Whats the point of Math?

Customgamer1

For the last 5 hours I have been working on Algebra and have not been doing very well in it. Before I was working on it I was talking to someone at work about it and we both agree 90% of math we learn in school is pointless and dumb. Maybe it's to early in life to understand why I am learning how to factor or do word problems but I do in fact think I will EVER use them in my life. I long since forgot how to do long division because of the years since I learned it in 2nd grade I have been loading up on very not important information about math. I loved math when I was young because the basic learning how to count things was very cool. 2 oranges plus 2 oranges = 4 oranges. Now since that point we have been faced with so many different kinds of math problems and all they are trying to do is make you think and use up your brain cells.

I think we should stop learning math in 6th grade and just brush up on it every grade past that point on the basic need to know syle math.

If it were up to me I would BAN all math unless they could come up with 5 VERY good reasons that it's important to learn because you may use it one day in your life. Well the only time I have used this math that I have learned is only to pass the class and classes like it. See they could teach the basic math since there are more than 5 good reasons why you should know it lol.

Other than learning +, -, X and divide is it really that important unless you want to become a math teacher to learn? Ask your parents to do some math or any older person or better yet ask yourself. I bet the adverage person out of college will forget how to do almost everything within 2 to 5 years because they never used it once coming out of school.

So lets test some of your math skills with some algebra word problems.

Distance = Rate X Time
1. It takes a passenger train 2 hr less time than it takes a freight train to make the trip from central city to clear creek. The passenger train averages 96 km/h, while the freight train averages 64 km/h. How far is it from Central City to Clear creek?

How about this one:
2. Cord camera charges $9 for processing a 24 exposure roll of film and $12.60 for processing a 36 exposure roll of film. After jack's field trip to ovserve a variety of architectural styles, he took 17 rolls of film to cord camera and paid $171 for processing. How many rolls of each type were processed?

dj_stick

1.
d=distance t=time
96(t-2)=64t
d=64t

96(t-2)=64t
64t=96t-192
-32t=-192
32t=192
t=6

d=64*6
d=384

distance= 384km

2.
x= 24exp, y= 36exp

171=9x+12.6y
17=x+y

171=9x+12.6y
153=9x+9y

18=3.6y

y=5

17=x+5
x=12

12 24exp rolls, and 5 36 exp rolls

Yousaif

Awww poor baby having troubles with algebra?

I use algrebraic problem solving almost daily. Sometimes just for the hell of it. Math is more important to you being able to navigate your way through life in today's age than just about anything else.

How will you know if you are being cheated on your paycheck if you can't figure out how to check the math? What if they seem to be taking out too much in payroll taxes? Sales tax on an item in a store is figured out using math. Figuring your mileage that you are getting on your car can be a way of diagnosing an engine issue before it blows up.

Quit crying and do your homework- and just be happy that you are getting an education.

nerdrock

Math is the most important subject in school, in my opinion, and i failed calculus 3 times :P

I work as an IT-monkey so to speak, as many of the locals to this board do, and i use it EVERY day. English class isn't going to give me the brain power to figure out how to calculate stuff that salesman/engineers/accounting/purchasing/factory workers need to know. Math class did!

example:

user puts in dimensions for a frame. a length and a width, in inches. We need to round each dimension up to the nearest 2 foot increment.

NewWidth = Int((Width / 24) + 1) * 2
NewHeight = Int((Height / 24) + 1) * 2


Simple stuff. I have a 2 year degree from a community college that arguably any retard can achieve, and i make a laughable salary.

conclusion:

everyone uses math to some extent. some more than others. Specific areas may not necessarily come to use, but it's the problem solving skills that your brain develops in that area , that counts.

Vikingod

When I was younger, i felt the same way about math. didn't understand it in highschool, and not much better in college (though i gained an appreciation for it). I use math every day, algebra specifically. I don't do computer work, I do financial analysis. Math is incredibly important, and to truly understand the universe, math is the cornerstone of that. The trick is to not look at it like a bunch of numbers and signs, and look at it visually. Its hard to do, but once you get to it, math makes much more sense. Try reading some of Stephen Hawkins books, they opened up doors for me.

Maddogg6

When I first read this I thought 'wow, is this guys being a dick'.

Then it hit me its the FWZ - not the 'emotional support Forum' - much less the 'coddle spoiled brat forum' - so... (sorry yousaif)
Yeah. - Quit your god damn whining - be happy some ones willing to pay (most likely, that would be ALL OF US tax payers) to teach your sorry ass anything.

