analyze several polar equations by hand and using an online graphing calculator. They are given polar equations to graph like r=sin(θ), r=cos(θ), r=sin(θ)+2, and r=cos(2θ). Students are asked to determine properties of the graphs like the range of r values, if it hits the origin, and to convert the equations to rectangular coordinates. The goal is to help students practice graphing polar equations and analyzing the resulting graphs.

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725 views5 pages

2013-03-04 Understanding Polar Graphs

This document contains an assignment on understanding polar graphs. Students are asked to plot and analyze several polar equations by hand and using an online graphing calculator. They are given polar equations to graph like r=sin(θ), r=cos(θ), r=sin(θ)+2, and r=cos(2θ). Students are asked to determine properties of the graphs like the range of r values, if it hits the origin, and to convert the equations to rectangular coordinates. The goal is to help students practice graphing polar equations and analyzing the resulting graphs.

Uploaded by

samjshah
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name:_______________________

Date assigned:______________ Precalculus | Packer Collegiate Institute

Band:________

Understanding Polar Graphs

Warm Up: Together We Graph Give the decimal approximations of:

2 2

and

3 2

Together we are going to graph r sin on a polar coordinate plane. We think of various values of and then we plot each point.

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Question: How many theta does it take before the plot starts repeating?

Question: Convert r sin to rectangular coordinates. Put it in a form that looks familiar.

(1) Now you try. Plot r cos on a polar coordinate plane. Think of various values of and then plot each point. To save time, just plot at all multiples of 30o .

Question: Convert r cos to rectangular coordinates. Put it in a form that looks familiar.

(2) Now you try. Youre going to plot r sin 2 on a polar coordinate plane. (a) Whats the farthest out from the origin that your (b) Will your graph ever hit the origin? How do you polar graph will reach? How do you know? know? (And if so, at what angle does it hit the origin?)

(c) Now plot!

If you find the table helpful, feel free to fill it in.

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Question: Convert r sin 2 to rectangular coordinates. There is no nice form for this, so just get it as palatable as you can.

(3) At home, tonight, do one more by hand. Plot r cos(2 ) . To make sure youre doing it accurately, Im going to have you first fill in a table of values. Fill it in with approximate values when you cant be exact.

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Question (a) : Did we have to plot all between 0 and 2 to see the complete graph? Or did it start repeating?

Question (b): Without graphing, what do you think r sin(2 ) will look like, and why?

(4) Go to www.desmos.com and launch their awesome online graphing calculator. (a) In the input box, type r = sin(theta) and look at the graph. Does it match the graph we made by hand? (b) In the input box, type r=cos(theta) and look at the graph. Does it match the graph we made by hand? (c) In the input box, type r=sin(theta)+2 and look at the graph. Does it match the graph we made by hand? (d) In the input box, type r=cos(2*theta) and look at the graph. Does it match the graph we made by hand?

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