Tangent and Normal Lines

On September 16, 2019, at exactly 10 am in the morning, we attended a one-

hour class in Differential Calculus. Mr. Mendoza taught us about the topic, the “Tangent
and Normal Lines”. Each of us already has an idea about the topic because it was
introduced when was in high school. Surprisingly, we’ve learned more about this topic.
And what we love about how our professor teaches the lesson is how he put humor in a
serious topic. That made us interested and motivated to learn. He first tackled the
concepts that teach us how to come up with those equations of tangent and normal
lines. And he gave some examples of solving problems finding the equations of tangent
line and normal line to the curve by using point-slope form of the line. Then he asked if
there any questions regarding of what he discussed to know if something not
understood. And to make sure that we listened and really understood the topic he gave
exercise after the lecture that serve as our assignment. In this topic, we learned how to
solve the slope and get the equations of tangent and normal lines.

# Professor solve example problems

Instantaneous Velocity and Acceleration

The professor started the topic about instantaneous velocity and acceleration by
referring to our lecture. He began by discussing the concepts of the topic like how the
first derivative is interpreted as the instantaneous velocity and the second derivative as
the instantaneous acceleration. After letting us became familiarize on the terms and the
wordings on the topic he then started solving some problems. In solving on the board,
he always considers our questions and opinions in order to know if we are still listening
and could catch up with the discussion. To make sure that we really understand how the
problem was solved he let us answer the exercises on our lecture. While doing our
seatwork, the professor is busy roaming around to see if we can answer the problems
properly and to know whether some are having a hard time or confused about
something. When it’s already past our time, he let us take home the exercises and finish
it as an assignment. In this topic we learned how to apply the concept of differentiation
on solving word problems involving instantaneous velocity and acceleration.

#Highlight only
the important

#Professor
discussing the
lecture

#Professor
discussing about
the relationship of limit to average velocity

#Students doing some seatwork

Maxima and Minima (Optimization Problems)

The topic about maxima and minima, the optimization problems has been
introduced to the class by Mr. Mendoza. He began the lecture by defining what
optimization is and discussing the concept of it. He also explained the steps needed to
solve the maximum and minimum problems. He also asked the class to recall some
basic formulas that would be needed in the further discussion and solving the example
problems. After explaining the meaning and concepts of it he began to solve and
explain the example problems on the board. He make sure that the class is interacting
with him while explaining the process of solving problems. He always asks if we
understand what he is discussing and make sure that he solved it completely and step
by step, for us to better understand the process of solving. After a whole hour of class
discussion, he ask the class to solve the problem sets that was given to us.

Mr Mendoza while defining and explaining the

meaning and concepts of maxima and minima.

Mr Mendoza while solving and explaining

the example problems

Mr. Mendoza explaining the process of solving

the maxima and minima problems
Curve Tracing and Extrema Values

Mr. Mendoza started the class by ensuring that everyone is present. Then after
that he proceed on introducing the topic, which is about curve tracing and extrema
values. He first define, explain and give insights about the topic. He also emphasizes
the important things to know in this topic. For us to picture out the curve tracing, he
shows and draws us the graph that with its extrema values. After introducing the
definition of curve tracing and extrema values, he then explains the steps how to get the
minimum and maximum points of the graph. And give us examples of solving problems
finding the extrema values of an equation. For us to avoid confusion, he explains it
thoroughly and he always asks if we understand it. Since, this topic is long to solve, he
always solve it in a way that everyone will understand and he always make sure that
everyone can follow what he is solving. The class ended in problems using the first
derivative test and exercises to solve at home. Mr. Mendoza continue the topic the next
day. He first give us a brief review about what he discussed yesterday for us to
remember the important details of the topic. He tackles about getting the extrema
values using the second derivative test and solve some examples to us. He always
show us the complete solution, and the correct way to answer the problem, for us to
easily understand and solve the problems. After the long discussion, he let us solve
some examples to test our ability if we really understand the solving process. Few
minutes later, he solve it on his own and ask us if we get the same answer. After he
explain evreything and solve some examples, he then let us solve the exercises
indicated on the next pages for us to practice what we have learned about the curve
tracing and extrema values.

