ENGINEERING MATHS

Compiled and presented by

Doren Nedrick

Squares of Numbers
When

a number is multiplied by itself,

the product is called the square of the
given number.
Recall 22, read 2 squared means 2 x 2
= 4, so the square of 2 is 4
32 = 9 so the square of 3 is 9
42 = 16 so the square of 4 is 16
52 = 25 so the square of 5 is 25.

Finding the Square Root of a

Number
If

a number is a product of 2 identical

factors either factor is called a square
root of the number.
Example: 49 = 7 x 7 thus 7 is the
square root of 49
is the symbol for square root.
49 = 7;
25 = 5;
b2 = b

Equations
Consider

the statement: 3x + 6 = 18
This is an equation. It means that the
left hand side is equal to (i.e. the same
value as) the right hand side.

Solving Equations
Solving

an equation means finding the

number that the letter stands for so
that the two sides are equal.

Substituting numbers into a

Formula

Given

that Rf = R0 (1 + t)
Find Rf when R0 = 100 =
0.004/oC and t = 35oC
Rf = R0 (1 + t)

= 100 (1 + 0.004 X 35)

= 100 (1 + 0.14)

= 100 (1.14)

= 100 x 1.14

= 114

Changing the Subject of a

formula
Consider

the formula: RT = R1 + R2
Make R1 the subject of the formula
Take R2 from each side gives
RT

R2 = R1 + R2 R2
RT R 2 = R 1
i.e. R1 = RT R2

Example 1
The

total resistance of two resistors

connected in series is 75. The value
of one resistor is 33. What is the
value of the other one?

Example 2
Consider

POUT = PIN PLOSS (make PIN the

subject of the formula)
Add PLOSS to both sides give
POUT + PLOSS = PIN PLOSS + PLOSS
POUT

+ PLOSS = PIN
i.e. PIN = POUT + PLOSS

Activity
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

A motor develops 3 000W of power.

Calculate the input power to the motor if
it loses 350W due to mechanical loss,
copper and hysterisis loss.
POUT = PIN PLOSS
3000W = PIN 350W (add 350W to 2
sides)
3000W + 350W = PIN - 350W + 350W
3 350W = PIN
Hence PIN = 3 350W

Example 3
V

=IxR
same as V = IR
Dividing both sides by R
V = I x R
R
R
Well achieve V = I

R
i.e I = V

Exercise
Calculate

the current flow through a

circuit containing a resistance of 3
and supplied by a 12V battery.
R = 3
V = 12V
I = ?
V = I x R
12V = I x 3

Solution
V

=IxR
12V = I x 3 Divide both sides by 3
12V = I x 3
3
3
4A = I
Hence I = 4A

Example 4
Consider

P=E

t
Solve for E
Multiply both sides by t well achieve
P x t = E x 1
t
t
P x t = E
i.e. E = P x t

Indices
In

the number 23, the 3 is called the

index or power and 23 means 2 x 2 x 2.
Thus indices are a kind of shorthand
notation. All other forms of indices are
derived from this.
23 = 8

Multiplication of Indices
We

can multiply one number to a

power by the same number to another
power by adding the powers
Example:
52 x 5 4 = 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 = 5 6

Division of Indices
We

can also divide one number to a

power by the same number to another
power by subtracting the powers
Example: 25 22 = 23
25 2 2 = 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 2

2x2

Zero Indices
Consider

a 3 a3 =
Subtracting indices give a3 a3 = a0
=a x a xa

axaxa
Dividing gives
a3 a 3 = 1

a0 = 1 i.e. (any number)0 = 1

Negative Indices
Now

consider a3 a5
Subtracting indices gives a3 a5 = a-2
a3 = . a x a x a
.=1
a5
a x a x a x a x a a2
Therefore a-2 = 1

a2

Activity
102

x 103 =
1 103 =
10-6 1 =
10-6 10-9 =

Scientific notation
In

many disciplines of science and

engineering, very large and very small
numerical quantities must be managed.
Take for example the mass of a proton,
one of the constituent particles of an
atoms nucleus:
Proton mass =
0.00000000000000000000000167
grams

Standard Form
Or,

consider the number of electrons

passing by a point in a circuit every second
with a steady electric current of 1 amp:
1 amp = 6,250,000,000,000,000,000
electrons per second
A lot of zeros, isnt it? Obviously, it can get
quite confusing to have to handle so many
zero digits in numbers such as this, even
with the help of calculators and computers.

