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Precalculus

New Jersey Precalculus Curriculum

Video lessons and practice for every Precalculus topic. Aligned to NJ Student Learning Standards for Math. Get help with homework anytime.

New Jersey Precalculus Curriculum | StudyPugHelp

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Standard

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CC.HSN.CN.B.4

Represent complex numbers on the complex plane in rectangular and polar form (including real and imaginary numbers), and explain why the rectangular and polar forms of a given complex number represent the same number.

CC.HSN.CN.B.5

Represent addition, subtraction, multiplication, and conjugation of complex numbers geometrically on the complex plane; use properties of this representation for computation.

CC.HSN.CN.B.6

Calculate the distance between numbers in the complex plane as the modulus of the difference, and the midpoint of a segment as the average of the numbers at its endpoints.

CC.HSA.CED.A.4

Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations.

CC.HSA.REI.D.11

Explain why the x-coordinates of the points where the graphs of the equations y = f(x) and y = g(x) intersect are the solutions of the equation f(x) = g(x); find the solutions approximately, e.g., using technology to graph the functions, make tables of values, or find successive approximations. Include cases where f(x) and/or g(x) are linear, polynomial, rational, absolute value, exponential, and logarithmic functions.

CC.HSF.TF.A.1

Understand radian measure of an angle as the length of the arc on the unit circle subtended by the angle.

CC.HSF.TF.A.2

Explain how the unit circle in the coordinate plane enables the extension of trigonometric functions to all real numbers, interpreted as radian measures of angles traversed counterclockwise around the unit circle.

CC.HSF.TF.A.3

Use special triangles to determine geometrically the values of sine, cosine, tangent for π/3, π/4 and π/6, and use the unit circle to express the values of sine, cosine, and tangent for π–x, π+x, and 2π–x in terms of their values for x, where x is any real number.

CC.HSF.TF.B.5

Choose trigonometric functions to model periodic phenomena with specified amplitude, frequency, and midline.

CC.HSF.TF.B.6

Understand that restricting a trigonometric function to a domain on which it is always increasing or always decreasing allows its inverse to be constructed.

CC.HSF.TF.B.7

Use inverse functions to solve trigonometric equations that arise in modeling contexts; evaluate the solutions using technology, and interpret them in terms of the context.

CC.HSF.TF.C.8

Prove the Pythagorean identity sin^2(θ) + cos^2(θ) = 1 and use it to find sin(θ), cos(θ), or tan(θ) given sin(θ), cos(θ), or tan(θ) and the quadrant of the angle.

CC.HSF.TF.C.9

Prove the addition and subtraction formulas for sine, cosine, and tangent and use them to solve problems.

CC.HSG.SRT.D.9

Derive the formula A = 1/2 ab sin(C) for the area of a triangle by drawing an auxiliary line from a vertex perpendicular to the opposite side.

CC.HSG.SRT.D.10

Prove the Laws of Sines and Cosines and use them to solve problems.

CC.HSG.SRT.D.11

Understand and apply the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines to find unknown measurements in right and non-right triangles.

CC.HSA.APR.C.4

Prove polynomial identities and use them to describe numerical relationships.

CC.HSA.APR.C.5

Know and apply the Binomial Theorem for the expansion of (x + y)^n in powers of x and y for a positive integer n, where x and y are any numbers, with coefficients determined for example by Pascal's Triangle.

CC.HSA.APR.D.7

Understand that rational expressions form a system analogous to the rational numbers, closed under addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division by a nonzero rational expression; add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational expressions.

CC.HSN.VM.A.1

Recognize vector quantities as having both magnitude and direction. Represent vector quantities by directed line segments, and use appropriate symbols for vectors and their magnitudes.

CC.HSN.VM.A.2

Find the components of a vector by subtracting the coordinates of an initial point from the coordinates of a terminal point.

CC.HSN.VM.A.3

Solve problems involving velocity and other quantities that can be represented by vectors.

CC.HSN.VM.B.5

Multiply a vector by a scalar.

CC.HSN.VM.C.6

Use matrices to represent and manipulate data, e.g., to represent payoffs or incidence relationships in a network.

CC.HSN.VM.C.7

Multiply matrices by scalars to produce new matrices, e.g., as when all of the payoffs in a game are doubled.

CC.HSN.VM.C.8

Add, subtract, and multiply matrices of appropriate dimensions.

CC.HSN.VM.C.9

Understand that, unlike multiplication of numbers, matrix multiplication for square matrices is not a commutative operation, but still satisfies the associative and distributive properties.

CC.HSN.VM.C.10

Understand that the zero and identity matrices play a role in matrix addition and multiplication similar to the role of 0 and 1 in the real numbers. The determinant of a square matrix is nonzero if and only if the matrix has a multiplicative inverse.

CC.HSN.VM.C.11

Multiply a vector (regarded as a matrix with one column) by a matrix of suitable dimensions to produce another vector. Work with matrices as transformations of vectors.

CC.HSN.VM.C.12

Work with 2 × 2 matrices as transformations of the plane, and interpret the absolute value of the determinant in terms of area.

CC.HSA.REI.C.7

Solve a simple system consisting of a linear equation and a quadratic equation in two variables algebraically and graphically.

