Get inspired:
Glance at this Wikipedia article discussing the history and importance of rockets for defense, scientific research, space exploration, rescue, sport, and more. Differential equations — and in particular, the basic understanding of the relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration — have been, and continue to be, instrumental in the design of rockets.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Distinguish between algebraic equations and differential equations – [movie] [notes]
- Determine the in/dependent variables in a differential equation – [movie] [notes]
- Give examples of phenomena modeled by differential equations – [movie] [notes]
- Translate verbal descriptions of change into differential equations, and vice versa – [movie] [notes]
- Solve directly integrable initial value problems – [movie] [notes]
- Explain and use the relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration – [movie] [notes]
Before class:
- Read Polking, Boggess and Arnold, Chapter 1.
- Watch pencasts (linked above).
- CheckYourself.
In class:
- Do some examples of integration by partial fractions, parts, and u-substitution.
- Work on this activity (key).
After class:
- Do post-class problems.