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Mathematics in Action: Algebraic, Graphical, and Trigonometric Problem Solving, 6th edition

Published by Pearson (February 25, 2019) © 2020

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For courses in Intermediate Algebra.

Active learning for active minds

Mathematics in Action: Algebraic, Graphical, and Trigonometric Problem Solving is based on the principle that students learn mathematics best by doing the math within a realistic context. From this perspective, the authors offer guided-discovery activities that help students to construct, reflect upon and apply mathematical concepts, deepening their conceptual understanding along the way. This active style of learning develops critical-thinking skills and mathematical literacy. The 6th Edition includes updated examples and activities for maximum interest and relevance.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Thematic clusters in each chapter contain activities that cover specific concepts and skills. The variety of activities in each cluster allows instructors to customize content for their class needs.
  • Additional Project Activities ask students to take a deeper dive into a topic. 
  • Summary Boxes of main concepts at the end of each activity help students recognize and connect critical topics and concepts.
  • Abundant review exercises throughout:
    • Skills Check exercises address basic skills. What Have I Learned? problems require students to pull together topics.
    • How Can I Practice? exercises are an key self-assessment tool. Gateway Review exercises help students assess their understanding and synthesize chapter concepts with previously covered material.

New and updated features of this title

  • All data-based activities and exercises have been updated to reflect the most recent information and/or replaced with more relevant topics. New real-world exercises have been added throughout. 
  • More robust, up-to-date situations replace the introductory scenarios in several activities.
  • To help instructors prep more easily for their course, all Activity headers now include the mathematical topic that will be learned in that section. 
  • Carefully reviewed and revised exposition and topic treatment, where necessary, provides students with a clearer and easier-to-understand presentation.

Features of MyLab Math for the 6th Edition

  • A new video program built around the Consortium approach includes activity-level videos and shorter example-level videos, giving students access to help no matter where they are. 
  • Premade Learning Catalytics questions for nearly every activity help instructors quickly assess the class's progress on a given concept, and give students an opportunity to use technology as an interactive learning tool. Learning Catalytics annotations for instructors in the text enable a quick start to begin using this technology.
  • PowerPoint slides for each Activity support instructors looking to implement the contextual approach in class or can be used by students as a reference or learning tool. Accessible versions of PowerPoints are also available. 
  • Integrated Review provides students with remediation on prerequisite topics; great for students who are underprepared, or for a corequisite course.
  • Skill Builder offers in-assignment adaptive practice that is designed to increase students' ability to complete their assignments.
  • Student and assignment tagging in the Gradebook and Assignment Manager make for easier course management. Assign homework to a subset of students, filter your Gradebook to a particular set of students, or change the settings on a specific type of assignment.

Below is an Activity-level Table of Contents for this title.

