Find where to buy the TI-84 Plus CE graphing calculator in a variety of bold, fun colors.
Download free 90-day trial versions of the most popular TI software and handheld emulators.
Bring a new dimension of learning to your classroom with activities that put math in motion.
Explore teaching strategies to help students succeed on the SAT® and ACT® math tests using TI technology.
Drive deeper, more relevant understanding of science in middle grades and high school.
Texas Instruments
9-12
45 Minutes
Explore Taylor polynomials graphically and analytically, as well as graphically determine the interval where the Taylor polynomial approximates the function it models.
In this problem, students investigate a Taylor polynomial centered at zero. Students will recall that this Taylor polynomial is also known as a Maclaurin polynomial. Students find the 4th degree Taylor polynomial that approximates f(x) = ln(x + 5) at x = 0. They will notice that the values are closest at the center and become farther apart the further the x-values are from the center.
This problem also gives students the opportunity to explore different degrees of a Taylor polynomial. They use the Taylor command to find the respective polynomials and graph the function with each of the larger power polynomials in turn. This will demonstrate that a Taylor polynomial will only approximate the function over a given interval, no matter how large the Taylor Polynomial is.
At the end of this activity, students will be able to find the first few terms of a Taylor series approximation to a function for any given value of x. They will also be able to graph a function and its Taylor polynomials of various degrees to show their convergence to a function.