CC.HSA.REI.C.8

Represent a system of linear equations as a single matrix equation in a vector variable.

CC.HSA.REI.C.9

Find the inverse of a matrix if it exists and use it to solve systems of linear equations (using technology for matrices of dimension 3 × 3 or greater).

CC.HSG.C.A.4

Construct a tangent line from a point outside a given circle to the circle.

CC.HSG.GPE.A.2

Derive the equation of a parabola given a focus and directrix.

CC.HSG.GPE.A.3

Derive the equations of ellipses and hyperbolas given the foci, using the fact that the sum or difference of distances from the foci is constant.

CC.HSN.RN.B.3

Explain why the sum or product of two rational numbers is rational; that the sum of a rational number and an irrational number is irrational; and that the product of a nonzero rational number and an irrational number is irrational.

CC.HSN.Q.A.1

Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the origin in graphs and data displays.

CC.HSN.Q.A.3

Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities.

CC.HSS.IC.A.1

Understand statistics as a process for making inferences about population parameters based on a random sample from that population.

CC.HSS.IC.A.2

Decide if a specified model is consistent with results from a given data-generating process, e.g., using simulation.

CC.HSS.IC.B.3

Recognize the purposes of and differences among sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies; explain how randomization relates to each.

CC.HSS.IC.B.4

Use data from a sample survey to estimate a population mean or proportion; develop a margin of error through the use of simulation models for random sampling.

CC.HSS.IC.B.5

Use data from a randomized experiment to compare two treatments; use simulations to decide if differences between parameters are significant.

CC.HSS.IC.B.6

Evaluate reports based on data.

CC.HSS.CP.A.5

Recognize and explain the concepts of conditional probability and independence in everyday language and everyday situations.

CC.HSS.CP.B.7

Apply the Addition Rule, P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B), and interpret the answer in terms of the model.

CC.HSS.MD.A.1

Define a random variable for a quantity of interest by assigning a numerical value to each event in a sample space; graph the corresponding probability distribution using the same graphical displays as for data distributions.

CC.HSS.MD.A.2

Calculate the expected value of a random variable; interpret it as the mean of the probability distribution.

CC.HSS.MD.A.3

Develop a probability distribution for a random variable defined for a sample space in which theoretical probabilities can be calculated; find the expected value.

CC.HSS.MD.B.7

Analyze decisions and strategies using probability concepts (e.g., product testing, medical testing, pulling a hockey goalie at the end of a game).

CC.HSG.GMD.A.2

Give an informal argument using Cavalieri's principle for the formulas for the volume of a sphere and other solid figures.

New Jersey Precalculus: What Students Learn

Precalculus is a critical bridge between Algebra 2 and calculus. New Jersey Precalculus students work through a wide range of topics aligned to the NJ Student Learning Standards for Math, building the mathematical reasoning needed for college-level coursework and standardized tests like the SAT and ACT.

Complex Numbers and the Complex Plane

Students learn to represent complex numbers in both rectangular and polar form, plot them on the complex plane, and perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and conjugation geometrically. They also calculate distances and midpoints in the complex plane using the modulus of a difference.

Trigonometric Functions and the Unit Circle

A major focus of Precalculus is trigonometry. Students explore radian measure, use the unit circle to extend trig functions to all real numbers, and apply special triangles to find exact values for sine, cosine, and tangent at key angles. They study symmetry, periodicity, inverse trig functions, and use trig identities — including the Pythagorean identity and addition and subtraction formulas — to solve real-world modeling problems.

  • Unit circle and radian measure
  • Sine, cosine, and tangent for special angles (π/3, π/4, π/6)
  • Inverse trigonometric functions
  • Pythagorean identity and addition/subtraction formulas
  • Law of Sines and Law of Cosines

Vectors and Matrices

Students represent vector quantities with directed line segments, find vector components, and perform vector addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication. They also work with matrices to represent data, perform matrix operations, understand matrix transformations of the plane, and solve systems of linear equations using inverse matrices.

Polynomials and Rational Expressions

Precalculus reinforces polynomial identities and the Binomial Theorem, including Pascal's Triangle for expanding (x + y)^n. Students add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational expressions, treating them as a closed system analogous to rational numbers.

Conic Sections

Students derive equations for parabolas given a focus and directrix, and for ellipses and hyperbolas given their foci. They also construct tangent lines from an external point to a circle.

Statistics and Probability

The course includes a robust statistics and probability unit. Students make inferences about populations from random samples, distinguish between surveys, experiments, and observational studies, and use simulation to evaluate models. Probability topics include conditional probability, the Addition Rule, the Multiplication Rule, random variables, expected value, and decision analysis.

  • Two-way frequency tables and conditional probability
  • Addition and Multiplication Rules for probability
  • Random variables and expected value
  • Probability distributions — theoretical and empirical
  • Analyzing decisions using probability

How StudyPug Supports New Jersey Precalculus Students

StudyPug provides video lessons and practice problems for every topic in New Jersey's Precalculus curriculum. Students can find their exact topic, watch a clear explanation, and immediately practice with problems — all aligned to the NJ Student Learning Standards for Math. Whether preparing for a test, catching up after a missed class, or getting ahead, StudyPug is available on any device, anytime.