Math 487 Lab 1

Location

Math Sciences Computer Lab, CMU B027 (Communications Building)

Materials needed — bring this to the lab

1. GASP4: Getting Acquainted with Geometer’s Sketchpad 4, Chapter 1, Sections 1.1 — 1.4. (These notes can be read online or printed from the Math 444/487 website or purchased as part of the Math 444 packet from the Copy Center in the basement of CMU.
2. GTC: Geometry Through the Circle, pp. 26-34. (This book is available in the University Book Store.)
3. File storage: You will want to save some of your work from the lab. One option is to bring a Windows-formatted diskette to the lab. A second option is to use file transfer to copy the files to your student account on Dante.

Lab Activity

1. How to Get Started: Log into the PC using user name Lab and leaving the password field blank. The Sketchpad icon is in the Math Applications folder. Start the GSP (Geometer’s Sketchpad) program.
2. GASP4: Work through the four Sections 1.1 -- 1.4.
3. GTC:
• Quickly carry out the experiment "Well-Placed Circles" on page 26.
• Work through Investigation 2 on page 27. Make some notes for yourself about the answers to the questions. Note: The way to Trace a circle in Sketchpad is to select the circle and then choose Trace Circle from the Display menu. One you have done this, drag the point D and see the traces of the moving circle. To clear the traces from the screen, use Erase Traces in the Display menu.
• Work through Investigations 1 and 2 on pp. 30-31 (without the Explore More). Think about answers to the questions and make some notes for yourself.
• Carry out Investigation 1 of 3.3, page 33.