tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433841880619171855.post4668265257008871396..comments2024-03-27T21:09:44.320+00:00Comments on Pat'sBlog: Geometry and UnderstandingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2433841880619171855.post-8509019683966369482010-10-19T17:10:02.464+01:002010-10-19T17:10:02.464+01:00Another great example is from Euclid's second ...Another great example is from Euclid's second book. I find it difficult to get students to see that they cannot distribute the exponent over addition, e.g. that (a + b)^2 cannot be simplified as a^2 + b^2 (where the caret ^ means "taken to the power of"). Geometrically, is becomes obvious.<br />The lesson takes little time. I call for a volunteer and write on his pointer finger the letter 'a' above the top knuckle, and 'b' below it. I then do the same thing on the other hand. Then ask the volunteer to touch the ends of the fingers together at right angles. "If the whole finger length is 'c', what is the area of the imaginary rectangle contained between these fingers?" The class immediately answers, "c squared", or else 'c times c'." Then I write on the board, "c = a + b; c^2 = (a + b)^2", and I ask them if they agree. "Can we simplify (a + b)squared," I ask. Several students offer, "a^2 + b^2," which I write on the board and again ask, "does everyone agree?" Usually everyone does, but an advanced student may not.<br /><br />"Let's see if this is true." Now I ask my volunteer to take the pointer fingers and cross them at the first knuckle at right angles. Then I ask the class to tell me what is the rectangular area contained by the bottom length of each finger? (The volunteer can complete the square by touching the thumbs together.) They immediately see it is 'b' squared. What is the imaginary rectangle contained by the top of each finger. The class immediately sees it is 'a' squared. And what is the area contained by the top of the right-hand finger and the bottom of the left-hand finger? "a times b," they say. And what is the area contained by the top of the left-hand finger and the bottom of the right-hand finger? "Also 'a' times 'b'," they say. "And so," I ask, "if we add up these four rectangles, what do we get?" This is easy-peasy, they think, as they answer, "a squared plus b squared plus a times b plus a times b." "Okay, lets write the whole problem on the board, using straight lines to represent our fingers." Most of the students see, before the diagram is drawn, that (a + b)^2 has got to equal a^2 + b^2 + 2ab. <br /><br />The lesson can be repeated using the pointer and the ring finger, with different variables written on the ring finger to solve problems such as (a + b)(c + d).<br /><br />The interesting thing about this lesson is that I will see students crossing their finger for a few days after as they are doing their classroom exercises, thus reinforcing the reason why FOIL works.Peter Orlowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03775515827778192466noreply@blogger.com