The roots of calculus can be found at the base of all geometry. Since the time of Euclid and Archimedes, man has wondered how to solve certain geometric and algebraic problems such as the area under the curve or the tangent to a curve. But as we know calculus was invented in the 17th century and even in calculus in its most basic forms was extremely complicated for its times but could still solve these questions. Calculus is a valuable tool that combines the fields of geometry and algebra, and is made up of two interconnected forms, one called differential calculus and the other integral calculus. Calculus is used in a lot of unknown aspects of life that we as a culture now take for granted. Certain items such as your cell-phone, to microwaves to motor vehicles, use calculus every time you turn them on.
An example of how we use calculus in everyday life can be as simple as a cardboard box or as complicated as tracking a space shuttle or satellite that is thousands of miles away. But one simple example that most people do not think is calculus is a speed trap. A speed trap is a trap set by police officers between two set points to track a car or truck’s speed through two designated areas. A speed trap can calculate your average speed, but more importantly increasing or decreasing speeds. It can tell by simply getting the initial speed, the final speed, the distance between the two trap points, and the time it takes the car to get through the trap points. The ending result would be a straight line if the speed remained the same but if the speed was changed then the result would be a concave or convex parabola and the vertex would be the top speed or the lowest speed depending on the time of the car through the two designated areas. Police officers can use this to administer tickets and citations. Even though in the reality of this knowledge your hate for calculus may have just gotten worse, but here are some different examples that may change your opinion of calculus.
There are millions of uses for calculus throughout all spectrums of life whether you notice it or not, and the following are just a couple of professions or machines that use calculus. Biologist use calculus to see the exponential growth rate of bacteria on a certain specimen. Credit card companies use calculus to calculate when and how much to charge the card holder by taking multiple variables into account, such as interest rates and amount of charged items. The government uses calculus in developing aircrafts such as the F35 and F22 along with using calculus to develop firewall programs to provide defense to national secrets and programs, whereas the graphic designer uses calculus to design three dimensional objects that appear real in video games or movies.
The uses of calculus have been constantly evolving from its infant stages of determining gravity to today’s complex video games or computer programs. There is not an industry that doesn’t have its hand somewhere in the infamous calculus cookie jar. Whether it is a government agency, a credit card company, or a policeman using a speed trap, calculus will remain an intricate role in our lives and our kids’ lives. Whether it is protecting us against cyber warfare or something as simple as determining the average speed of an apple as it falls from a tree, it will remain a useful tool of describing and determining infinitely many problems
No comments:
Post a Comment