Standard form
0.00000000000000000000000167
1.67

x 10-24

6,250,000,000,000,000,000
6.25

x 1018

Summary
Engineering Metric Prefixes

Can you
name the
prefixes and
their
meaning?

peta

1015

tera

1012

giga

109

mega

106

kilo

103

Summary
Engineering Metric Prefixes

Can you
name the
prefixes and
their
meaning?

milli

103

micro

106

nano

109

pico

1012

femto

1015

Summary
Scientific and Engineering Notation
Very large and very small numbers are
represented with scientific and
engineering notation.
47,000,000 = 4.7 x 107 (Scientific Notation)
= 47. x 106 (Engineering Notation)

Summary
Scientific and Engineering Notation
0.000 027 = 2.7 x 10-5 (Scientific Notation)
= 27 x 10-6 (Engineering Notation)

0.605 = 6.05 x 10-1 (Scientific Notation)

= 605 x 10-3 (Engineering Notation)

Summary
Metric Conversions
Whenconvertingfromalargerunittoasmallerunit,
movethedecimalpointtotheright.Remember,a
smallerunitmeansthenumbermustbelarger.
Smaller unit
0.47 M = 470 k
Larger number

Summary
Metric Conversions
Whenconvertingfromasmallerunittoalargerunit,
movethedecimalpointtotheleft.Remember,a
largerunitmeansthenumbermustbesmaller.
Larger unit
10,000 pF = 0.01 F
Smaller number

Summary
Metric Arithmetic
Whenaddingorsubtractingnumberswithametric
prefix,convertthemtothesameprefixfirst.
10,000 + 22 k =
10,000 + 22,000 = 32,000
Alternatively,
10 k + 22 k = 32 k

Summary
Metric Arithmetic
Whenaddingorsubtractingnumberswithametric
prefix,convertthemtothesameprefixfirst.
200 + 1.0 mA =
200 A + 1,000 A = 1,200 A
Alternatively,
0.200 m + 1.0 mA = 1.2 mA

Exercise
What

is the total resistance of a

network with 10k, 500 and a
0.04M resistor?
What is the total current supplied to a
parallel network of resistors if 0.1A of
current flows through R1 10mA
through R2 and 1000A through R3?

Multiplication of engineering
notation
10k

x 1.2m =
10 x 103 x 1.2 x 10-3 =
10 x 1.2 = 12
103 x 10-3 = 100 or 1
Hence 10k x 1.2m = 12 x 1 = 12

Division of engineering
notation
12 = 12
1m
1 x 10-3

12

1 = 12
100 10-3 = 103
=

12 x 103 or 12k

= 12 x 100
1 x 10-3

Example 2
12

0.6 =
12 x 10-6
0.6 x 100
12 0.6 = 20
10-6 100 = 10-6
20

x 10-6 or 20

Example 3
A

copper cable 1500 m long (l), has a

cross-sectional area () of 25 x 10-6 m2.
The resistivity of copper () is 1.7 x 106 m. Calculate the resistance of the
cable
R = x l

=xl

R = 1.7 x 10-6 x 1500

25 x 10-6
R = 2550 x 10-6

25 x 10-6
R = 102

Exercise
1.

calculate the voltage drop across a

resistor of 22k if it carries 12mA of
current
2. An insulator has 15 A of current
flowing through it with 4.5kV across it.
What is its resistance?
3. What is the resistance of an AM/FM
radio if it draws 120mA from a 13.6Vdc
supply.