"Professor interacting with the

class to make sure everyone
follows the solution."

"Professor solving problems how to

get the extrema values of an equation."

Approximation formula

On October 2019, our professor discussed and showed us how to solve

using approximation formula. Our professor answered some exercise in a step-by-step
manner in order to demonstrate the solution clearly. To assess us, he gave us time to
solve some exercises on our own. At the end of our class, he gave us a take home
activity to serve also as our assessment if we truly learned something for today's topic.

Professor tackled and solved approximation

formulas.
The differential

In the first topic of our semi-finals on chapter 3, we tackled about the differential.
Our professor discussed and gave examples on how to get the differential of a function.
At first I/we was shocked because the topic is differential, first thing comes in our/my
mind is the real battle in calculus is about to begin because in other topic we/i were/was
too hard to catch up. The topic says The Differential that's why we think like that. The
lesson start, even if the lesson is too hard to understand, we/I still catching up the
lesson because our professor is too good at this and he give many examples so we/I
might not to be confused.
Related rates problems

Our professor started to taught us about the related rates by reading first the
definition about the said topic for us to know the details or the background in regards to
the topic that we about to discuss. He made sure we'd get an idea before he proceed to
giving us a sample problem. Together with the sample problem, he also put formulas
there for us to have an idea on how to overcome and get the right answers for it. After
he made sure that we are all starting to learn the flow of the topic, he began to answer
the sample problem with the formulas for us to learn more. He also answered a lot of
sample problems just to make sure that we really understand it. Then he gave us again
a sample problem for us to solved individually for him to see that we really learned from
him. He is always wandering around to see if we are all getting the right answers, if we
are confused about the formulas, if we have questions and if we have something that
we didn't understand fully. Before the class ends, he gave us an activity that we
considered as an assignmen. It helps us a lot because we can practice to solve it at
home and further learn from it. From this topic, I learned the quantities that change as
time, the different derivatives that respect to time and how to solve the problemz in the
time rates.
RECTILINEAR MOTION

On September 23, 2019, Monday, we discussed about Rectilinear Motion in our

course subject differential calculus. It describes the motion of a particle or an object
along a straight line. In our discussion, our professor, Mr. Ronie Mendoza accomplished
the onjectives of the said topic. He taught us to use differentation to analyze a linear
motion of a moving object/s or particle/s. Then he shows step by step computation in
finding the velocity of an object, its distance and time, by giving an examples and solve
it on the board. Afterwards he gave us exercises that serve as an assesstment in what
we have learned

"The moon gravitates towards the earth and by the

force of gravity is continually drawn off from a rectilinear
motion and retained in its orbit."
Application of Differential

For our semi-finals, the first lesson that we have discussed was the differential
with its sub topics such as, the Definition of Differential, Application of the Differwntial
and Approximation Formulas. The professor did starting the discussion providing us the
handouts and then started to introduce the lesson that we have for that day. He then
started talking about the lesson "The Differential", explained everything until we get
familiarized with the topics. He give us the formulas to be used and performed how
those formulas were derived and also executed some examples on applying those
formulas in a given equation. Regarding to the Application of the Derivative" which is
under the lesson "The Differential", through examples that the professor performed, we
then learned how to apply the derivative formulas. And with that, we can already answer
the following exercises that he provided.
EXPONENTIAL AND LOGARITHMIC FUNCTIONS

One of the lesson that we tackled for semi-finals is about “Exponential and Logarithmic
Functions” that has a subtopics including, Preliminaries : Properties of Exponential
Functions, Properties of Logarithmic Functions and Derivatives of Exponential and
Logarithmic Functions. Our professor started to give handouts and he discussed what
might be our next topic for the semi finals and he started to discussed. First, he started
talking about what is includedin the handouts for us to be familiar with the topic and it is
also about the derivative. Second, he performed the formulas to be used on how those
formulas will be derive for the given examples or equations. Third, he answered some
equations in the handouts for us to know and to learn more on how to derive kinds of
equations and also to make sure that we really understand the topic. But before the
class ends, our professor gave as an activity that we considered as an assignment.
From this topic, we learned a lot about derivation through exponential and logarithmic
functions with 3 subtopics with formulas included.