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Monday, November 19, 2012

Learning to Simplify Mixed Numerals



We have studied the number line. We know about the natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, real numbers and also imaginary numbers. When these numbers are combined we get interesting combinations. We need to do a study on fractions. Fractions can be numbers in the form of P/Q. P and Q are integers. These fractions now are of three types namely proper, improper and mixed fractions. Mixed fractions are bit complicated compared to the other two. So we need to study them in detail. First we need to learn the process of simplifying mixed fractions as a first step in this direction. It is a relatively simple process.  To simplify mixed fractions we convert them to improper fractions. Improper fractions are easy to handle and can be used for the purpose of calculations. After converting the mixed fraction into an improper one, we can further simplified if need be. For this we need to convert mixed fraction to decimal and solve this problem.

After getting the improper fraction, we take the numerator of the fraction as the dividend and the denominator as the divisor. We divide the dividend with the divisor till we get the remainder as zero. When the digits in the dividend get over we continue the process of division by adding zeros to it and a decimal point to the quotient. Sometimes we don’t get the remainder as zero. In that case the decimal part might contain digits that are repeating. It can be ended there. So the question arises how to solve mixed fractions after we have converted them into decimals. Solving can involve addition of two mixed fractions or it can also be subtraction of two mixed fractions. Both the processes can be relatively simple if the denominators in both the cases are the same. But if the denominators are different the process is bit different than when they are same. Now we will learn subtracting mixed fractions with different denominators to get the final answer. When the denominators are not same first convert into similar ones and then do the process of addition or subtraction. This can be done by taking the LCM of the denominators. After taking the LCM the denominators become common and the numerators can be added or subtracted to get the answer. This helped us to know what is a mixed fraction better. It contains a whole number part and a proper fraction.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Line Plot Examples



One of the important educational tools is graphs. Through graphs we learn how to organize and interpret information. Graphs help not only to analyze data in math but also help convey information in business. Many types of graphs exist, but we use line plots to show frequency of data.

A line plot shows frequency of data along a number line with “x” mark or any other marks to show frequency. It is best to use a line plot while comparing fewer than 25 frequency data. It is a quickest and simplest way to organize data.

Steps to Follow to Plot the Examples on Line Plot

Here are few steps to show how to sketch a line plot;

Step 1 : Gather the given  information which is called data for which a line plot has to be drawn. Look for those data sets that need to show frequency.

Step 2 :Group the data items that are the same and then create and label a chart to help you organize the list from the data.

Step 3 : Determine an approximate scale to draw the line plot. If the scale consists of numbers, then break it into even parts.

Step 4 : Draw a horizontal line and label it according to the scale chosen. This looks  similar to a number line.

Step 5 : Put a mark, say X that corresponds to the number on the scale according to the data that is organized. This is the line plot.

For example,

We use the above steps to give the line plot examples

Sketch the line plot for the following given data of heights of students of a class in centimeters.

120,110,100,120,105,110,105,100,110,105.

Solution : Let the labels be the heights of the students (in centimeters) in a class. If two students are of 120cms , you'd place two X's above 120. If three students are of 110cms , you'd place two X's above 110. If three students were 105cms , you'd put three X's above 105. If two students are of 100cms , you'd place two X's above 100. The total would be ten students, thus ten X's altogether.



Some more Line Plot Examples

Use all the steps to draw the line plot examples:

(1) Sketch the line plot to show the test scores of 17 students that are given below:

10,  30,  10,  10,  20,  30,  50,  40,  45,  50,  10,  30,  35,  30,  20,  40,  50



 (2) Represent the data in a line plot. The following data is obtained from a survey made in an area for number of pets in each household.

4, 0, 1, 3, 2, 6, 1, 4, 2, 8, 10, 2, 1, 3, 0, 13 ,4, 2, 1, 14, 0, 3, 0, 2, 1, 0, 3, 1


Friday, November 9, 2012

Multiplying mixed fractions



Mixed fractions are just the mixture or a combination of two things of whole number and a fraction. Mixed fractions are specially used when we have to show how much a whole thing we have and how much of part of something we have. The form for mixed fraction looks like this, a and b/c, where ‘a’ is our whole number and b over c is b/c is our fraction.

