Understanding Asymptotes

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Taught by mrbrianmclogan
  • Currently 3.0/5 Stars.
6371 views | 1 rating
Part of video series
Meets NCTM Standards:
Errors in this video:

At the 5:20 mark of this video, the instructor calculates f(1.9) to equal 4000. The correct value of f(1.9) is -4000.

Lesson Summary:

In this lesson, you will learn about asymptotes and why they approach certain values, but never actually reach them. Through calculations and examples, the instructor demonstrates how functions approach a number, but never quite get there, and compares it to the idea of continually cutting a dollar bill in half to get smaller and smaller amounts of money. This understanding of asymptotes is crucial for plotting accurate graphs and understanding the behavior of functions.

Lesson Description:

Understanding asymptotes

I show how to solve math problems online during live instruction in class. This is my way of providing free tutoring for the students in my class and for students anywhere in the world. Every video is a short clip that shows exactly how to solve math problems step by step. The problems are done in real time and in front of a regular classroom. These videos are intended to help you learn how to solve math problems, review how to solve a math problems, study for a test, or finish your homework. I post all of my videos on YouTube, but if you are looking for other ways to interact with me and my videos you can follow me on the following pages through My Blog, Twitter, or Facebook.

Questions answered by this video:
  • How do functions with horizontal asymptotes behave as the input value gets very large?
  • How do functions with vertical asymptotes behave as the input value gets very close to the vertical asymptote?
  • Staff Review

    • Currently 3.0/5 Stars.
    The instructor calculates several function values to demonstrate how a function with vertical asymptotes behaves when the input value gets larger and larger. He also calculates several function values to demonstrate how a function behaves when the input value gets closer and closer to the vertical asymptote.