CLEP Precalculus case studies
CLEP Precalculus · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The CLEP Precalculus exam is a College Board credit-by-examination assessment that measures mastery of the skills and concepts needed for success in a first-semester calculus course. It suits independent learners, returning students, and anyone who already knows precalculus material and wants to earn introductory precalculus credit without sitting the course. The CLEP Precalculus case studies are 5 cases and about 2,357 words.
1Fencing a Community Garden Against a Barn Wall
A community garden committee is laying out a rectangular plot against the straight south wall of a barn. The barn wall forms one side of the plot; the other three sides will be enclosed by 60 meters of fencing.
481 words, about 2 min2Calibrating a Pressure Sensor with a Composite Function
A pressure sensor produces a raw voltage signal modeled by f(t)=(2t+6)/(t-1), where t is elapsed time in seconds and t =0. The sensor is connected to a display that converts voltage x to pressure reading P(x)=sqrt(x-4) in kilopascals, but the display only accepts voltages for which the square root is defined.
574 words, about 3 min3Quadcopter Altitude Table and Model Choice
A research team tracks a quadcopter's altitude during a short vertical flight. At one-minute intervals starting at t=0, the recorded altitudes are: t=0, h=0; t=1, h=22; t=2, h=40; t=3, h=54; t=4, h=64; t=5, h=70, all in meters.
478 words, about 2 min4Ferris Wheel Heights and a Tour Guide's Claim
A Ferris wheel has a radius of 12 meters and its center is 14 meters above the ground. Riders board at the lowest point, where the height is 2 meters.
440 words, about 2 min5Coffee Cooling and the Limits of an Exponential Model
A cup of coffee is poured at 95 degrees Celsius into a room kept at 20 degrees Celsius. A student models the coffee's temperature T(t) in degrees Celsius after t minutes with T(t)=20+75(0.9)^t, reasoning that each minute the coffee loses 10% of its excess temperature above room temperature.
384 words, about 2 min