Text Formatting ⇒ Multicols Alignment ISsue

[coachbennett1981]

I have been looking online to find a similar post, but I can't find the one I made years ago. You can see that my alignment is off. I am trying to align my number in each column with the number directly across from it. See questions 8,9,10 and how the alignment is off. Any help would be appreciated.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=.5in]{geometry}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{multicol}

\begin{document}


\subsection*{Derivatives with Product and Quotient Rules}
Find the derivative of each of the functions below.  Be sure to show your work. 
    \begin{multicols}{2}
        \begin{enumerate}
            \item $y=\big(4x-4\big)\big(\sqrt{x}+2\big)$
                \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=\dfrac{x+4}{x-4}$
                 \vspace{1.5in} 
            \item $y=\dfrac{x^3}{x-1}$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=11-x^6\cos x$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=2x^2e^x$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=x^7\tan x-\sqrt{x}$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=\Big(x+\dfrac{1}{x}\Big)\Big(x-\dfrac{1}{x}\Big)$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=x^3\cos x-9x$
            	\vspace{1.5in}
	   \item $\dfrac{x^8+3x+7}{x^2}$
	   	\vspace{1.5in}
	   \item $y=2\sin x\big(e^x\big)$
	   	\vspace{1.5in}
	\item $y=\dfrac{\tan x}{x}$
		\vspace{1.5in}
	\item $y=\dfrac{\sin x}{10x}+\dfrac{10x}{\sin x}$
		\vspace{1.5in}
        \end{enumerate}
        		\vspace{1.5in}
    \end{multicols}
   \end{document}

[Ijon Tichy]

The height and depth of formulas with \dfrac is different from formulas without \dfrac. So this is somehow like you would have the same distance between boxes with different height and depth: Because of the different height and depth they are not aligned, if the distance between them is the same. You have either adapt the distance between the boxes (or in your example the formulas) or you have to give them the same height and depth. Here I use \vphantom to try the second suggestion:

Code: Select all

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=.5in]{geometry}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{multicol}

\begin{document}


\subsection*{Derivatives with Product and Quotient Rules}
Find the derivative of each of the functions below.  Be sure to show your work. 
    \begin{multicols}{2}
        \begin{enumerate}
            \item $y=\big(4x-4\big)\big(\sqrt{x}+2\big)$
                \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=\dfrac{x+4}{x-4}$
                 \vspace{1.5in} 
            \item $y=\dfrac{x^3}{x-1}$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=11-x^6\cos x$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=2x^2e^x\vphantom{\dfrac{a}{b}}$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=x^7\tan x-\sqrt{x}\vphantom{\dfrac{a}{b}}$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=\Big(x+\dfrac{1}{x}\Big)\Big(x-\dfrac{1}{x}\Big)$
                 \vspace{1.5in}
            \item $y=x^3\cos x-9x\vphantom{\dfrac{a}{b}}$
            	\vspace{1.5in}
	   \item $\dfrac{x^8+3x+7}{x^2}$
	   	\vspace{1.5in}
	   \item $y=2\sin x\big(e^x\big)$
	   	\vspace{1.5in}
	\item $y=\dfrac{\tan x}{x}$
		\vspace{1.5in}
	\item $y=\dfrac{\sin x}{10x}+\dfrac{10x}{\sin x}$
		\vspace{1.5in}
        \end{enumerate}
        		\vspace{1.5in}
    \end{multicols}
   \end{document}

Using \parbox[c][<height>][c]{<width>}{$…$} with always the same and sufficient <height> for all the items could also help.