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Modeling With Trigonometric Functions

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Resources for this lesson:

You will use your Algebra II Journal opens in new window on this page.

> Glossary opens in new window
> Calculator Resources opens in new window
> Teacher Resources: Instructional Notes opens in new window

Real-Life Scenarios



> Text version for Real-Life Scenario opens in new window

Melissa and Andrew researched Boston weather and found the average monthly high temperatures for the past year:

Month

Month

Average Monthly High Temperature (in degrees Fahrenheit)

January

0

36

February

1

39

March

2

45

April

3

56

May

4

66

June

5

76

July

6

82

August

7

80

September

8

72

October

9

62

November

10

51

December

11

42

Data source:  http://www.weather.com opens in new window

Create and Analyze

Examine the scatter plot:

This graph is a scatter plot displaying the average high temperatures for Boston over the period of twelve months. The graph is titled ‘Boston High Temperatures.’ The horizontal axis is labeled ‘Months since January’ and extends from negative 2 to 13. The vertical axis is labeled ‘Average Monthly High Temperatures (in degrees Fahrenheit)’ and extends from negative 10 to 90. The graph displays the following ordered pairs: (0, 36), (1, 39), (2, 45), (3, 56), (4, 66), (5, 76), (6, 82), (7, 80), (8, 72), (9, 62), (10, 51) and (11, 42).

Because the data is expected to repeat, a trigonometric function will most likely be the best fit for the data.

Check Your Understanding

 

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