Available online
Description
This is the third of four programmes designed to help students with their mathematical preparation for the science foundation course and deals with graphs.
This is the third of four programmes designed to help students with their mathematical preparation for the science foundation course and deals with graphs.
| Module code and title: | S101, Science: a foundation course |
|---|---|
| Item code: | S101; MAFS3 |
| First transmission date: | 26-11-1978 |
| Published: | 1978 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:14:49 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Jean Nunn |
| Contributors: | Mike Pentz; Allan I.,1936-2013 Solomon |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Axes; Extrapolation |
| Subject terms: | Interpolation |
| Footage description: | The ability to display experimental data as a graph, and to read information from graphs is essential to anyone studying science. Mike Pentz illustrates how the data relating distance travelled to time taken for a car travelling at a constant speed of 60mph can be plotted to give a straight line. As Allan Solomon shows if you start with an equation like F = 1.8C + 32 which relates temperatures in Farenheit and Celsius or Centigrade you can produce a table of data and plot it to get a straight line. Straight line graphs are useful for interpolation (reading between the plotted points) and extrapolation (reading off values outside the plotted points). Film animation is used to illustrate that every equation of the form y = mx + c gives rise to a straight line with slope on which cuts the axis at c. A cartoon film shows that reading graphs requires care - particularly with reading the scales on the axes and noticing if zero has been excluded. Finally Mike Pentz shows that the data obtained from an experiment (like the one done by Galileo) to measure the time it takes for a ball to run down a slope gives rise to a curved graph when you plot distance d against time t. With such a curve extrapolation is difficult but if the data is replotted, putting d against t2 the resulting straight line can be used. |
| Master spool number: | DOU2989 |
| Production number: | FOUS035T |
| Videofinder number: | 919 |
| Available to public: | no |
