Activity 7

OBJECTIVE MATERIAL REQUIRED

To sketch the graphs of ax and logax, Drawing board, geometrical instru-
a > 0, a ≠ 1 and to examine that they ments, drawing pins, thin wires,
are mirror images of each other. sketch pens, thick white paper,
adhesive, pencil, eraser, a plane
mirror, squared paper.
METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
1. On the drawing board, fix a thick paper sheet of convenient size 20 cm × 20 cm
(say) with adhesive.

Fig. 7
 2. On the sheet, take two perpendicular lines XOX′ and YOY′, depicting
coordinate axes.
3. Mark graduations on the two axes as shown in the Fig. 7.
4. Find some ordered pairs satisfying y = ax and y = logax. Plot these points
corresponding to the ordered pairs and join them by free hand curves in
both the cases. Fix thin wires along these curves using drawing pins.
5. Draw the graph of y = x, and fix a wire along the graph, using drawing pins.

DEMONSTRATION
1. For ax, take a = 2 (say), and find ordered pairs satisfying it as

1 1
x 0 1 –1 2 –2 3 –3 – 4
2 2

1 1
2x 1 2 0.5 4 8 1.4 0.7 16
4 8

and plot these ordered pairs on the squared paper and fix a drawing pin at
each point.
2. Join the bases of drawing pins with a thin wire. This will represent the graph
of 2x.
3. log2x = y gives x = 2 y . Some ordered pairs satisfying it are:

1 1 1
x 1 2 4 8
2 4 8

y 0 1 –1 2 –2 3 –3

Plot these ordered pairs on the squared paper (graph paper) and fix a drawing
pin at each plotted point. Join the bases of the drawing pins with a thin wire.
This will represent the graph of log2x.

Mathematics 117
 4. Draw the graph of line y = x on the sheet.
5. Place a mirror along the wire representing y = x. It can be seen that the two
graphs of the given functions are mirror images of each other in the line y = x.

OBSERVATION
1. Image of ordered pair (1, 2) on the graph of y = 2x in y = x is ______. It lies
on the graph of y = _______.
2. Image of the point (4, 2) on the graph y = log2x in y = x is _________ which
lies on the graph of y = _______.

Repeat this process for some more points lying on the two graphs.

APPLICATION
This activity is useful in understanding the concept of (exponential and
logarithmic functions) which are mirror images of each other in y = x.

118 Laboratory Manual

Activity 16
OBJECTIVE MATERIAL REQUIRED
To construct an open box of maximum Chart papers, scissors, cellotape,
volume from a given rectangular sheet calculator.
by cutting equal squares from each
corner.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
1. Take a rectangular chart paper of size 20 cm × 10 cm and name it as ABCD.
2. Cut four equal squares each of side x cm from each corner A, B, C and D.
3. Repeat the process by taking the same size of chart papers and different
values of x.
4. Make an open box by folding its flaps using cellotape/adhesive.

DEMONSTRATION
1. When x = 1, Volume of the box = 144 cm3
2. When x = 1.5, Volume of the box = 178.5 cm3
 3. When x = 1.8, Volume of the box = 188.9 cm3.
4. When x = 2, Volume of the box = 192 cm3.
5. When x = 2.1, Volume of the box = 192.4 cm3.
6. When x = 2.2, Volume of the box = 192.2 cm3.
7. When x = 2.5, Volume of the box = 187.5 cm3.
8. When x = 3, Volume of the box = 168 cm3.
Clearly, volume of the box is maximum when x = 2.1.

OBSERVATION
1. V1 = Volume of the open box ( when x = 1.6) = .................
2. V2 = Volume of the open box ( when x = 1.9) = .................
3. V = Volume of the open box ( when x = 2.1) = .................
4. V3 = Volume of the open box ( when x = 2.2) = .................
5. V4 = Volume of the open box ( when x = 2.4) = .................
6. V5 = Volume of the open box ( when x = 3.2) = .................
7. Volume V1 is ____________ than volume V.
8. Volume V2 is ____________ than volume V.
9. Volume V3 is ____________ than volume V.
10. Volume V4 is ____________ than volume V.
11. Volume V5 is ____________ than volume V.

So, Volume of the open box is maximum when x = ________.

APPLICATION
This activity is useful in explaining the concepts of maxima/minima of functions.
It is also useful in making packages of maximum volume with minimum cost.

Mathematics 141
 NOTE
Let V denote the volume of the box.
Now V = (20 – 2x) (10 – 2x) x

or V = 200x – 60x2 + 4x3

dV
= 200 –120 x +12 x 2 . For maxima or minima, we have,
dx

dV
= 0 , i.e., 3x2 – 30x + 50 = 0
dx

30 ± 900 – 600
i.e., x = = 7.9 or 2.1
6

Reject x = 7.9.

d 2V
= –120 + 24 x
dx2

d 2V
When x = 2.1, is negative.
dx 2

Hence, V should be maximum at x = 2.1.

