MAT 003-01 - Beginning Algebra - Spring 2006

Syllabus

This document is available on-line at http://www.geocities.com/csudh_mat003/syllabus.htm

Please, check for updates regularly.

Updated Sun Feb 26 17:21:00 PST 2006

Below are the sections that will be covered in the tests, and some comments on them. Exam problems will be similar to exercises that are listed, plus there will be some problems on the supplementary material on units and conversions. (The exercise lists are just for information. The students are encouraged to solve all these exercises, however, only selected ones will be assigned.)

In the syllabus below, a listing like "1.5 #33-68. (signed numbers, difference, sum)" means that problems similar to exercises 33-68 in section 1.5 may appear on the exams. The comments at the end of the line describe the contents: signed numbers, differences, and sums.

Part 1 (weeks 1 - 5)

• Supplementary material (see below) on units, "combining like terms", addition and multiplication, conversion from one unit to another. Review of multiplication and division, addition and subtraction of fractions, decimals, percents as in the review sections R1, R2. Students will be required to keep track of units and convert them (e.g. inches to feet) if necessary. There will be a focus on problems, mainly word problems.
• 1.4 #55-74. Signed numbers, addition.
• 1.5 #44-68. Signed numbers, differences, sum.
• 1.6 #56-77. Translating sentences into equations with variables.
• 1.7 #43-66. Distributive law.
• 1.8 Simplifying Expressions, distributive law, "combining like terms", etc. p. 90 #1-5, p. 92 #37-50, #51-58 translating English into math.
• Chapter 1 review. #All
• 2.1 p. 110 #1,2 pp. 111-112 #18-44.
• 2.2 p. 118 #35-52
• 2.3 pp. 124-125 #19-48
• 2.4 pp. 133-136 #5-40 linear equations, easy word problems.
• 2.5 pp. 143-146 # All problems, mix of odd-even. Simple formulas, word problems.
• Exam 1: Wed Feb 22. 1hr 15min. 12 multiple choice problems + 6 show your work problems.

Part 2 (weeks 6 - 10)

• 2.6 pp. 153-156 #All problems. Ratio and Proportion and Percent.
• Chapter 2 review. #All.
• Cumulative Review (Chapter 1,2). #All.
• 3.1 pp. 179-182 #All. Graphing inequalities: one variable.
• 3.2 pp. 191-194. #All. Graphing "compound" inequalities: one variable.
• Chap. 3 Review pp. 212 #1-3 pp. 213 #1-22, #27. pp. 216-220 #all problems that don't use absolute value, especially word problems.
• 4.1 #All. Reading graphs. Include supplementary material as needed.
• 4.2 #All. Graphing linear equations.
• 4.3 Slope. #All.
• 4.4 Equations of lines. #All.
• 4.5 #All. Graphing inequalities in two variables.
• Exam 2: Apr 05. 1hr15min. 12 multiple choice problems + 6 show your work problems.

Part 3 (weeks 11 - 15)

• 5.3 #All. Algebraic solution of systems of equations. (May include material from 5.1, 5.2 if necessary.)
• 5.4 #1, 5, 6, 13, 21.
• 5.5 #All. Systems of Linear Equations.
• 6.3 #All. Multiplying polynomials. A brief review of 6.1, 6.2.
• 6.5 #All. Integer exponents.
• 6.7 #All. Dividing polynomials with long division.
• 6.8 #All, especially word problems. Scientific notation.
• 8.1, 8.2. In 8.1 #25-36, 49, 50, 53-56, 59-72, in 8.2 #33-47.
• 8.4 #15-25, 31, 32. Solving rational equations. Only do problems where factorization is obvious.
• 8.5 #All. applications. Rate problems.
• 8.6 #All. Direct and indirect variation.
• Cumulative Final Exam. 16th week, at regularly scheduled final exam time. Includes material from all three parts of MAT 003. 2 hr. 20 multiple choice problems + 10 show your work problems.

Supplementary Material on Units

This material is discussed in Chapter 2 of Bennett and Briggs' book Using and Understanding Mathematics. Copies have been provided by our publisher, Addison Wesley. See the "Text" section above .

Supplementary material on the use of units and dimensional analysis will be integrated into the review material in chapter 1. The students should be able to answer questions similar to these:

1. How many inches are there in 3 miles?
2. If a man walks 3 miles per hour how many furlongs can he walk in a fortnight (if he never stops)? (1 mile = 8 furlongs and 1 fortnight = 14 days). What is his speed in yards per day?
3. How many gallons are there in a rectangular box that measures 3 ft. x 4 ft. x 5 ft. ? 1 US liquid gallon = 231 cubic inches.
4. If your car gets 20 miles per gallon and gas costs 6.71 Mexican pesos per liter then how much would it cost to buy enough gasoline to drive from Tijuana to Guadalajara, a distance of 2344 kilometers? 1 US dollar = 11.331 Mexican pesos, 1 mile = 1609.344 meters, 1 gallon = 1.3785 liters (approximately).

Contact me if you have any questions.