[Becky]

How does one learn math? I've been taught some stuff, and it just isn't clicking!

and I mean.. most math isn't clicking.. I still have trouble skip counting!! and I can't multiply without skip counting (I don't know what 8x6 is without going 6, 12, 18, etc)

And when it comes to fractions?!?! I'm lost!! I can't remember the difference between solving a fraction that is added, verses solving one through multiplication or division!

And percentegis, they baffle me! not to mention decimaols to fractions are lost to me.

and that's just scratching the serfice of my stupidity.

anyone know how I could understand this stuff????

[Brian-Alexander]

gosh what mathe u in?

[perhaps]

It just got pounded into me day after day, year after year at school. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things.

[Mike Graham]

Originally Posted by Brian-Alexander

gosh what mathe u in?

She is homeschooled.

[GMartin2R]

Originally Posted by perhaps

It just got pounded into me day after day, year after year at school. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things. Repetition is a good way to remember things.

yeah basically... it came fairly easy for me until algebra level math. when counting by x number i try to look for a pattern that i can remember. fir example going by 9's the ones digit will always be 1 smaller than the last one. 9, 18, 27, 36, etc, etc... finding patterns can be helpful. then combining that with memorizing multiplication and division tables also helps. that's the start point. from there i've been working on trying to do things in my head more. on paper i can write out something and solve it but when i dont have to be exact i'm trying to work with rounded numbers to get a rough answer. basically practice, time, and usage are big keys to learning anything. the more you use a skill the sharper it becomes...

[Becky]

Originally Posted by Brian-Alexander

gosh what mathe u in?

well.. I'm in algibra level...

and I'm NOT a good example of homeschooling.. yeah, most homeschoolers are top of the line... I'm a discrace to our name,

thanks for the suggestions guys repetition, ok, I'll try to practice more.

any chance one of you could teach me how to change a decimal to a fraction?? (and vice versa).. and any chance you'd show me how to work with percentages? (especially stuff like figuring if you payed ____ for food, and are leaving a __% tip.. how much money do you leave?)

I'll give the person who helps me rep points!!

(hey, every math tutor I ever had bailed out on me... I've GOT to resort to bribory )

[JerryLove]

We got side-traced by food or sleep or some other trivial thing

Back in my day we did that through muliplication tabes. You memorized everything from 2 to 9 and then just iterated for numebrs over 10, multiplying each number in sequence.

I must admit these days I'm more prone to use a "fuzzy multiplication" where I take a known number and adjust.

For example, 150*25 I'd turn into 2500 (100*25)+1250(25*5 then add the zero)... or for 98*457, I migh take 45,700 and subtract 914. I find this a lot easier to do in my head, and I never write anything down until we start discussing algorithims and the like.

And when it comes to fractions?!?! I'm lost!! I can't remember the difference between solving a fraction that is added, verses solving one through multiplication or division!

Start by thinking of them in real terms... Rather than 1/2+1/2 and 1/2*1/2, think "one-half and another one-half" and "one half *of* one-half" and then try to express this mathmatically.

For multiplying, just connect that middle line and multiply both halves like seperate equasions (they are).

And percentegis, they baffle me! not to mention decimaols to fractions are lost to me.

Just think of "%" as a notation that says "move the decimal 2 places to the left".

and that's just scratching the serfice of my stupidity.

Now, I'm gonna give you a different way to think about fractions and decimals that may help, and may confuse. Fractions are all unsolved equasions, decimals are all fractions with known denominators..

Remember that in computer notation "/" is the symbol for divsion.
0.1 = 1/10
0.01 = 1/100
50.5% = 50.5/100 = 505/1000

This helps in a couple ways.. firstly, since a fraction is an unsolved equasion with non-fractions, you can look at all of these in the same way (learn to work with unsolved equasions and you don't have to fret the details). Secondly, unsolved equasions will become very common in later math.

[SccHarpGirl]

Becky

To change a fraction into a decimal, you divide the numerator by the denominator. Simple as that

And Jerry's right about decimal to fraction: Remember place value? That's where it comes in handy: 0.25 goes to 25/100. So then you just need to simplify it: 25/100 can be reduced to 1/4

As for leaving a percent tip at restaurants, I must tell you I simply approximate LOL... but if you want to figure it out, I convert the percent into a decimal. This is easy, just move the decimal place two to the left: 25% becomes .25 Then multiply your total by .25 to get the amount. Obviously, a 25% tip is really really large, though. So let's say you and your friend payed $22.00 for food at Red Robin. You want to leave a 8% tip (I don't know what the going rate is for tips...). Eight percent converts to 0.08, so you multiply that by 22, and you get $1.76.

If you're in a restaurant and want to leave a tip, the simplest thing to do is to calculate 10%, because that's easy to do in your head, and then adjust based on whether you wanted a bigger or smaller tip (for instance, if you wanted an eight percent tip, it would be easier to calculate out 10% and then just approximate how much less eight percent was). Using our $22 example, all you have to do to get ten percent of that is move the decimal place one spot to the left: $22.00 becomes $2.20 cents. Then if you wanted to leave a lesser tip than 10%, you just subtract a few cents: Say, leave just 2 bucks or something.

Hope this helped you, if you need any more help let me know, even though I'm not the world's greatest math student either.

[Becky]

Originally Posted by SCCHarpGirl

To change a fraction into a decimal, you divide the numerator by the denominator. Simple as that

I feel REALLY stupid now... what is the numerator, and the denominator? how do you tell the difference??

[LauroMoura]

Originally Posted by Becky

I feel REALLY stupid now... what is the numerator, and the denominator? how do you tell the difference??

The numerator will be divided by the denominator.

24/5 => 24 is the num., and 5 is the denom.
It's the upside number in a fraction

[SccHarpGirl]

Originally Posted by Becky

I feel REALLY stupid now... what is the numerator, and the denominator? how do you tell the difference??

The numerator is the number on top, and the denominator is on the bottom. I.E. If you have the fraction 5/8, it reads Five Eighths. Five is the numerator and eight is the denominator.

[jmpeter316]

When in doubt x = 1. (Good rule of thumb)

No, but seriously, if you ever have a really mathe question that you need answered (anything from like 1 + 1 to multi-variable calc) a really good website is www.drmath.com. You can ask questions online to someone who will help you...fast!!!

It also is a great resource for learning about different ways to "do" math...

Peace.

Jay

[SccHarpGirl]

Thank you for that website! I'll be using that in AP Calc this year: I'm an okay math student but I'll be sure to need help!

*noelle*

[jbm222]

How do you learn math? Practice more piano. There has been legitimate research that suggests playing a musical instrument can improve your math skills.


when I do have a hard time with a concept, what I'll do is go back to the most basic ideas behind it and work through things very slowly until it makes sense. When you're having a hard time with a long problem, break it down into as many small problems as possible, and work each part one at time.

[Add 'em up]

I've always thought that a good tip at a restaurant is around 15%. So I usually just double the tax, which is usually around 8%, and I end up giving a tip that is just above my 15% target. Plus, it takes away most of the multiplication difficultly

BTW, mathematics is one of my majors, so let me know if ya'll need help on anything. I'll try my best.

I don't know how much I can help though because I usually deal with Greek letters now, not numbers (they really need a better geek smilie)