Thread: Having fun with numbers

Originally Posted by AlexS

OK, here's one for the kids...
12345679 x (9x1) = 111111111
12345679 x (9x2) = 222222222
...etc.

Good one AlexS ... it is one I frequently play
with kids and it goes like this.

a) Ask the child which figure they have most
difficulty in writing. Let us say for this
exercise that the number is "5".
b) Tell the child you will give them a calculator
but they must promise to handwrite the
answer as shown on the calculator.
c) The child then uses the calculator and puts
in the number 12345679. It is important to
always use that number - do not include 8.
d) You then multiply their weak number "5"
by "9" which equals 45 and you ask the
child to multiply the original number 12345679
by 45. The answer will show on the calculator
will be all figure "5"s.
e) As promised in b) the child must handwrite the
answer. When finished I then ask the child
"Are you any better now at writing the figure "5"?

In other words always use 12345679 and always
multiply their weak number by "9". Their answer
will always come up as their weak number.

Before everyone jumps me, yes it would be better
if the child could multiply without the calculator
but it is frustrating watching them try.

Allan

______________________________________

I once stole a calendar - and got 12 months.

OK Stirlo, you remember the quadratic formula, but can you show how it's derived?

Originally Posted by AlexS

OK Stirlo, you remember the quadratic formula, but can you show how it's derived?

if your asking if i can prove it then yes.

would you like a picture of my notes of it? ( if so, my summary folder is at school being checked - so it will have to wait till tuesday )...actually, i will just do up another copy after all, practise makes perfect.

there you go alex

pics not the best so just zoom into it at 200% and its alright.

I like what I see grasshopper. Have a greenie.

cheers wongo

We have Numberwang!

Rough enough's good enough.

Those who know no better may think these things are unimportant.
Wongo, Stirlo & I know better.

The things you need to know in life are:
sin, cos & tan relationships
sin & cosine rules
quadratic solution
& with Napier's rules you can find your way around the world.

Originally Posted by ss_11000

cheers wongo

You do know that most of us here learnt that in primary school don’t you?

Originally Posted by Wongo

You do know that most of us here learnt that in primary school don’t you?

lol

you sound just like my maths teacher..."i learnt this in year 8, i learnt that in year 5".

Originally Posted by AlexS

Rough enough's good enough.

Those who know no better may think these things are unimportant.
Wongo, Stirlo & I know better.

The things you need to know in life are:
sin, cos & tan relationships
sin & cosine rules
quadratic solution
& with Napier's rules you can find your way around the world.

maths is an exciting subject that we use every day in our lives...and you dont even know it...god, i sound like a geek

did you do a high level of maths at school Alex?

Originally Posted by ss_11000

did you do a high level of maths at school Alex?

No, I bludged my way through high school, but suddenly found that maths was interesting when I did surveying in my mid 20s, then maths/computing @ uni when my daughter did her HSC, so we were able to help each other.
I guess I was lucky because I could always apply maths to my work, never found it boring.

Seriously Stirlo, your solution was a little bit messy at the end and your 4 doesn’t look like 4. Good maths is also about good presentation. Please do not think that I am being picky here, it is for your own good.

you never found maths boring i know alot of kids that would love to have that

i found maths boring untill this year when we actually started to do things that required me to think... maths used to be a subject i grudgingly went to but excelled at ( jnr HS maths is so simple and easy ) but now its my 2nd favourite subject that i study ( you cant beat chemistry ). i think its amazing how everything is connected ( how there are no coincidences in maths ).

Originally Posted by Wongo

Seriously Stirlo, your solution was a little bit messy at the end and your 4 doesn’t look like 4. Good maths is also about good presentation. Please do not think that I am being picky here, it is for your own good.

sorry, i will take more than a minute to do it next time

seriously - thanx for the tip