Lesson 4: Applications of Linear Equations

Module 6: Linear Equations

Lesson 4: Applications of Linear Equations

Focus

 

In the late 1990s, websites emerged that enabled users to share their digital music files. The technology was easy to use and it was also a way for people to update their music collection for free. As a result, the music stores experienced a decline in CD sales. In turn, music artists, who were not compensated by this type of practice and who also suffered losses in royalties due to the drop in retail sales, launched lawsuits against the companies overseeing these websites. Ultimately, as more artists joined the fight, these websites were deemed to be in violation of copyright laws. These lawsuits resulted in the shutdown of such websites. Nevertheless, these events revolutionized the way that music and movies are purchased or rented today.

There are now many legitimate websites that offer a vast collection of songs, albums, and films for purchase. Consumers can buy songs, which can be purchased individually or as part of a whole album, that cost less than $2.00 each. Movies, too, can be rented or purchased online for approximately the same amount as one would pay in a video rental outlet. In this way, the music artists and movie producers are assured of their royalties. While they may not receive the same amount for the sale of a single song as they would have in the past for the sale of an entire CD, this may be balanced by the fact that the songs are now available to a wider audience thanks to the Internet.

Unfortunately, despite low prices and widespread availability, music is still being stolen by criminals who engage in an activity known as piracy. Piracy is the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyright-protected media such as digital music and movie files. These criminals illegally copy music and movies onto CD, DVD, or Blu-Ray media, and then sell them on the black market for a fraction of the cost of the same content available from legitimate retailers.

In this lesson you will bring together what you have learned in Lessons 1, 2, and 3 and then apply your skills with linear equations to practical problem-solving situations centred on the enjoyment of music. You will continue to work with linear equations expressed using both standard and function notation. You will focus on the use of linear equations to model different scenarios. You will also learn how to interpret the different parts of a linear equation in a given context.

Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to

• graph linear data generated from a context, and write the equation of the resulting line

• solve a problem, using the equation of a linear relation

Lesson Questions

• How are the fixed and variable elements of a problem related to the linear equation y = mx + b?

• How do you apply techniques and concepts learned in this module to solve problems?

Lesson Completion and Assessment

As you work through each lesson, complete all the questions and learning activities in your binder using paper and pencil, clearly labeling your work (they refer to this as your course folder). These include the Are you Ready, Try This, Share and Self Check questions. Check your work if answers are provided. Remember that these questions provide you with the practice and feedback that you need to successfully complete this course.
Once you have completed all of the learning activities, take the Lesson Quiz. This is the assessment for each lesson and is located under the Activities block on the left in moodle or under the Assess tab.

** Note – Share questions may have to be done on your own depending on your learning situation**

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