The author focused on solving problems of third-degree price discrimination under a monopoly by integrating microeconomic theory and spreadsheet modeling. Price discrimination refers to a firm situation in which the same good is sold to different groups of consumers at different prices. First, the author included an introductory math background…

The invention of the computer has led to the establishment of a new research paradigm, computation, which has recently become more and more popular in scientific exploration. However, computation is not well represented in high school and university curricula in science and engineering, although it applies to a wide range of disciplines beyond…

The scale-invariant way to analyze two-dimensional experimental and theoretical data with statistical errors in both the independent and dependent variables is revisited by using what we call the triangular linear regression method. This is compared to the standard least-squares fit approach by applying it to typical simple sets of example data…

This work aims to demonstrate the use of Excel spreadsheets for solving L-L extraction problems. The key to solving the problems successfully is to be able to determine a tie line on the ternary diagram where the calculation must be carried out. This enables the reader to analyze the extraction process starting with a simple operation, the…

This article is written to share teaching ideas about using commonly available computer applications--a spreadsheet, "The Geometer's Sketchpad", and "Wolfram Alpha"--to explore three classic and historically significant problems from the probability theory. These ideas stem from the authors' work with prospective economists,…

This study investigates prospective secondary mathematics teachers' visual representations of polynomial and rational inequalities, and graphs of exponential and logarithmic functions with GeoGebra Dynamic Software. Five prospective teachers in a university in the United States participated in this research study, which was situated within a…

We consider a problem appearing in an Australian Mathematics Challenge in 2003. This article considers whether a spreadsheet might be used to model this problem, thus allowing students to explore its structure within the spreadsheet environment. It then goes on to reflect on some general principles of problem decomposition when the final goal is a…

A general systematic approach is proposed for the numerical calculation of multi-equilibrium problems. The approach involves several steps: (i) the establishment of balances involving the chemical species in solution (e.g., mass balances, charge balance, and stoichiometric balance for the reaction products), (ii) the selection of the unknowns (the…

A simple, conceptual method is described for using the spreadsheet scroll bar to find the composition of a system at chemical equilibrium. Simulation of any kind of chemical equilibrium can be carried out using this method, and the effects of different disturbances can be predicted. This simulation, which can be used in general chemistry…

This article describes a comprehensive treatment of experimental enzyme kinetics strongly coupled to electronic data acquisition and use of spreadsheets to organize data and perform linear and nonlinear least-squares analyses, all in a manner that promotes development of important reasoning skills. Kinetic parameters are obtained for the stable…

The study documents the extent to which high school teachers reflect on their need to revise and extend their mathematical and practicing knowledge. In this context, teachers worked on a set of tasks as a part of an inquiring community that promoted the use of different computational tools in problem solving approaches. Results indicated that the…

This article is the second in a series of two papers which suggest some practical, spreadsheet-based ideas for helping students to make appropriate connections between particular algebraic concepts. Solving equations has traditionally been taught as a pen-and-paper process. Spreadsheets, such as that of Excel, provide a contemporary, and powerful…

Excel, Microsoft's spreadsheet program, offers several tools which have proven useful in solving some optimization problems that arise in operations research. We will look at two such tools, the Excel modules called Solver and Goal Seek--this after deriving an equation, called the "cash accumulation equation", to be used in conjunction with them.

Solving true problems requires persistence. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states that "problem solving means engaging in a task for which the solution method is not known in advance. In order to find a solution, students must draw on their knowledge, and through this process they will often develop new mathematical…

Knowing the mathematics relating to a problem is one thing, but producing a tool to solve a practical example is often daunting. This article describes a case study which presented an interesting implementational challenge.