How do I enter my answers?

Learn to type your answers and check that they're being understood the way you want them to be.

The Basics

Entering an answer in Derivita is a lot like typing it into a calculator, but you'll only need to use the keys found on a normal keyboard.

Toolbar

When you click on an input box, the toolbar will show up. You can click the buttons to help you enter some things, or you can type them on your keyboard.

Examples:

Rounding vs. Exact Answers

Most questions want the exact answer, so don't round your answer unless the question says to.

When a question tells you to round, only round when you're ready to enter your final answer. If you round the numbers while you're still working, your answer might be a little bit off.

Simplifying Your Answer

If you're supposed to simplify your answer, the question will tell you to. Otherwise, you're allowed to enter any answer that works out to be the same.

Preview Window

The preview window next to the input box shows you how the computer understands what you've typed. Use it to make sure that your answer looks the way that you expect.

⚠️ Invalid Input

If Derivita doesn't understand what you've entered, the preview will show Invalid Input.

✅ Check Answer

At the bottom of each question, there's a Check Answer button. When you're ready to see if your answers are right, click this button to submit them.

If you use up all your attempts, the solution will show up at the bottom.”

Then (if there are other versions of the question for you to try) "Check Answer" button will change to "Try Similar Question". Click it to get a new question and try again.

It doesn't matter how many times it takes you to get the right answer; you'll still get all the points.

Submitting Your Assignment

Once you get through the questions within your assignment, you will see your Assignment Summary which shows the number of attempts on each question and the score you received for each question. Questions that have not been attempted, will have the icon.

To complete and submit your assignment, please click the designated button at the bottom of the summary page:

Homework Assignments
Quizzes
Exams

📌 Proper Formatting for Entering Your Answers

Here are some tips for entering different kinds of answers:

Fractions

To enter a fraction, type / for the division, or choose from the toolbar. Example: a/b
If the top or bottom of the fraction has more than one symbol, put parentheses around that part. Example: (a+b)/(cd)

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Mixed Numbers

To enter a mixed number, leave a space between the whole number and the fraction. Example: a b/c

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Lists

To type a list, put commas between the items. Example: a,b,c

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Exponents

To enter an exponent, type the symbol ^      to mean “raised to the power of”, or choose from the toolbar. Examples: a^b sin^2(x)   If your exponent has more than one symbol, put parentheses around the whole exponent. Example: a^(b + c)
To enter fractional exponents, put parentheses around the fraction.  Example: a^(b/c)

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Plus or Minus

To enter answers with a plus-or-minus sign, enter the "plus" version, then a comma, then the "minus" version. Example: To enter 2 ± sqrt(5) you would type 2 + sqrt(5), 2 - sqrt(5)

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Inputting Matrices

To input a matrix, all you have to do is type each row as a list, separating the items with commas. Whenever you need to create a new row, simply press Enter. There is no need to use parentheses or brackets. Example: a,b c,d a+b,c+1 d+e,1+0 3,9+a

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Free Response Input

Certain questions may require you to provide a written answer that will be graded by your teacher. To format your response, utilize the formatting options available at the bottom of the input box. You can format mathematical expressions by typing them out, highlighting the desired portion, and then clicking on the icon. How do I answer free-response questions?

(a,b]

(x,y)U([w,z)

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Inequality/Input Range

Use of symbols like <, >,<=,>= for inequalities. Example: x<=1 y>=h

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Repeating Decimals

To input repeating decimals, follow the format 1.3^_3. Example: 1.3^_3

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Square Root

To input the square root function, you have two options. You can either click on the symbol located on the toolbar or type sqrt(expression). Example: sqrt(x-y)

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nth Root Input

You can enter other roots by clicking the on the toolbar or by typing nth_root(index, expression). Example: nth_root(a,xy^z)

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Degree Symbol

To enter the degree symbol, simply type deg after the value or click the icon. Example: 13 deg

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Ratio

To enter a ratio, you can type a colon between two numbers or click the icon. Example: x:y

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Sorting

To sort, click an item, then click where you want it to go.

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Graphs and Other Interactive Problems

To zoom in on a graph, hold down the shift key and scroll. If you need to move the graph, hold down shift while you click and drag.

To move the points on a graph or number line, click and drag them.