Pi Investigation (added
17/01/04)
I use this Excel file (66KB) when investigating connections between the diameter and circumference of circles. I ask the pupils to bring to the class as many circular objects as they can and then their diameters and circumferences are measures by a variety of techniques - string usually! The whole class then type their two values into the spreadsheet which is then projected onto the screen and we then look at the data. The point being that thay are trying to spot connections between the diameter, D and circumference, C. To help them do this they can type into the top of one of seven columns any expression containing the letters 'c' or 'd' together with the appropriate mathematical notation; for example: c+d, c/d, 3*d-c, etc. Entering their expression then automatically fills the column below with each respective diameter and circumference value entered into the rule provided. In this manner it will (hopefully!) be clearer to the class what any possible relationships bewteen 'c' and 'd'
The "engine" behind the code came from a VERY useful file, CellFunc.xls (28KB), kindly given to me by John Stanley. This function evaluates any expression acceptable to Excel that is entered as a string in a cell.
I use this Excel file (66KB) when investigating connections between the diameter and circumference of circles. I ask the pupils to bring to the class as many circular objects as they can and then their diameters and circumferences are measures by a variety of techniques - string usually! The whole class then type their two values into the spreadsheet which is then projected onto the screen and we then look at the data. The point being that thay are trying to spot connections between the diameter, D and circumference, C. To help them do this they can type into the top of one of seven columns any expression containing the letters 'c' or 'd' together with the appropriate mathematical notation; for example: c+d, c/d, 3*d-c, etc. Entering their expression then automatically fills the column below with each respective diameter and circumference value entered into the rule provided. In this manner it will (hopefully!) be clearer to the class what any possible relationships bewteen 'c' and 'd'
The "engine" behind the code came from a VERY useful file, CellFunc.xls (28KB), kindly given to me by John Stanley. This function evaluates any expression acceptable to Excel that is entered as a string in a cell.
This is an Excel file (42KB) that enables the user to type in any function whose root needs to be found. Once again by utilising the VERY useful file, CellFunc.xls (28KB), kindly given to me by John Stanley, the function - provided that it has been correctly mathematically written (see picture below) - is evaluated as a string. Guesses at the root value are then made in the "Value of x" column and the code does the rest! This is very useful for teachers when formulating their own solutions or when demonstrating the technique to a class.
