Comments on: Using chocolate to teach calculus http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 20:17:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: James French http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1243347 James French Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1243347 The approximation would be much more accurate if we counted the tiles that have an apparent majority of their area inside the curve. The approximation would be much more accurate if we counted the tiles that have an apparent majority of their area inside the curve.

]]> By: robotnik http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1242812 robotnik Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1242812 When you think of the other definition of calculus, this is pretty damned funny. When you think of the other definition of calculus, this is pretty damned funny.

]]> By: Shinkuhadoken http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1242400 Shinkuhadoken Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1242400 I tried this method out, but I seem to encounter an error whereby my calculations are increasingly off by about 1 every 30 seconds. *munch*munch* Wonder why that is? *munch*munch* I tried this method out, but I seem to encounter an error whereby my
calculations are increasingly off by about 1 every 30 seconds.

*munch*munch*

Wonder why that is?

*munch*munch*

]]> By: Alfangelo Hickey http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1242290 Alfangelo Hickey Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1242290 man this trumps domino computing man this trumps domino computing

]]> By: Craig Tovey http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1242074 Craig Tovey Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1242074 It is cute, but it isn't calculus.  I can't think of a good use of chocolate for teaching calculus, except as an incentive.  However, this chocolate idea is great for teaching both geometry and algebra.  You can derive  formulas for the areas of various geometric shapes such as squares, rectangles,  rhombi, trapezoids, and triangles using chocolate chips.  If you are brave you could derive formulas for  some 3D shapes such as pyramids.  You can also derive algebraic formulas such as the sum of the first k integers equals k(k+1)/2 and x^2-1=(x+1)(x-1) by rearranging chocolate chips.  There is a wonderful book called "Proofs Without Words" available from the American Math Association.  Many of its proofs could be done with chocolate. --CAT It is cute, but it isn’t calculus.  I can’t think of a good use of chocolate for teaching calculus, except as an incentive.  However, this chocolate idea is great for teaching both geometry and algebra.  You can derive  formulas for the areas of various geometric shapes such as squares, rectangles,  rhombi, trapezoids, and triangles using chocolate chips.  If you are brave you could derive formulas for  some 3D shapes such as pyramids.  You can also derive algebraic formulas such as the sum of the first k integers equals k(k+1)/2 and x^2-1=(x+1)(x-1) by rearranging chocolate chips.  There is a wonderful book called “Proofs Without Words” available from the American Math Association.  Many of its proofs could be done with chocolate.
–CAT

]]> By: narddogz http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241601 narddogz Thu, 13 Oct 2011 03:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241601 Wow... Connect Four looks much more complicated here than how I remember it as a kid. Wow…

Connect Four looks much more complicated here than how I remember it as a kid.

]]> By: moonxie http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241380 moonxie Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241380 Ah, the days when we used to learn the chain rule with peanut M&Ms. Ah, the days when we used to learn the chain rule with peanut M&Ms.

]]> By: Emanon Suomynona http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241203 Emanon Suomynona Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241203 what a delicious way to teach. what a delicious way to teach.

]]> By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241049 Guest Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241049 Oh no, that chocolate would never remain on the board unmolested long enough to work out any calculus problems.   'Where's the chocolate?'  Indeed. Oh no, that chocolate would never remain on the board unmolested long enough to work out any calculus problems.   ‘Where’s the chocolate?’  Indeed.

]]> By: Robert Cruickshank http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241011 Robert Cruickshank Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241011 Your next assignment is to use thousands of little tablets to find the value of <i>e</i>.  Your next assignment is to use thousands of little tablets to find the value of e. 

]]> By: retchdog http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241008 retchdog Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241008 it's not monte carlo since it's not random. the phrase you're looking for is "discrete approximation". as a surly academic, i want to hate this, but i really can't. it's a decent demonstration of taking limits and it would probably get some attention which otherwise would have been dissipated. if you had a lot of time and chocolates of various sizes, you could even hint at fractal dimension. it’s not monte carlo since it’s not random. the phrase you’re looking for is “discrete approximation”.

as a surly academic, i want to hate this, but i really can’t. it’s a decent demonstration of taking limits and it would probably get some attention which otherwise would have been dissipated. if you had a lot of time and chocolates of various sizes, you could even hint at fractal dimension.

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1241009 awjt Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1241009 Personally, I don't like the definition that a square with ANY part of the curve is given to white chocolate.  I feel that the dark chocolate should have those.  Yes, I am in favor of Manifest Destiny, but ONLY for dark chocolate. Personally, I don’t like the definition that a square with ANY part of the curve is given to white chocolate.  I feel that the dark chocolate should have those.  Yes, I am in favor of Manifest Destiny, but ONLY for dark chocolate.

]]> By: Thunder Shiviah http://boingboing.net/2011/10/12/using-chocolate-to-teach-calculus.html#comment-1240990 Thunder Shiviah Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=122992#comment-1240990 Seems more like an example of the monte carlo method to me... Seems more like an example of the monte carlo method to me…

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