142 Laboratory Manual

Activity 20
OBJECTIVE MATERIAL REQUIRED
To verify geometrically that Geometry box, cardboard, white
paper, cutter, sketch pen, cellotape.
( )








c× a + b = c× a + c×b

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
1. Fix a white paper on the cardboard.
2. Draw a line segment OA (= 6 cm, say) and let it represent c .

3. Draw another line segment OB (= 4 cm, say) at an angle (say 60°) with OA.



Let OB = a
 



4. Draw BC (= 3 cm, say) making an angle (say 30°) with OA . Let BC = b
5. Draw perpendiculars BM, CL and BN.
6. Complete parallelograms OAPC, OAQB and BQPC.

DEMONSTRATION






1. OC = OB +BC = a + b , and let ∠COA = α .

( )







2. c × a + b = c a + b sin α = area of parallelogram OAPC.

3. c × a = area of parallelogram OAQB.



4. c × b = area of parallelogram BQPC.

5. Area of parallelogram OAPC = (OA) (CL)

= (OA) (LN + NC) = (OA) (BM + NC)

= (OA) (BM) + (OA) (NC)

= Area of parallelogram OAQB + Area of parallelogram BQPC




= c+a + c × b

So, c × ( a + b ) = c × b + c × b

Direction of each of these vectors c × (a + b ), c × a and c × b is perpendicular
to the same plane.








So, c × (a + b ) = c × a + c × b.

154 Laboratory Manual

OBSERVATION



c = OA = OA = _______



a + b = OC = OC = ______

CL = ______




c × ( a + b) = Area of parallelogram OAPC

= (OA) (CL) = _____________ sq. units (i)

c × a = Area of parallelogram OAQB

= (OA) (BM) = _____ × _____ = ______ (ii)

c × b = Area of parallelogram BQPC

= (OA) (CN) = _____ × _____ = ______ (iii)

From (i), (ii) and (iii),

Area of parallelogram OAPC = Area of parallelgram OAQB + Area of

Parallelgram ________.





Thus c × (a + b | = c × a + c × b

( )








c × a, c × b and c × a + b are all in the direction of _______ to the plane
of paper.

( )






Therefore c × a + b = c × a + ________.

Mathematics 155
APPLICATION
Through the activity, distributive property of vector multiplication over addition
can be explained.

NOTE
This activity can also be per-
formed by taking rectangles
instead of parallelograms.

156 Laboratory Manual

Activity 26
OBJECTIVE MATERIAL REQUIRED
To measure the shortest distance A piece of plywood of size
between two skew lines and verify it 30 cm × 20 cm, a squared paper,
analytically. three wooden blocks of size
2cm × 2 cm × 2 cm each and one
wooden block of size 2 cm × 2 cm
× 4 cm, wires of different lengths,
set squares, adhesive, pen/pencil,
etc.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION
1. Paste a squared paper on a piece of plywood.
2. On the squared paper, draw two lines OA and OB to represent x-axis,
and y-axis, respectively.
3. Name the three blocks of size 2 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm as I, II and III. Name the
other wooden block of size 2 cm × 2 cm × 4 cm as IV.
4. Place blocks I, II, III such that their base centres are at the points
(2, 2), (1, 6) and (7, 6), respectively, and block IV with its base centre at
(6, 2). Other wooden block of size 2 cm × 2 cm × 4 cm as IV.
5. Place a wire joining the points P and Q, the centres of the bases of the
blocks I and III and another wire joining the centres R and S of the tops of
blocks II and IV as shown in Fig. 26.
6. These two wires represent two skew lines.
7. Take a wire and join it perpendicularly with the skew lines and measure the
actual distance.
 Fig. 26

DEMONSTRATION
1. A set-square is placed in such a way that its one perpendicular side is along
the wire PQ.
2. Move the set-square along PQ till its other perpendicular side touches the
other wire.
172 Laboratory Manual
 3. Measure the distance between the two lines in this position using set-square.
This is the shortest distance between two skew lines.
4. Analytically, find the equation of line joining P (2, 2, 0) and Q (7, 6, 0) and
other line joining R (1, 6, 2) and S (6, 2, 4) and find S.D. using

( )( )








a2 – a1 ⋅ b1 × b2
 . The distance obtained in two cases will be the same.
b1 × b2
OBSERVATION
1. Coordinates of point P are ________.
2. Coordinates of point Q are ________.
3. Coordinates of point R are ________.
4. Coordinates of point S are ________.
5. Equation of line PQ is ________.
6. Equation of line RS is ________.

Shortest distance between PQ and RS analytically = ________.

Shortest distance by actual measurement = ________.

The results so obtained are ________.

APPLICATION
This activity can be used to explain the concept of skew lines and of shortest
distance between two lines in space.

Mathematics 173