TAS: Paper Folding

Objectives

• Create a function/relationship from a diagram
• Use calculus to find the derivative
• Determine maximum value from the derivative
• Generalise the solution

Vocabulary

• Derivative
• Maximum / Minimum

About the Lesson

Origami meets calculus! In this activity students fold an A4 piece of paper to form a triangle (as per the included instructions). Students determine the area of the triangle with a view to maximimising this quantity. Students can then use the dynamic representation in the TI-Nspire file to do the same, determine an algebraic formula for the area of the triangle and use calculus to find the maximum The result is surprisingly simple!