Name____________________________ AP Calculus BC

Date_____________
Approximation Project

Mr. D. Doolittle
Forest Park
Park City, ND 50557

Dear Calculus Students:

This fall we have noticed quite a swelling in our rivers and streams and are having difficulty measuring how
much water is flowing through a stream in one hour. Although I am not very good at math, I was able to design a
procedure that, if you follow, should give you the skills to demonstrate an effective technique for measuring how much
water is flowing through a stream. So please complete the activity and create a report that I will be able to follow and
duplicate for my own usage.

Part 1: Below are two graphs of the function f(x) = 1/x. The x-interval [1, 5] has been subdivided into four equal-
width subintervals. On the left, four rectangles are drawn whose heights are determined by the value of the function at
the right end of each subinterval. On the right, four trapezoids are drawn that approximate the area under the curve for
this interval.
a) Please determine the sum of the areas of the four rectangles and trapezoids.
b) Then rewrite the rectangular sum in general form for n rectangles using a as the lef tmost x-value, b as the
rightmost x-value and h as the width of each subinterval. For the x-values in between use a = x o < x 1 < x 2 < x 3
< … < x n-1 < x n = b.

c) Write the trapezoidal sum of the following graph of the function in general form using a as the leftmost x-
value, b as the rightmost x-value and h as the width of each subinterval. For the x-values in between use a =
x o < x 1 < x 2 < x 3 < … < x n-1 < x n = b.
 Part 2: While trapezoids proved a better approximation than rectangles, you are still trying to fit the area under
a curve with a straight line. In the long run the trapezoids will fit pretty well, but it seems more efficient to fit a curve
with a curve. The simplest curve to work with is the parabola. The following steps will lead you to develop a formula for
finding the area under a curve with a series of parabola topped sections- this is called Simpson’s Method.
a) Find the area under the curve y = Ax 2 + Bx + C graphed below in the interval [-h,h] by integration

b) What are the values for y o, y1, y2 in terms of A, B, C and h?

c) Just as there are formulas for finding the areas of triangles, rectangles, and trapezoids, there is a formula for
the area under a parabola that does not depend on integration. That expression is n(y o+y2) + my1. Using this
equation in conjunction with parts a & b, find values for n and m in terms of h.

d) In terms of what we’ve been doing with approximations, what does h represent?

e) Then rewrite the expression for the area under the curve from part c in terms of yo, y1, y2 using your values
for n and m.

f) If yo, y1, y2 are the values of any function, then the area under the parabola provides an approximation for
the area under the original function. If the interval [a,b] is divided into six subintervals, how many parabolic
segments will be used to approximate the area under the curve?

g) Write the expressions for the areas of these parabolic sections in terms of h, y o, y1, …, y6

h) Much like a trapezoidal approximation can be summarized into ½ ∆x[f(x o) + 2f(x 1) + … + 2f(x n-1) + f(x n)]
Simpson’s method can be simplified into an expression like this. Condense part g into a similar format

i) Finally generalize your results to approximate the area under the curve for n subdivisions of the interval.
Note any restrictions you discover.
 Part 3: The approximation method you developed in part 3 is called Simpson’s method, even though it was
known long before Thomas Simpson was born. Compare the accuracy of the trapezoidal method and Simpson’s method
for the following functions and the given numbers of subdivisions. Show your set up for each approximation below, you
may use your calculator to find their values

n Trapezoidal Approximation Simpson’s Approximation

y = 1/x [1,3]

The actual area of sin x on [0,∏] is 2 and 1/x on [1,3] is ln 3.

Discuss the accuracy of the two methods. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each one?
 Part 4: Now for the fun part. Find a nearby stream or river. Measure the depth of the stream at equal intervals
across its width- this means across the stream from bank to bank. Also, record the width of the stream and the
subintervals. Record these values and make a sketch of the cross section of the stream at your measuring spot.
Now approximate the area of this cross section using a rectangular method of your choosing, the trapezoidal
method, and Simpson’s method. Pay careful attention to units. Explain any unit conversions you perform. Based on
these figures, what is your best estimate for the cross-sectional area of the stream? Justify your estimate.
Determine the speed of the current by timing the float of a ping-pong ball down a measured length of stream.
Now that you know this, you should be able to use the current speed and the cross sectional area to determine the
amount of water flowing through the stream in one hour.

Woah, where I am? I just blacked out. Does any of what is typed in this letter make sense? I hope so and I
hope it is helpful. Please complete the first 3 parts in this packet and then part 4 should be completed and presented in
a video. The video should document your adventure and measurements and then present a summary of your solution.
Please note the key word there- summary, your video does not need to walk us through each and every step of your
calculations. You should also hand in a hard copy of your work to your teacher.

Thanks,

Dudley

Part 1 5 pts
Part 2 10 pts
Part 3 10 pts
Part 4 25 pts

Due: Monday, September 27th