When an object is launched upward, its height, H, in meters, is given by the following equation:
H = h + vt - 4.9t 2
in which h is the initial height, in meters, from which the object is launched, v is the initial upward velocity, in meters per second, and t is the number of seconds for which the object is airborne.
The expression on the right-hand side of the above equation is called a polynomial. Expressions of this form are used in numerous and wide-ranging applications, such as calculating the amount of a drug in the bloodstream after a certain amount of time, or approximating the maximum wave height in a storm based on the speed of the wind. In this unit you will learn how to identify, simplify, and perform operations with polynomials. Prior to studying these processes, you will explore some important properties of exponents which are used when working with polynomials.
Guiding Questions for Unit 3:
How do processes for performing operations with real numbers relate to operations with polynomials?
How can exponents be used to facilitate operations with complex algebraic expressions and extremely large (or small) numbers?
Lessons in Unit 3:
Lesson 1: Properties of Exponents
Lesson 3: Introduction to Polynomials
Lesson 4: Adding and Subtracting Polynomials