  • Chapter 1. Function Sense
    • Cluster 1: Modeling with Functions
      • Activity 1.1 Parking Problems: Functions; Function Notation and Terminology
      • Activity 1.2 Fill ‘er Up: Defining Functions by a Symbolic Rule (Equation)
      • Activity 1.3 Graphically Speaking: Defining Functions: A Summary
      • Activity 1.4 Stopping Short: Functions as Mathematical Models
      • Activity 1.5 Graphs Tell Stories: Graphs of Functions as Mathematical Models
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 2: Linear Functions
      • Activity 1.6 Walking for Fitness: Average Rate of Change
      • Activity 1.7 Depreciation: Slope-Intercept Form of an Equation of a Line
      • Activity 1.8 A New Camera: Point-Slope Form of an Equation of a Line
      • Activity 1.9 Skateboard Heaven: General Form of an Equation of a Line
      • Activity 1.10 College Tuition: Modeling Data with Linear Regression Equations
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 3: Systems of Linear Equations, Inequalities, and Absolute Value Functions
      • Activity 1.11 Moving Out: Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables
      • Activity 1.12 Fireworks: Solving Systems of Linear Equations using Algebraic Methods
      • Activity 1.13 Manufacturing Pewter Oil Lamps: Solving Systems of Linear Equations in Three Variables
      • Activity 1.14 Earth Week: Using Matrices to Solve Systems of Linear Equations
      • Activity 1.15 How Long Can You Live? Linear Inequalities; Compound Inequalities
      • Activity 1.16 Working Overtime: Piecewise Linear Functions
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
      • Chapter 1 Summary
      • Chapter 1 Gateway Review
  • Chapter 2. The Algebra of Functions
    • Cluster 1: Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication of Polynomial Functions
      • Activity 2.1 Spending and Earning Money: Polynomial Functions
      • Activity 2.2 The Dormitory Parking Lot: Multiplication of Polynomials; Multiplicative Properties of Exponents
      • Activity 2.3 Stargazing: Scientific Notation; Additional Properties and Definitions of Exponents
      • Activity 2.4 The Cube of a Square: Rational Exponents and nth Roots
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 2: Composition and Inverses of Functions
      • Activity 2.5 Inflated Balloons: Composite Functions
      • Activity 2.6 Finding a Bargain: Problem Solving and Using Composite Functions
      • Activity 2.7 Study Time: Inverse Functions
      • Activity 2.8 Temperature Conversions: Equations and Graphs of Inverse Functions
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
      • Chapter 2 Summary
      • Chapter 2 Gateway Review
  • Chapter 3. Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
    • Cluster 1: Exponential Functions
      • Activity 3.1 Prince George and Dracula: Increasing Exponential Functions
      • Activity 3.2 Half-Life of Drugs or Medication: Decreasing Exponential Functions
      • Activity 3.3 Spotify: More Growth and Decay Factors
      • Activity 3.4 Population Growth: Growth and Decay Rates; More Graphing
      • Activity 3.5 Time is Money: Compound Interest and Continuous Compounding
      • Activity 3.6 Continuous Growth and Decay: Problem Solving with Continuous Growth and Decay Models
      • Activity 3.7 Ebola: Modeling Data with Exponential Regression Equations
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 2: Logarithmic Functions
      • Activity 3.8 The Diameter of Spheres: Logarithmic and Exponential Forms
      • Activity 3.9 Walking Speed of Pedestrians: Logarithmic Functions
      • Activity 3.10 Walking Speed of Pedestrians, continued: Modeling Data with Logarithmic Regression Equations
      • Activity 3.11 The Elastic Ball: Properties of Logarithms
      • Activity 3.12 Changing Demographics: Solving Exponential Equations
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
      • Chapter 3 Summary
      • Chapter 3 Gateway Review
  • Chapter 4. Quadratic and Higher-Order Polynomial Functions
    • Cluster 1: Introduction to Quadratic Functions
      • Activity 4.1 Baseball and the Willis Tower: Equations Defining Quadratic Functions
      • Activity 4.2 The Shot Put: Properties of Graphs of Quadratic Functions
      • Activity 4.3 Spotify: Solving Quadratic Equations Numerically and Graphically
      • Activity 4.4 Sir Isaac Newton: Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring
      • Activity 4.5 Drones: Solving Quadratic Equations Using the Quadratic Formula
      • Activity 4.6 Heat Index: Modeling Data with Quadratic Regression Equations
      • Activity 4.7 Complex Numbers
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 2: Curve Fitting and Higher-Order Polynomial Functions
      • Activity 4.8 The Power of Power Functions: Direct Variation Functions and Their Graphs
      • Activity 4.9 Volume of a Storage Tank: Polynomial Functions and Their Graphs
      • Activity 4.10 Federal Prison Population: Modeling Data with Polynomial Regression Equations
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
      • Chapter 4 Summary
      • Chapter 4 Gateway Review
  • Chapter 5. Rational and Radical Functions
    • Cluster 1: Rational Functions
      • Activity 5.1 Speed Limits: Properties and Graphs of Functions Defined by y = k/x, k≠0
      • Activity 5.2 Loudness of a Sound: Inverse Variation Functions
      • Activity 5.3 Percent Markup: Rational Functions and Their Graphs
      • Activity 5.4 Blood-Alcohol Levels: Solving Rational Equations
      • Activity 5.5 Traffic Flow: Solving Rational Equations Using Algebraic Methods
      • Activity 5.6 Electrical Circuits: Operations of Rational Expressions
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 2: Radical Functions
      • Activity 5.7 Skydiving: Radical Functions and Their Graphs
      • Activity 5.8 Falling Objects: Solving Equations Involving a Radical Expression
      • Activity 5.9 Propane Tank: More Radical Functions and Their Graphs
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
      • Chapter 5 Summary
      • Chapter 5 Gateway Review
  • Chapter 6. Introduction to Trigonometric Functions
    • Cluster 1: Introducing the Sine, Cosine, and Tangent Functions
      • Activity 6.1 The Leaning Tower of Pisa: Sine, Cosine, and Tangent of an Angle in a Right Triangle
      • Activity 6.2 A Gasoline Problem: Cofunctions of Complementary Angles
      • Activity 6.3 The Sidewalks of New York: Inverse Sine, Cosine, and Tangent Functions
      • Activity 6.4 Solving a Murder: Trigonometric Problem-Solving Strategy
      • Project Activity 6.5 How Stable is that Tower: Problem Solving Using Right Triangle Trigonometry
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
    • Cluster 2: Why Are the Trigonometric Functions Called Circular Functions?
      • Activity 6.6 Learn Trig or Crash! Graphs of Sine and Cosine Functions
      • Activity 6.7 It Won’t Hertz: Radians, Frequency, and Periodic Behavior
      • Activity 6.8 Get in Shape: Amplitude and Period of the Sine and Cosine Functions
      • Activity 6.9 The Carousel: Horizontal Shifts of the Graphs of the Sine and Cosine Functions
      • Activity 6.10 Texas Temperatures: Modeling Data with a Sine Regression Equation
      • What Have I Learned?
      • How Can I Practice?
      • Chapter 6 Summary
      • Chapter 6 Gateway Review

Appendices

  1. Concept Review
  2. Trigonometry
  3. Getting Started with the TI-84 Plus Family of Calculators
  4. Conics (Online in MyLab Math only)

About our authors

The Consortium for Foundation Mathematics is a group of mathematics educators, all originally from New York State, who first came together at SUNY Oswego in the summer of 1995 as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The members of the group represented 2-year and 4-year colleges, commuter and residential colleges, large urban institutions and small rural institutions, and multi-campus as well as single-campus institutions. 

Unified by a desire to change the status quo to further student success, the group's initial objectives aimed at a new approach to developmental math that included contextual problem-solving, active collaborative learning, and authentic assessment tied more closely to real-world skills. The efforts of this initial grant resulted in new instructional materials that formed the basis of Consortium's texts, which include range from Prealgebra to Intermediate Algebra, as well as high school titles. As one Consortium author noted, contributing to this series with its different approach “changed my views about math, and about teaching math.” Of the 16 instructors originally involved in the grant, 8 instructors contribute to the latest editions of the text.

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