Note: There are no textbook or videos directly to this section. If you want to review a certain type of model, you will need to go back to that Module.
General tips to constructing a model:
- Identify the appropriate function to model the situation.
- Try introducing small numbers to check your model. For example, if you need to model population growth, try using a small population like 10 to make sure you are seeing the growth you expect.
- Check your units and variables.
Chemists commonly create a solution by mixing two products of differing
concentrations together. For example, a chemist could have large amounts of a acid
solution and a acid solution, but need a liter % solution. Construct a model that
describes the amount of acid in a acid solution, , in terms of the volume of the acid
solution, .
There is initially grams of element . The half-life of element is years. Describe the
amount of element remaining as a function of time, , in years.
A company sells doughnuts. They incur a fixed cost of $ for rent, insurance, and
other expenses. It costs $ to produce each doughnut. The company sells each
doughnut for $. Construct a model that describes their total revenue, , as a function
of the number of doughnuts, , they produce.
Kepler’s Third Law: The square of the time, , required for a planet to orbit the Sun
is directly proportional to the cube of the mean distance, , that the planet is from the
Sun. Assume that Mars’ mean distance from the Sun is AUs and it takes Mars about
months to orbit the Sun. Write the equation that describes time (years) in terms of
the mean distance, (AUs).
The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years. Describe the age in years of an object in
terms of the ratio of carbon-14, , remaining.
Two UFPD are patrolling the campus on foot. To cover more ground, they split up
and begin walking in different directions. Office A is walking at mph while Office B
is walking at mph. Construct a model that describes their total distance from each
other, , as a function of minutes, , that have passed if they were walking in exactly 90
degrees from each other (e.g., North/East).