Use of a Symbolic Computation Program to Reinforce the Spatial Abilities of Engineering Students

• Susana Nieto ^[1] ; Higinio Ramos ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de Salamanca

     Universidad de Salamanca

     Salamanca, España

     
• Localización: Revista Iberoamericana de Tecnologías del Aprendizaje: IEEE-RITA, ISSN 1932-8540, Vol. 12, Nº. 1, 2017, págs. 37-44
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1109/rita.2017.2658978
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This paper presents an initiative that seeks to develop some skills of 3-D visualization by using the capabilities of programming and graphical representation of a computer algebra system, in this case Mathematica. A specific procedure has been developed to allow engineering students to represent the families of curves obtained by cutting the 3-D graph of a two-variable function with families of planes having different orientations. This initiative achieves an improvement over the use of the contour plots, shows a new point of view about the functions, which depend of an angle, and can be extended to be used with nonplanar surfaces.

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