You have a great attitude..... if your goal in life is working at McDonalds solely to: buy that shiny new bong; get free or discounted munchies; struggle with the damn computers they have now that does ALL the math for you; and be just like the looser you relieve when your part time shift starts.
But I digress - I hear many have struggles with math they couldn't directly relate to, and I suspect you might be the same way....

So, heres a problem you *may* be able to relate to (and easier to grasp)...
Part A
If you normally buy rag weed for $25 an ounce (rounded to 28 grams) - and because its rag weed you have to smoke 2.2 grams a day to keep your sorry ass stoned in school all day. But, your dealer informs you that hes 'all out' after selling you his last ounce, and it will take a month before he can sell you any more. Are you gonna 'last' until then with what you just bought?

Part B
A month passes (you've been out for more than 2 weeks, as you've smoked even more because the math was too much to deal with in part A, and are really jones'n (desperate) for more by now - when no other dealers want to sell to an obvious moron) - You call your dealer and he says hes got some 'really good shit for $100 for a half an ounce' (rounded 14 grams). It would most likely last longer because its 'good shit'. But, now you have friends to share with, because like an insecure baby, you bragged to them what great shit you have and your new friends are all dead beat leeches. Are you still a whining dumbass? (don't bother applying math - the answers is 'yes')
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Why do I say you are whining dumbass.

Because your complaining about never needing math - when the examples YOU posted ARE (excellent) real life situations ANYONE *should* be able to relate to. Obviously you are unable to relate to making purchases in a store (taxes added must be a gov't conspiricy designed to 'mess with your head' or something) or dont care how long your friends (if any arent too stoned to remember the date?) and family (if they still care?) wait for your inebriated ass and train to arrive (because you dont care about anything but yourself) - your a dumbass. And now whining. Dumbass.

Ok - so Im redifinging this forum to the 'Flame War and Make Assumptions Zone' (FWAMA) - sue me. Like for 'assuming the dumbass can read/understand' this post.

/Red Foreman

Sandok

If you find THAT tough, thank god you aren't doing matrices, vecotrial geometry and stastical economics that are all math based.

Math is the only universal subject, learn it well Numbers rule!

Customgamer1

Well Maddog I don't smoke btw. I was just having one late night with the damn math book. I do understand we need math. Also being in college I pay for my classes. At least in my career we will not need to know advanced math to be good at my craft. Heating and A/C. You need to know math but nothing to fancy.

CDsDontBurn

as long as it's being turned in on paper, it's all gravy. My school is being dumb fucks about how they teach the majority of their math classes. They're all being taught in class through a website. The teacher is completely unimportant aside from the fact that he needs to be there to give us the password to log into the website's test bank for us to take our tests.

I'd be much happier if the school taught math the old fashioned way....with paper and pencil.

SFOSOK

Matrices aren't that bad.

Vikinggod is right though, I think math gives people a better understanding of how things work in the world as almost every problem can be solved or figured out by math or at least statistics.

Grace

That's simply not true. On the contrary, everything but art and social sciences (and I'm not sure of the latter since being in social relationships myself I DO use some math from time to time) requires a vast knowledge of mathematics and you are going to use them daily. For example there is no electric or mechanic engineer who can even work without a vast knowledge of algebra, far above the level you are now. You cannot even attend financial or business studies if you don't know statistics better than your own biography. And for computer studies, programming and electronics, I don't even feel the need to mention that 90% of the studies are based on mathematics. Everything derives from mathematics, from physics to economy.

I vastly dislike mathematics myself so I know how you feel, but you certainly are going to need them, whether you like it or not.


PS. If these problems were college algebra, I feel...sad. I did these in elementary for Christ's sake...

dj_stick

yeah they are yr 11 standard here in aus (graduate secondary school after yr 12)

SFOSOK

Jeez, math rules. Always loved it.

