Wiibates
How much should Nintendo charge for the Wii U?
Students will
- Use historical data to determine the amount of monthly revenue generated by the Wii U at different prices
- Model the profit Nintendo earns for each sale of a Wii U console using a linear equation
- Construct a linear equation that models demand for a game console in terms of its retail price, and interpret its important features in the context of game console sales
- Combine two linear relationships in order to produce and graph a quadratic equation that describes the relationship between retail price and total profit
- Use symmetry arguments to find the maximum value of a parabola and interpret its coordinates as the profit-maximizing price and total profit
- Discuss the other factors, besides price, that Nintendo might have taken into account in order to make its decision about the Wii U discount
Before you begin
Students should be able to write the equation of a line given two points, and they should be able to interpret the important features of a linear equation. Some familiarity with quadratic function will also be useful, though this lesson can be used to teach students how to find the maximum of a quadratic function given its roots.Common Core Standards
Content Standards
Mathematical Practices
Shoutouts
Nintendo, CNN
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