Should one understand proofs for AP Calculus?

<p>I'm at the differen't differential rules (i.e. Power Rule, Constant Multiple Rule) and my text provides proofs for each one. Should I take the time to go over each one and attempt to prove them myself? Will they be useful for the AP exam?</p>

<p>They're not necessary, but it'll help you understand the stuff better</p>

<p>and god.. my teacher assigns us like 4-5 hrs of hw every other day... like 40-50ish problems. Is that normal?</p>

<p>You will thank your teacher in college :D</p>

<p>If it's taking you 4-5 hours to do 40-50ish problems, then you're taking too long to do them, or at the minimum, aren't improving your speed as you go. :)</p>

<p>While the AP Calculus exam hasn't tested on proofs as far back as I can remember, the skills underlying several of the proofs are pretty useful, and some college professors will assume that you either know or can duplicate them.</p>

<p>Well I guess it is because I take breaks in between but I go really fast (I write non stop) and the teacher wants you to draw ALL graphs and write each problem out and show all the work.</p>

<p>It takes my friends the same amount of time so...</p>

<p>If you're going into a technical field that actually utilizes math, it's highly recommended.... in fact, even if you aren't. If you don't have the time or aren't very interested (your field of study), understanding basic theory and application is just fine.</p>

<p>Really, it depends a lot on the teacher. Some classes have a strong focus on proofs and theory and have their tests structured as such. I feel bad for Calc 1 classes that actually cover epsilon-delta proofs.</p>

<p>You should ALWAYS read proofs, even if they aren't necessary at the moment. And 40-50 problems per week doesn't seem normal to me, even in college. I take Honors Multivariable Calculus, and my problem sets are 10-15 questions, which take between 1-2 hours.</p>

<p>The proofs are best if explained. I think it's a great fundamental, though it doesn't need to be memorized.</p>