Ashley Tignor

Intermediate Algebra Projects 

Reflective writing:

These projects were about using the information  we were learning in the class and applying them to practical applications. 

The first project was about Utah's population. We were given years and their corresponding populations of Utah. We then used this information to the find the function of the data points. We had to use the points to find the slope and the linear function as well as the estimated population of Utah in 2025. We then graphed the linear function.

I did not mind doing this project and actually found it interesting.  The calculations weren't very difficult and they went right along with what we were learning in the section of our textbook.Using the best fit line left this project open to a bit of interpretation and it was nice to be able to compare the best fit linear function to other people in the class. I found it helpful that we were able to chat and compare with other members of this class on the communication board. This was really nice because with it being an online class we usually don't have the ability to bounce ideas of each other. 

The second project was about how manufactures are able to use linear inequalities in order to decide what and how much of items to produce. In this case it was bookcases and computer desks. We had to compare the time spent producing these items to the amount of profit the company would earn to find what combination would bring the company the most profit in the least amount of time. We then graphed the intersection of four of the companies inequalities to find the overlapping region.

This project was slightly more challenging than the first project. Graphing inequalities were a bit of a struggle for me. I had a hard time remembering to make some of the lines dashed and remembering which direction of the line should be shaded. This project was useful in seeing how a real company could use these equations to find their maximum profit and where their time was best spent. This is a useful way for companies to find where their resources would be best used and what the future projections for production might be.