Chain Rule

Highlights of the activity

1. This small group activity is designed to provide practice with the chain rule and to develop familiarity with polar coordinates.
2. Students work in small groups to relate partial derivatives in rectangular and polar coordinates.
3. The whole class wrap-up discussion emphasizes the importance of specifying what quantities are being held constant.

Reasons to spend class time on the activity

Uses the chain rule to relate partial derivatives in different coordinate systems.

If surfaces are available, Chain Rule Measurments provides an alternative to this activity.

Reflections

• Reflections from the original implementation.

• Reflections from "official" adapters/adopters.

• Reflections from the general public.

Instructor's Guide

• Wiki version

Student Handouts

mvchainhand.pdf