Education Technology

Products of Linear Functions

Subject Area
Math: Precalculus: Polynomial, Power, and Rational Functions
Math: AP Precalculus: Polynomial and Rational Functions
Level
9-12
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire™ CX CAS/CX II CAS
TI-Nspire Version
3.1
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS

Products of Linear Functions

Activity Overview

This lesson involves polynomial functions viewed as a product of linear functions.

Objectives

  • Students will understand relationships between the horizontal intercepts of two linear functions and the horizontal intercepts of the quadratic function resulting from their product.
  • Students will understand relationships between the slopes of two linear functions and the orientation and width of the quadratic function resulting from their product.
  • Students will understand when the product of two linear functions will not be quadratic.
  • Students will explore the relationship between linear factors and the resulting cubic function.

Vocabulary

  • linear function
  • quadratic function
  • cubic function
  • roots
  • intersect

About the Lesson

This lesson involves polynomial functions viewed as a product of linear functions.
As a result, students will:

  • Manipulate linear functions to change the graph of their product to meet certain constraints.
  • Make and test predictions about how the properties of linear functions affect the graphs of their quadratic or cubic product functions.

Subject Area
Math: Precalculus: Polynomial, Power, and Rational Functions
Math: AP Precalculus: Polynomial and Rational Functions
Level
9-12
Activity Time
45 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire™ CX CAS/CX II CAS
TI-Nspire Version
3.1
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS
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