Maddogg6

@Customgamer1: I hope you seen the jest in my post. (first sentance, and the red foreman reference) But with indication that - it really isnt that difficult to understand where this math is used in real life. I bet you'll use it in your line of work as well, more frequently than you realize now - and most likely even more complex if you aspire to assist with engineering new installations.

heres 5 for you specifically...
1) If you worked 5 hours overtime - how much should your paycheck be, before and after taxes. (is your boss cheating you???)
2) If it takes 2.25 hours per service call - what time frame do you tell the customers you be arriving?, and how many can you take for that day? if you start at 8AM and need to be back by 5PM??(wont be paid for the over time)
3) if a typical refridgerant recharge requires 26 lbs of refidgerant - and you have 8 calls you suspect are typical, and each bottle of refridgerant holds 60 lbs - how many bottles do need? (gotta leave some for other techs so you cant just take them all) - how do you make sure you take FULL bottles?
4) your boss insists on you keeping track of your vehicles milage, explain how you figure out the MPG?
5) How big is the gas tank? in #4 (cus its not to be found anywhere)

Even artists will use algebraic equations :

1) Big Corp liked your sculture - and wants a 5 meter tall replica in front of their building - the conceptual one you made is 9" tall - whats the enlargement ratio?
2) A client asks for a print ad that is to be 4.25" x 5.75" @ 600DPI - how big (in pixels) of a image do you send to the printer to get the best resolution possible?
3) a 100 sqft painting took .6 liters of paint, you were hired to make it on a 6000 sqft wall - how many gallons of paint do you purchase? (cuz gallons cost less and = more pofit for you)
4) in the mural above - you made a really sweet 'gold' color by mixing 30 drops of red, 60 drops of black with .5 liter of yellow base - now you need 25 gallons of this color for a different job. Expalin how you would make this, while still making sure you end up with the same 'gold' you liked so much.


well... I thnk you get the picture.

And even tho we have computers and calculators - knowing algebra helps ensure you use those tools correctly. As randomly inputting #'s, one cant expect a correct answer - not to mention cross checking answers to verify the first answer when those 'wrong answers' tend to be more of a 'costly mistake'.

Yeah, math is pretty important to succeed in most ANY line of work. Even at mcdonalds.

Yousaif

Hehe that's why I started the way I did. He had the smarts to post it here in the first place so I got to do a little tearing.

I loved the weed reference- it made sense to my son, Lol.

Back to the OP though. I have a buddy of mine that does HVAC and he uses some pretty intense math in some cases to do estimates and to make sure he has the right equipment going into a location. Anyone in the trades that can't do math is a bad tradesman.

firyace

First I thought college algebra is at least like linear algebra and discrete algebra.

Tinkerhell

Come on guys (and girl )leave the poor shmuck alone. The world needs ditch diggers (don't worry he will have a boss that will tell him exactly how far & how deep to dig so he won't have to figure it out for himself).



I'm with Grace here.
I can't believe when he posted this stuff was from ANY college class. I was also doing this back in 5th or 6th grade.
If you think this is fun wait till you get to calc 2, 3 or 4 (of course if you are having problems here you WON'T get to calc 2, 3 or 4). Algebra is used by most anyone most any day. All the above examples are dead on. Some of the other advanced math classes that you might have to take, depending on your degree, are indeed potentially things you will never use outside the classroom. The particular company I work for as a programmer I have zero need for calculus. Probably couldn't do a basic calc problem if I had to now (10 years later). But that's just because of the job I happened to settle into. Had it been another company I might be doing that stuff every day. You learn it in school, then you know your capable of handling that type of computing challenge. Even if you have to re-learn the specifics later for your job (which might not always be HVAC) you at least have been exposed & know it's something you are capable of.

Maddogg6

And sewer cleaners....cant forget we need them too....

GutterPunk

all i can say is I flipppin love math and use it on a daily basis. <3<3<3

Dowaco

I have a PhD in Organic Chemistry and worked as a chemist for over 25 years.
While I used simple math, algebra and geometry daily, I did not use calculus, differential equations or matricies at all once I left grad school. But it depends on what you want to do with your life/career.

Not learning something while your mind is flexible can come back to haunt you later on. Learn everything you can about as many different things as possible. You can specialize later.

GutterPunk

I guess simple math is terrific if you want to be able to know how much carpet you will need to replace carpet in your house / bedroom etc. Also, when your on your own with a not so great job rent and good stuff like that, trust me you will be adding everything you buy @ wal mart up in your head to keep a running total to make sure you won't go over budget. No one likes missing rent .

WhO_KnOwS

Math rules. As everybody in the thread said, over 50% of all professions rely on math in one way or another. Personaly I liked math since 1st grade, so it comes as no surprise that I'm currently a math student.
I will agree that it's friggin' hard though!

Customgamer1

Well just to let everyone know I did pass math and am very happy because of it! I got a C in the class!

I was just having one bad day with that chapter... At least I am done

fobis