Background: This article reports on an analysis of errors that were displayed by students who studied mathematics in Chemical Engineering in derivatives of mostly trigonometric functions. The poor performance of these students triggered this study. The researcher (lecturer) works in a mathematics support programme to enhance students'…

There is an old saying that "there is more than one way to skin a cat." Such is the case with finding the height of tall objects, a task that people have been approximating for centuries. Following an article in the "Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom" (APMC) with methods appropriate for primary students (Brown, Watson,…

We illustrate and discuss the method, called CORDIC, which many hand calculators use to calculate the trigonometric and other functions.

This paper presents a derivation of all five Lagrange points by methods accessible to sixth-form students, and provides a further opportunity to match Newtonian gravity with centripetal force. The predictive powers of good scientific theories are also discussed with regard to the philosophy of science. Methods for calculating the positions of the…

The instructional strategy described was used to incorporate both the computer and the hand calculator into trigonometry courses at an Ohio community college. The computer was used to generate different problem sets for individual students and, at the same time, solution sets for the instructor. The students were required to use calculators to…