Expert: Sherry Wallin - 11/25/2010

Question
Miss Sherry,
           I am sorry for disturbance,but you told "When I did the sum I got 5.4661 which fits all the criteria I just discussed." But I am unable to get that answer through graphing calculator,no matter however hard I try.
See, at first I wrote:  15/4{1-(pi/10)^7} 1-pi/10
I got the answer    : = 3.434708 This time I got the value to be positive but not same as yours.For the second value you mentioned,that also I am not able to get through graphing calculator.  Can you suggest me from my first answer,that in which step I am putting the values wrongly(ie. the first value which I am showing you ).
                            Thankyou so much!
                        Xiang.  

Answer
Xiang~

It is a good idea to enclose any fraction in parentheses. In this case because the fraction is first the calculator will do it first. Did you put the multiplication sign after the 4 in 15/4? Also I don't see parentheses around ((1-pi)/10). The way you have it written the calculator would take everything up through the last } and multiply it by 1 and then take that answer and subtract pi and then divide that whole answer by 10. Try this instead in your calculator:
(15/4)*(1-(pi/10)^7)/(1-(pi/10)).

You should get 5.466...

Math Prof