Multiplying Mixed Number Fractions - For Multiplication of Mixed Fractions, we first convert the mixed fractions into improper fractions and the multiply them and then convert the solution back into mixed fraction. How do I Multiply Mixed Fractions – let us understand by taking an example, if we have to multiply 1 times 3/4 and 5 times 7/9 then we can convert 1 times 3/4 to improper fraction by multiplying 4 with 1 and adding 3 to it. We will get 7, which will be our numerator for the improper fraction. The denominator will remain same that is 4. So our improper fraction will be 7/4. Similarly we can convert 5 times 7/9 as (9*5) +7/9 which will be 52/9.

Hence we got two fractions as 7/4 and 52/9. We can multiply both the numerators and the denominators. We will get 7*52/4*9 which will be 364/36. We can reduce this fraction by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by 4 which makes the fraction as 91/9.

Now we can convert it into a mixed fraction by dividing. So 91/9 can be written as 10 times 1/9. Multiplying Mixed Fraction always gives a mixed fraction as the solution. The same we witnessed in the above example. We multiplied two mixed fractions and we got a mixed fraction as an answer. So to multiply mixed fractions we need to follow the following steps: -
1. Convert the mixed fractions that we have to multiply into improper fractions.
2. Multiply the improper fractions by multiplying the numerators and the denominators separately that is if we have two fractions, the numerator of both the fractions should be multiplied together and the denominator of both the fractions together. For example if we have 11/2 times 8/5. Then we can multiply 11 with 8 which will be 88 and 2 with 5 which will be 10. Therefore 11/2 times 8/5 gives 88/10
3. Reduce the fraction as much as we can.
4. Convert the answer back into the mixed fraction form.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Discovery of algebra



The discovery of the algebra starts from the place Egypt and Babylon. In Egypt and Babylon the people were very interested to learning the linear equations such as cx=d and the quadratic equations such as c2+dx = e and in intermediate equations. The Babylonians basic steps are used to solve the quadratic equations. Nowadays we also use these basic steps only. Now in this article we just simply see about the discovery of algebra.

Explanation for Discovery of Algebra:

The Diaphanous who is called the father of algebra. The book named Arithmetic book of Diaphanous gives an advanced level and many unexpected solutions to the intermediate equations for discovery of algebra. The first Arabic algebras that is a systematic expose of the basic theory of equations, is written by AL-Khwarizmi. The basic laws and identities of algebra are stated and solved by the Egyptian mathematician Abu Kamil in nineteenth century.

Discovery of Algebra in Persian Mathematics:

The Persian mathematician, who called omar kayyam, mentioned in his book how to express roots of cubic equations by line segment which is obtained by intersecting conic equations. But he did not find the formula for the roots. But in 13th century, the great Italian mathematician named Leonardo Fibonacci achieved the close approximation to the solution of the cubic equation.

After the introduction of the symbols for unknown and for algebraic powers and operations there was a development in algebra. It was happened in 16th centuries.

Algebra entered in to the modern phase in the gauss time. After the discovery the Hamilton, the German mathematician Hermann Grassmann examining the vector. Because of its abstract character, American physicist named Gibbs acknowledged the vector algebra for system of great utility for physicists. In that time period, algebra of modern that means abstract algebra has continued to develop. After that it is used in all branches of mathematics and in other science.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Mathematical Sentence


In Algebra, Mathematical sentence is a term which is also known as an expression. An expression is usually defined as a sentence that has a number, an operation and a letter in it.

When a mathematical sentence is not in an algebraic form, it will just have two numbers and an operation. In other words, an expression is the mathematical analogue of an English noun. It is a correct arrangement of mathematical symbols which is used to represent a mathematical object of interest.

Example for Mathematical Sentence:

In general, a mathematical sentence is a formula that is right or wrong, true or false. If a mathematical sentence has an equal sign, it is referred as an equation.

Let us consider the following simple examples to show what a Mathematical Sentence means:

3 + 2 = 5. We know this to be true, it is a mathematical sentence.

3 + 4 = 5

we know this to be false, however, since we know definitely that it is false, But still it is a mathematical sentence.

5x + 8 = 13, for all values of x

This statement is neither true nor false: For some values of x, the statement is true and for some other values, it is false. Hence as the statement is neither true nor false, this is not a mathematical sentence.

Mathematical Sentence as an Open Sentence:

A mathematical sentence that contains one or more variables is referred as an open sentence

Some examples for an open sentence are listed below:

2a = 5+ b, 4x = b + 2a

Solved example for an open sentence:

To show ‘3(2b) = 3' an open sentence?

Solution:

Step 1: In the equation given, the number of variable is One

Step 2: Open Sentence is a mathematical sentence with one or more variables

Step 3: So, '3(2b) = 3' is an open sentence.