CAREER EXPLORATION − ZOOLOGIST

Type "Zoologist" into Wolfram|Alpha search engine. Use the results to answer the following questions.

1. What careers are grouped with zoologist?

2. How current was this data gathered?

3. What is the current median wage per year?

4. What is the current mean wage per year?

5. Wolfram|Alpha uses the median wage per year to track the wage history. Why do you think the median wage
was used rather than the mean wage?

6. What is the yearly change in median wage?

7. Let x represent the number of years after 2009. Assuming that the yearly change of median wage is constant.
What equation can be used to find the wage of a zoologist?

8. Use the equation formed in #7 to determine the median wage of a zoologist in 2015.

9. In what year will the median wage of a zoologist surpass $95,000?

10. Select the "Show employment history" link under the "Median Wage history" section. Can you make any
conclusions concerning the future of a career as a zoologist?

Suggestions: Select another career and research it using Wolfram|Alpha. Does it appear that the median wage is
increasing at a constant rate? Try to determine an approximate equation for the relationship between years after the
current year and median wage. What does the employment history show? Can you use an equation to show the
relationship between number of persons employed in that career and time after the current year?

Equations and Inequalities 9 College Algebra Activities Using WA

The entire set of activities is available by contacting your Pearson representative.
 GLOBAL WARMING

Search Wolfram|Alpha for "weather."

1. Today's Date: Location:

2. Fill in the following information from the table found under "Historical Maximum
Temperatures for Today's Date." Try to get at least 10 years of data. You Year x Temperature (°°F)
y
may have to change the location to a larger town. Give a scatter plot of the
1999
data below.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
3. Find the linear fit of the line to the data. Type "fit" and enter
coordinates for the points given in the table: y = 2008
2009
4. Give the slope of the equation:

5. What does the slope indicate in terms of year and maximum temperature?

6. Does your result indicate that there may be a global warming problem? Briefly explain your answer.

7. Select another date for the same city. Gather the same type of historical data and find the linear fit of the
line to the data. Linear Equation: y = Maximum
Year x Temperature (°°F)
y
8. Are your results (for #4 and 1999
#7) similar? Give a short 2000
explanation on the 2001
similarities and differences
2002
of the equations.
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Suggestions: Expand this project so that you collect data over the entire 2009
century. Try average temperatures or minimum temperatures instead of using
maximum temperatures. Choose locations in other parts of the world to see if there is possible global warming.

Functions and Graphs 15 College Algebra Activities Using WA

The entire set of activities is available by contacting your Pearson representative.
 CAREER EXPLORATION − ZOOLOGIST

Type "Zoologist" into Wolfram|Alpha search engine. Use the results to answer the following questions.

1. What careers are grouped with zoologist? Wildlife Biologist

2. How current was this data gathered? 2009

3. What is the current median wage per year? $55,100

4. What is the current mean wage per year? $58,480

5. Wolfram|Alpha uses the median wage per year to track the wage history. Why do you think the median wage
was used rather than the mean wage? The median wage is less prone to be affected by the high wages paid to
supervisors.

6. What is the yearly change in median wage? $1800

7. Let x represent the number of years after 2009. Assuming that the yearly change of median wage is constant.
What equation can be used to find the wage of a zoologist? y = 55,100 +1800x

8. Use the equation formed in #7 to determine the median wage of a zoologist in 2015. $65,900

9. In what year will the median wage of a zoologist surpass $95,000? 2032

10. Select the "Show employment history" link under the "Median Wage history" section. Can you make any
conclusions concerning the future of a career as a zoologist? Answers vary. From 2001 − 2003, the number of
zoologist was constant. From 2002 to 2006, the number grew at a relatively constant rate. The number of jobs
fell slightly in 2007.

Suggestions: Select another career and research it using Wolfram|Alpha. Does it appear that the median wage is
increasing at a constant rate? Try to determine an approximate equation for the relationship between years after the
current year and median wage. What does the employment history show? Can you use an equation to show the
relationship between number of persons employed in that career and time after the current year?

Equations and Inequalities 51 College Algebra Activities Using WA

The entire set of activities is available by contacting your Pearson representative.
 GLOBAL WARMING
Answers will vary depending on location.
Search Wolfram|Alpha for "weather."

