Determinant of a 3x3 matrix

The  exercise appears under the Precalculus Math Mission. This exercise practices calculating the determinant of a 3x3 matrix.

Types of Problems
There is one type of problem in this exercise:


 * 1) Find the determinant: This problem asks the student to find the determinant of a 3x3 matrix. The student is expected to find the correct determinant and write it in the space provided.Do3b3m1.png

Strategies
Knowledge of the mechanics behind calculating determinants is encouraged to ensure success on this exercise.
 * 1) The determinant of a 3x3 matrix can be found by expanding by minors along a row or column.
 * 2) If the entries of the matrix are a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h and i, the determinant is: a(ei-fh)-b(di-fg)+c(dh-eg) which can be programmed into a calculator.
 * 3) Many calculators can already take determinants of these matrices.

Real-life Applications

 * 1) Matrices are the foundational concept in linear algebra.
 * 2) Matrices can be a method for efficiently solving systems of linear equations.