ATAR
This course focuses on the use of calculus and statistical analysis. The study of calculus provides a basis for understanding rates of change in the physical world, and includes the use of functions, their derivatives and integrals, in modelling physical processes. The study of statistics develops students’ ability to describe and analyse phenomena that involve uncertainty and variation.
Mathematics Methods provides a foundation for further studies in disciplines in which mathematics and statistics have important roles. It is also advantageous for further studies in the health and social sciences. In summary, this course is designed for students whose future pathways may involve mathematics and statistics and their applications in a range of disciplines at the tertiary level.
This unit begins with a review of the basic algebraic concepts and techniques required for a successful introduction to the study of calculus. The basic trigonometric functions are then introduced. Simple relationships between variable quantities are reviewed, and these are used to introduce the key concepts of a function and its graph. The study of inferential statistics begins in this unit with a review of the fundamentals of probability and the introduction of the concepts of counting, conditional probability and independence. Access to technology to support the computational and graphical aspects of these topics is assumed.
The algebra section of this unit focuses on exponentials. Their graphs are examined and their applications in a wide range of settings are explored. Arithmetic and geometric sequences are introduced and their applications are studied. Rates and average rates of change are introduced, and this is followed by the key concept of the derivative as an ‘instantaneous rate of change’.
Pre-requisites
State A grade in Year 10
Contact Information
Mr Trevor Price
Head of Mathematics
Trevor.Price@cewa.edu.au