Calculus!!?

Question

Ok am only 12 but i am in my school's advanced algebra classes, and i was just wondering what calculus was apparently im going to be having those classes in about 3-4 years. Pleases explain in good detail

Answer 1

Calculus was invented by Newton to help him to matematically quantify physics. Calculus as an academic subject deals a lot with finding the slope at a point or area under any given curve (i.e. under the graph of y=x^2, y=sin(x), etc.). At the high school level, the basics of differentiation (finding slope, and velocity/acceleration when applied to physics) and integration (finding area or summing infinitely small areas) are covered, along with a few of their applications. The derivative can also be used to sketch a curve in great detail. As you progress in your study of calculus, you will get into equations of several variables that are 3-D curves. Vector calculus applies here, but is just a slight deviation from the stuff you'll learn in your first one or two calculus courses. Sounds like you're eager to dive into this subject. If you take physics 2 at the collegiate level, you will be use to put your calculus knowledge to great use =).

Answer 2

Calculus is the study of the rate at which "things" change.
In maths these "things" are usually functions altho they can be other mathematical objects.

Calculus was discovered independantly by both Newton and Leibniz in the late 1600's.

At a basic level calculus involves processes known as differentiation and integration. Newton discoverd integration while considering mechanics. If you have a distance travelled by a particle as a function of time then how do you find the speed?

The average speed is distance/time. Differentiation generalises this idea to give you the speed at any given point.

Integration is the reverse process. It can be used to find distance travelled if you know the speed function. It also lets you calculate the area inbetween a graph and the x-axis.

Calculus extends way into degree level maths and is an extremely useful tool to any applied mathematician.

Answer 3

I wouldn't really worry about it at this point in time, but calculus deals with alot of derivitives and integrals which are helpfull in all kinds of real world applications.