MCV4U1 (Grade 12 Calculus & Vectors)

About MCV4U1

MCV4U1 is a grade 12 university preparation Math course, "Calculus and Vectors," for students who would like to pursue the fields of science, engineering, economics, and/or some areas of business in university. In this course, students will be introduced to two important branches of Mathematics: Calculus and Vectors.

Calculus is a branch of Mathematics in which students study rates of change, that is, how a function changes compared to the change of its independent variable. Calculus was independently developed by Issac Newton (1643-1727) and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) in the late 17th century. Students, taking the MCV4U1 course, will learn how to calculate the rates of change of algebraic functions (e.g., polynomial, rational, and piecewise functions) and transcendental functions (e.g., trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions) using the concepts of limits and derivatives. The students will also learn strategies to sketch a curve and solve optimization problems.

Vectors are another branch of Mathematics in which students study geometric and algebraic quantities that have both magnitudes and directions. The students will learn how to solve 2D and 3D real-world applications using the concepts of geometric and algebraic vectors and their operations such as the dot product, cross product, and scalar and vector projections. The students will also learn different representations of lines and planes (e.g., vector, parametric, Cartesian, and symmetrical forms) and their intersections and distances.

To sum up, students in MCV4U1 will learn the following units: