The Limits of Speed

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Mathematics
Science

Grade(s)

9, 10, 11, 12

Overview

Science fiction movies take it for granted that someday humans, or an alien race, will travel faster than the speed of light and build an intergalactic empire. Scientists aren't so sure that this is possible. It turns out that approaching the speed of light is very difficult. If Einstein's theories are correct, nothing that has mass can travel at the speed of light.

This informational material will apply a precalculus concept--limits of functions at infinity--to a well-known scientific theory--Einstein's theory of relativity. There is a video and links to additional information included.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.8

Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines and explain how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content and organize information.

UP:ELA21.11.8

Vocabulary

  • Academic disciplines
  • Domain-specific vocabulary
  • Content organization

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to read, analyze, and evaluate texts from various academic disciplines.
  • Content-specific text will often include a particular structure and domain-specific vocabulary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from subjects other than English language arts to determine the use of domain-specific vocabulary.
  • Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from subjects other than English language arts to determine how the academic discipline organizes content.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Different academic disciplines may utilize different vocabulary.
  • Different academic disciplines may arrange content in particular organizational styles.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 12

ELA21.12.8

Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from science, social studies, and other academic disciplines and explain how those disciplines treat domain-specific vocabulary and content and organize information.

UP:ELA21.12.8

Vocabulary

  • Academic disciplines
  • Domain-specific vocabulary
  • Content organization

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to read, analyze, and evaluate texts from various academic disciplines.
  • Content-specific text will often include a particular structure and domain-specific vocabulary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from subjects other than English language arts to determine the use of domain-specific vocabulary.
  • Read, analyze, and evaluate texts from subjects other than English language arts to determine how the academic discipline organizes content.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Different academic disciplines may utilize different vocabulary.
  • Different academic disciplines may arrange content in particular organizational styles.
Science (2015) Grade(s): 09-12 - Earth and Space Science

SC15.ESS.6

Obtain and evaluate information about Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein to communicate how their findings challenged conventional thinking and allowed for academic advancements and space exploration.

UP:SC15.ESS.6

Vocabulary

  • Copernicus
  • Galileo
  • Kepler
  • Newton
  • Einstein
  • heliocentric
  • orbit
  • gravity
  • relativity

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Copernicus contributed the heliocentric or sun-centered conception of the universe.
  • Kepler contributed the three laws of planetary motion Galileo contributed through telescopic observations that materials in universe were more earth like rather than ethereal.
  • Newton contributed the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
  • Einstein contributed the theories of relativity.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify relevant evidence found in case studies from the history of science on Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein.
  • Evaluate the validity, reliability of evidence along with its ability to support reasonable arguments.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Science knowledge is a result of human endeavor, imagination, and creativity.
  • Individuals and teams from many nations and cultures have contributed to science and to advances in engineering.
  • Technological advances have influenced the progress of science and science has influenced advances in technology.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Mathematics (2019) Grade(s): 09-12 - Precalculus

MA19.PRE.7

Determine numerically, algebraically, and graphically the limits of functions at specific values and at infinity.

UP:MA19.PRE.7

Vocabulary

  • Limit
  • Convergent
  • Divergent
  • Continuous function
  • Discontinuous function
  • Discontinuity (infinite, jump, removable)

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How to graph the families of functions.
  • How to factor, simplify, and rationalize functions.
  • How to evaluate functions at a given input value.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify continuity and discontinuity (if discontinuous, identify the type).
  • Calculate limits.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Functions have various types of continuity and discontinuity.
  • That limits can be determined numerically, graphically, and algebraically.
  • converging means that a limit exists, while diverging means that a limit does not exist.
ELA21.11.8
ELA21.12.8

CR Resource Type

Informational Material

Resource Provider

CK-12

License Type

Custom
https://www.ck12.org/c/calculus/infinite-limit-type/rwa/The-Limits-of-Speed/?re…

Custom License Type (URL)

cK-12 Terms of Use

Accessibility

Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings
Video resources: includes closed captioning or subtitles

Approved Date

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