Grade 11 Math Students See Their Calculus Come to "Fruition"

What is a solid of revolution? Where do we see these in real life?

 

On April 28, Senior Math Teacher Ms. Sayegh decided to show her students how the complexity of integral calculus can be demonstrated using the fruit and vegetables we love.  The students have been studying how to calculate the volume of irregular solids using what is known as the disk and washer methods, methods that are significantly more complex compared to how they calculated volumes by dunking objects in water way back in Middle School.   

 

The students traced the curved surface of their chosen fruit or vegetable on a Cartesian plane.  They then modelled the curve with functions they learned throughout high school and used the methods learned this year to then calculate the volume of the solid generated by revolving their tracing around the x-axis.  

 

The grande finale was of course getting to dunk their fruit or vegetable in water!  Once their calculations were complete, they then applied Archimedes’ famous principle of determining volume from water displacement. Thanks to Ms. Egan, one of our school's industrious and creative science teachers, students were able to then place the fruit or vegetable into a customized tub full of water and measure the overflow.   

 

The class also welcomed Ms. Corbie's Grade 8 science students so they could ask questions based on what they are currently learning. 

 

Many students were able to get very accurate results and even more were able to enjoy a healthy snack at the end of the experiment.

 

An enjoyable mathematical and nutritional lesson was had by all.