MATH IN DAILY LIFE

A Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance E-Course

THE HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS

Like every other invention, mathematics has its origin. The more complex the society, the more complex the needs. The primitive tribe had little mathematical needs beyond counting. The complex society had demands for building, conquering armies and managing large capital assets.

THE OPERATION OF COUNTING

Counting began more than 50,000 years ago and many people, even today, in complex societies have trouble counting. You will often see the concept of 2 x 2 =4 as advanced math, while for others counting past three is very difficult.

PLACE VALUE
In our decimal number system, the value of a digit depends on its place, or position, in the number. Each place has a value of 10 times the place to its right. A number in standard form is separated into groups of three digits using commas. Each of these groups is called a period. Click on the following link and complete the quiz http://www.math.com/school/subject1/lessons/S1U1L1G L.html Click the Start, Stop, and Reset buttons on the digital counter below to understand more about how the place value works.

DECIMALS
The zero and the counting numbers (1,2,3,...) make up the set of whole numbers. But not every number is a whole number. Our decimal system lets us write numbers of all types and sizes, using a clever symbol called the decimal point As you move right from the decimal point, each place value is divided by 10 Click on the following link and complete the quiz http://www.math.com/school/subject1/lessons/S1U1L2GL .html Move your mouse cursor over the decimal number below to see its parts

FRACTIONS
In a fraction, the denominator tells us how many parts the whole is divided into, and the numerator tells us how many of those parts we're dealing with. Here are some other important fraction terms to review: Proper fraction: numerator is less than the denominator Improper fraction: numerator is greater than or equal to denominator Mixed number: whole number and a fraction Equivalent fractions: fractions that represent the same number Reciprocal: the multiplicative inverse of a number For a fraction, it's obtained by "turning the fraction over"

FRACTIONS IN ACTION
One way to think of a fraction is as a division problem that hasn't been done yet. Why do we even use fractions? Why don't we just divide the two numbers and use the decimal instead?

Fractions were invented long before decimal numbers, as a way of showing portions less than 1 or a whole, and they're still hanging around. They're used in cooking, in building, in sewing, in the stock market; they are everywhere, and we need to understand them.

FRACTIONS IN ACTION
We can read a fraction as three-fourths, three over four, or three divided by four Every fraction can be converted to a decimal by dividing. If you use the calculator to divide 3 by 4, you'll find that it is equal to 0.75

FRACTIONS IN ACTION ~ PRACTICE

Fractions are also used as Ratios and Proportions.

A ratio is a comparison of two numbers. We generally separate the two numbers in the ratio with a colon (:). Suppose we want to write the ratio of 8 and 12. We can write this as 8:12 or as a fraction 8/12, and we say the ratio is eight to twelve. Lets say there are 12 socks in your drawer. 5 are red and 7 are blue. The ratio of red socks would be 5:12 or 5/12 or written as five to twelve and the ratio of blue socks would be 7:12 or 7/12 or written as seven to twelve. A proportion is an equation with a ratio on each side. It is a statement that two ratios are equal. 3/4 = 6/8 is an example of a proportion. So when looking at the example of ratios above the Proportion statement would read 5/12 = 7/12.
Click on the link and practice the fractions. http://www.math.com

USING PERCENTS
Because "Percent" means "per 100" you should think "this should always be divided by 100" So 75% really means 75/100 And 100% is 100/100, or exactly 1 (100% of any number is just the number, unchanged)

And 200% is 200/100, or exactly 2 (200% of any number is twice the number)
We can use the percent symbol (%) as a handy way to write a fraction with a common denominator of 100. For example, instead of saying "8 out of every 100 professional basketball players are female," we can say "8% of professional basketball players are female A percent can always be written as a decimal, and a decimal can be written as a percent, by moving the decimal point two places to the right (like 75% = .75)

KNOWING YOUR BASIC FORMULAS

You can use simple formulas in Excel 2007 to add, subtract, multiply, and divide. For example, you can use prewritten formula called the SUM function to find totals such as your total monthly expenses. Excel updates the results if the numbers change later.

How Do Numbers Affect Everyday Decisions?

Savings and Credit You are very likely to lose money because of your everyday decisions if you are not aware of some basic facts. Many people collect only 1 to 3% interest on money in a savings account while paying 18 to 20% on Credit Card balances. Over time, this can mean heavy money losses.

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS

Interest When you put money in a savings account, the bank pays you interest on what amount you deposit. The bank is paying you for the privilege of borrowing your money. The same is true for the interest you pay on a loan you take from the bank or the money you borrow from a credit card.

CALCULATING INTEREST
Interest is expressed as a rate, such as 3% or 18%. The dollar amount of the interest you earn on a savings account is by multiplying the money you deposit (called the principal) by the rate of the interest. If you have $100 in an account that pays 1% interest, you will earn $1 in interest. If you were paid 5% interest, you will earn $5.

POPULATION GROWTH
In the last few centuries, the population of the Earth has increased. By the year 2000, there was 10 times more people on Earth than there were 300 years ago. Population grows the same way that money grows. The difference is that money can increase without limits while population cannot.

PUT YOUR MONEY TO WORK

Money Growth With money, growth comes by making interest on your money. The interest that you make eventually increases your money Your money grows when it is left in the bank to earn interest.

GROWING INTEREST Loan $300.00 $500.00 Interest Rate 1% 5% Interest Earned $3.00 $25.00

$1000.00

10%

$100.00

HOW POPULATION INCREASE AFFECTS OUR RESOURCES

Population Growth Population grows in the same way that money grows when it gains interest in the bank. With population growth, new members increase the numbers. The population rapidly grows as time passes.

WORLD POPULATION

Year
1700 1800 1900 2000

Population
600,000,000 900,000,000 1,500,000,000 6,000,000,000

HOME DECORATING AND REMODELING

What does Math have to do with home decorating or remodeling? All remodeling needs to work within a budget. Understanding geometry helps us to understand how to measure a distance between two points, the volume of water in a pool, the angle that you serve. To determine measurement just use this simple formula: Area = L x W Example: A = 22 feet x 12 feet A = 264 Square feet

Cooking By Numbers
Most of us have had to learn how to follow a recipe. The ingredients relate to each other using quantities. This is called a ratio. If a recipe asks for 1 egg and 2cups of flour, the relationship of eggs to cups of flour is 1 to 2. In mathematical terms it can be written in two ways: or 1:2 (the results must be edible so no mistakes!)

The Universal Language

Mathematics is the only language shared by all humans regardless of culture, religion, or gender.

Adding up the cost of a basket full of groceries is the same math process whether the total is expressed in dollars, rubies, or yen.

THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

Math can determine DNA, planetary motion, diseases, or calculate distance from one country to another. We can make recipes, build computers and transfer information around the world.

Math is for all of us. It is about making better daily decisions and leading richer, fuller lives.

RELATED RESOURCES
To find out more about how math can help you with everyday problems and decisions, browse the following websites. http://www.math.com http://ts.nist.gov http://www.learner.org/interactives /dailymath/

Thank you for participating in this Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance E-course.