Name: 
Class: Online or F2F?
MAT 142:  College Mathematics
Chapter 7:  Written Assignment – Summer 2012 - Fernández

Directions:  Please complete the following problems (explain how you reached your solution when requested) in a Word document (saved in rich text format).  Please include your name, course (MAT 142 Online (or F2F) S 2012), and instructor (Fernandez) at the top of your document.  When you have completed the assignment, submit it through Dropittome following the directions provided in the Submitting Written Assignments video.  

This assignment is in two parts. See below for due dates for each part. Scores from both parts will be added together  – late assignments will be docked at a rate of 10% per day late up to five days.  No assignments will be accepted if more than five days late.

PART ONE – Due Sun June 10th  – Submit through DropItToMe
1.	Joyce works at a factory job where she is paid $15 per hour up to 40 hours.  If she works over 40 hours, she is paid 1.5 times her usual wage.  (8 pts.)

a.	Write a linear equation to represent this situation – let h = number of overtime hours worked and let P = amount earned.  Explain how you determined the slope and the y-intercept for this problem.

b.	Use your equation to answer the following question:  If Joyce earned $690 last week, how many hours did she work?  Briefly explain how you solved this problem.

2.	Bruce is considering two DVD rental plans.  DVDBuster costs $37 to join and charges $1.25 for each DVD rented.  NetDVD costs $19 to join and charges $2.00 per rental.  (6 pts.)

a.	Describe the situation with a pair of linear equations.  Let r = number of DVDs rented, and C = total cost for the rental plan.

b.	 At what point is DVDBuster the better deal?  Briefly explain how you solved this problem.

3.	There were 15.8 million people living in poverty in the United States in 1997, up 1.2 million from 1996.  Assuming that the number of people in poverty continues to increase by this amount, then model this information with a linear equation and use the model to predict the number living in poverty in 2011.  (8 pts.)

a.	Model this situation by a linear equation.  Explain what your variables represent.

b.	Use the equation to predict the number living in poverty in the year 2011.  Briefly explain how you solved this problem.

4.	Sales for a CD by a popular artist can be modeled by the equation  where S = number of thousands of dollars of sales in week x. Find the answers to the questions below and briefly describe how you got the answer. (12 pts.)

a.	When do you expect the sales for the CD to peak?

b.	According to this model, what is the largest value for the sales during a week?

c.	During what week do we expect the sales to drop to zero?

END PART ONE
Name: 
Class: Online or F2F?
MAT 142:  College Mathematics
Chapter 7:  Written Assignment – Summer 2012 - Fernández

Directions:  Please complete the following problems (explain how you reached your solution when requested) in a Word document (saved in rich text format).  Please include your name, course (MAT 142 Online (or F2F) Summer 2012), and instructor (Fernandez) at the top of your document.  When you have completed the assignment, submit it through Dropittome following the directions provided in the Submitting Written Assignments video.  

This assignment is in two parts. See below for due dates for each part. Scores from both parts will be added together  – late assignments will be docked at a rate of 10% per day late up to five days.  No assignments will be accepted if more than five days late.

PART TWO – Due Sun June 17th – Submit through DropItToMe

5.	The population of the hypothetical country PLATO in the year 2000 is 998 million people.  Assume that the population is growing at a rate of 1.4% per year.  Using these figures, predict what the population of PLATO will be in the year 2015.  Briefly explain how you solved this problem. (6 pts.)

6.	Choose a data set from the sets provided in the class website. (20 pts.)

a.	Use EXCEL to make a scatter plot of your data.  Clearly state what variables you will be using and what they represent and label your axes.  Provide a title for your graph.  Copy the plot and paste it into this document.

b.	Describe any trends you notice in the scatter plot and state these in terms of the context.  Include any statements about the pattern of the points and identify any mathematical models that may be appropriate based on the general shape of the data (linear, quadratic or exponential).

c.	Use EXCEL to find the regression model you think fits the data and situation best.  Include the equation and graph of the model on your scatter plot.  Copy this updated plot and paste it into this document.

d.	Interpret your model.  
Linear:  Identify and interpret the meaning of the slope and y-intercept.
Quadratic:  Identify and interpret the vertex and any x or y-intercepts.
Exponential:  Identify and interpret the initial amount and growth rate.

e.	Do you think your model is a good fit for the data?  Why or why not?  What does your model predict will happen in the future?