Mathematics Education

Quote: Wizard

I get contacted by journalists all the time about gambling questions. With rare exception, their skill with words comes at the expense of that with math.

Count me as one of those types.

It’s strange. I remember in Chem being the one in class that came the closest to figuring out the number of He molecules in the Goodyear blimp. Some kinds of math I’m at least “acceptable”, maybe even proficient.

But most math just short circuits my mind, even the simple stuff. We were talking about silver bullets in my gun thread, and I guessed that at 180/7,000s of a pound, it would take about 2.5 bullets to make an ounce. That number was obtained by nothing more than common sense and supposition. I’m sure everyone here could say exactly how many bullets p/oz even if it went 10 decimal places, but something even that elementary is beyond my ability.

Math – how does it work? =P

Quote: Wizard

With rare exception, their skill with words comes at the expense of that with math.

I'm always amazed that the government and better business bureau lets companies have these The Mortgage Reduction Plan.

Here is a company that would collect $2500 in fees over the life of the sample mortgage, and the mortgagee could accomplish the same goal by adding an extra $100 per monthly payment.

Using the sample mortgage, I've heard it argued that if someone has a $1200 principal and interest payment, some people find it easier to make a biweekly payment of $600 + $3.95 fee then to make a monthly payment of $1300 (principal and interest). Theoretically that may be true, but there should be a law requiring them to state that fact in their solicitation and let the customer decide.

Quote: Face

I remember in Chem being the one in class that came the closest to figuring out the number of He molecules in the Goodyear blimp.

Not to pick, but you meant He atoms because helium is inert and monoatomic at all believable conditions of temperature and pressure... :P

Gold and Silver being precious metals would be traded by the Troy ounce.

Mortgage Reduction... look for the next wave of frauds in descriptions of Reverse Mortgages wherein "you continue to own your home" but people find out that if some medical condition put them in a hospital for a year, they no longer own their home.

Quote: Face

to figuring out the number of He molecules in the Goodyear blimp.

And you ain't never had to know this figure again in your entire life.
Most math errors are in conversion factors so knowing how many milliliters there are in two hundred acre feet doesn't help much.

Helium? Its supposedly inert but most of those "noble" gases go through the blood brain barrier and put the brain to sleep and face it folks, if the gas is inert how does it put the brain to sleep? We don't know. Yet doctors still use it.

Quote: Fleastiff

And you ain't never had to know this figure again in your entire life.
Most math errors are in conversion factors so knowing how many milliliters there are in two hundred acre feet doesn't help much.

Helium? Its supposedly inert but most of those "noble" gases go through the blood brain barrier and put the brain to sleep and face it folks, if the gas is inert how does it put the brain to sleep? We don't know. Yet doctors still use it.

It can be inert (not cause a reaction) but still displace other gases and cause an effect.

Besides which, this article suggests that people do know why Xenon puts people to sleep:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenon#Anesthesia

Quote: chickenman

Not to pick, but you meant He atoms because helium is inert and monoatomic at all believable conditions of temperature and pressure... :P

Is the sun so unbelievable? Hmmm? =p

Lol j/k. You got me =)

Quote: Fleastiff

Gold and Silver being precious metals would be traded by the Troy ounce.

When I come to power, I will of course promote peace and harmony throughout the world so that we all may live in our own personal nirvanas. However, I will wage a war to end all wars to bring an end any and all use of Imperialistic measurements.

METRIC OR DIE!

Face in 2016.

Quote: Face

METRIC OR DIE!

Troy weight probably takes its name from the French market town of Troyes in France where English merchants traded almost 1200 years ago.

The avoirdupois pound, also known as the wool pound, first came into general use roughly 700 years ago. The pound avoirdupois was divided into 16 ounces. It was initially equal to 6992 troy grains (437 grains per ounce). During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the avoirdupois pound was redefined as 7,000 troy grains (437.5 grains per ounce).

The metric system is, of course, a little over 200 years old.

So Troy ounces are about 500 years older than the ounce we use today, and over a 1000 years older than the metric system.

Good Luck in changing it.

Quote: Pacomartin

Good Luck in changing it.

Near as I can figure, we stubborn Americans are the last hurdle to a world of common sense measurements. As an economic superpower, our adoption of the metric would be the nail in the coffin to feet, rods, stone, miles, pounds, ounces, quarts, gallons, pints, and all other convoluted types of measure.

Ladies, the number which represents your weight would instantly halve. No pills, no diet, no exercise. Poof! 150 goes to, like, 70.

Men, who wants to drive a 350ci? BAM! 5,000cc’s of tire ripping fury! Raaahrr!!

No longer will cakes be ruined by double or half recipe conversions! No longer will our Imperial sockets round off the bolts of foreign goods! The time has come! The future is now!

METRIC OR DIE!

Face in 2016.