Algebra I
View Activity ArchivesActivity:
Getting Triggy With It
Posted on Mar 19, 2009
Topic: Trigonometric & Logarithmic Functions
Explore the effect of the coefficients on the graph of sine or cosine functions. Amplitude, period, frequency, phase shift, baseline, and vertical offset are introduced and calculated using the geometry and measurement tools.
State Standards AlignmentDownloads
Select Teacher or Student files from the drop down menu. Click on the file type you want to download.
Downloaded: 4788
Activity Key Steps:
In Problem 1, students use the Graph Trace feature to find the zeros, minima, and maxima of a function.
They will explore a general trigonometric function. Students will review definitions that will help them determine values such as maximum, minimum, and zeros geometrically.
In Problem 2, students will investigate the effect of the coefficients a, b, c, and d. Where a is the amplitude, b is frequency, c is the phase shift, and d is the vertical offset.
They will use the manual data capture of the values: a, b, c, d., zero1, zero2, maximum, and minimum.
This will help students with identifying what aspect of the graph change when changing each coefficient.
In Problem 3, students will take a closer look at graph features. They will set up the graph to capture values of the amplitude, period, and frequency.
They construct a segment from the first peak of the graph to the x-axis and find the distance between the two points. They will then display and calculate the frequency.
At the end of this activity, students will be able to identify the relationship between a, b, c, and d and the amplitude, frequency, and period. They will also know how to use their handheld to approximate the zeros, minima, and period of the primary trigonometric functions by graphing.