1. Today's Date: 6/24/2009 Location: Baytown, TX

2. Fill in the following information from the table found under "Historical Maximum
Temperatures for Today's Date." Try to get at least 10 years of data. You Year x Temperature (°°F)
y
may have to change the location to a larger town. Give a scatter plot of the
1999 0 89.6
data below.
2000 1 95
3. Find the linear fit of the line 2001 2 89.6
to the data. Type "fit" and 2002 3 89.6
enter coordinates for the
2003 4 91.4
points given in the table: y =
0.436x + 89.71 2004 5 82.4
2005 6 100.4
4. Give the slope of the
equation: 0.436 2006 7 93.2
2007 8 91.4
5. What does the slope indicate
2008 9 86
in terms of year and
maximum temperature? A slope of 0.436 indicates that the temperature is 2009 10 102
increasing by 0.436 degrees each year.

6. Does your result indicate that there may be a global warming problem? Briefly explain your answer. Since the
slope is positive, a case may be made that the temperature is increasing. Since we are looking at a 10−year time period, and only
one location, the case may be made that there is not enough research to make an informed
decision.
Maximum
7. Select another date for the same city. Gather the same type of historical Year x Temperature (°°F)
y
data and find the linear fit
1999 0 71.6
of the line to the data.
2000 1 80.6
Linear Equation: y =
1.07x+77.6; Houston, TX; Oct. 18 2001 2 75.2
2002 3 82.4

8. Are your results (for #4 and 2003 4 80.6

#7) similar? Give a short 2004 5 91.4
explanation on the 2005 6 87.8
similarities and 2006 7 89.6
differences of the equations. The slope is even steeper. Both show an increase in
2007 8 91.4
temperature.
2008 9 80.6
Suggestions: Expand this project so that you collect data over the entire
2009 10
century. Try average temperatures or minimum temperatures instead of using
maximum temperatures. Choose locations in other parts of the world to see if there is possible global warming.

Functions and Graphs 57 College Algebra Activities Using WA

The entire set of activities is available by contacting your Pearson representative.
 College Algebra Activities
Using the WolframAlphaTM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 5

1. EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES 6

PERSONAL INCOME AND PERSONAL SAVINGS .................................................................................7

LIFE EXPECTANCY AND LITERACY RATES ........................................................................................8

CAREER EXPLORATION − ZOOLOGIST ............................................................................................9

USING LIGHT TO MEASURE ASTRONOMICAL DISTANCES .................................................................. 10

2. FUNCTIONS AND GRAPHS 12

BLOOD ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE ................................................................................................. 13

BASEBALL PITCHING ............................................................................................................... 14

GLOBAL WARMING ............................................................................................................... 15

SATELLITE TRACKING .............................................................................................................. 16

3. POLYNOMIAL AND RATIONAL FUNCTIONS 18

LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A U.S. MALE ............................................................................................. 19

U.S. CONSUMER SPENDING ..................................................................................................... 20

COLD DECEMBER TEMPERATURES ............................................................................................. 21

BODY MASS INDEX ................................................................................................................ 22

The entire set of activities is available by contacting your Pearson representative.

4. EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS 24

STOCK PRICES ...................................................................................................................... 25

NATIONAL DEBT ................................................................................................................... 26

WORLD POPULATION ............................................................................................................. 27

RETIREMENT CALCULATOR ...................................................................................................... 28

5. SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES 30

NUTRITIOUS SNACKS .............................................................................................................. 31

COMPARING PAY .................................................................................................................. 32

COMPUTER GRAPHICS ............................................................................................................ 33

USING MATRICES TO FIND A POLYNOMIAL FUNCTION OF BEST FIT .................................................... 34

6. ANALYTIC GEOMETRY 36

HURRICANE TRACKING ........................................................................................................... 37

LORAN .............................................................................................................................. 38

EARTHQUAKES ..................................................................................................................... 39

MOUNTAIN TUNNEL .............................................................................................................. 40

7. SEQUENCES, SERIES, AND PROBABILITY 42

KOCH SNOWFLAKE ................................................................................................................ 43

PAYING OFF A CREDIT CARD .................................................................................................... 44

THE GREAT PYRAMID ............................................................................................................. 45

GOLDEN RATIO ..................................................................................................................... 46

The entire set of activities is available by contacting your Pearson representative.