Without a doubt, math is fascinating. And more so, you need to apply math in numerous facets of your daily life.
How much math do you know so far? Whatever your grasp of the subject is, here are seven mathematical concepts everyone, including you, should know:
- Addition And Subtraction
Addition involves bringing together two or more numbers to obtain a total. For instance, one plus two equals three. This is perhaps the most used mathematical concept across the globe. When you visit a fashion store and spend USD$10 on a pair of shoes and USD$30 on a pair of shorts, you use your addition skills to know that you spent a total of USD$40. This helps you give the right amount of cash to the seller.
Suppose you hand the seller a USD$100 note. What’s the difference in total that the seller should give back to you? That’s when your subtraction skills come into play. In simple terms, subtraction is taking one number away from another. In this sense, you take away your expenditure of USD$40 from your total cash, USD$100, to get a balance of USD$60. This is mathematically stated as 100 minus 40 equals 60.
- Multiplication And Division
While shopping for groceries, you spot oranges retailing at USD$6 per pound. You need four pounds to last your family a week. How much money should you have to make the purchase? Multiply six by four to get 24.
Multiplication is the process of combining groups of equal sizes. In this example, you have four groups, each with a size of six. Combining them yields 24.
On the other hand, division refers to the process of splitting an item into equal groups. Suppose your family has 5 members, and the four-pound orange pack you bought contains 30 oranges. To know how many oranges you should give to every family member, divide 30 by five to obtain six.
- Area
Area can simply be defined as the size of a surface. In the course of life, it’s common to be involved with DIY projects. So, if you need to paint the walls of your kid’s playing room, and you like saving money, there’s no need to call a quantity surveyor to give you estimates of the amount of paint you’ll need for the job.
The first thing to do is find the total area of the walls. For every wall, multiply the width and the height to find the area in square meters. Then, add the individual areas of the four walls to get the total.
The can of paint you purchase should have suggestions on how much paint is enough for every square meter. Divide the total area you calculated with this figure, and you’ll know how many liters of paint is enough for the four walls.
- Volume
While still pimping out your kid’s room, you decide to buy four differently-styled activity cubes. But you need to store all of these cubes in one bigger box when your kid isn’t using them. To know what box dimensions you should go for, you’ll need to understand how to calculate volume.
Simply put, volume is the 3-D space that a given item takes up. For a cube, you calculate the volume by multiplying the length, width, and height. When you add the individual volumes of each activity cube, the total should direct you on what size of storage box you need.
It can be noted that life isn’t limited to cubes and squares. You’ll find yourself working with different 2-D shapes like circles, triangles, and parallelograms, and 3-D objects like cuboids, cylinders, and prisms. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to learn how to find volume and surface area of as many shapes as possible.
- Angles
An angle measures the degree of turn between two lines intersecting at one point. Here is a broad categorization of angles:
- Acute angle: Less than 90 degrees
- Obtuse angle: Between 90 and 180 degrees
- Right angle: Exactly 90 degrees
- Reflex angle: Between 180 and 360 degrees
- Straight angle: Exactly 180 degrees
- Full turn: Exactly 360 degrees
Knowledge of angles greatly helps you in everyday activities like constructing furniture, designing houses, furnishing homes, and exercising, among other things.
- Fractions And Decimals
A fraction is a part of a whole. For instance, you can bake a cake and cut it into 10 equal parts. Each of these can be described as a tenth. This is numerically written as 1/10. It can also be quoted in decimal form as 0.1.
A common application of fractions in real life is cooking. You often come across ingredients quantified in fractions, for example, half a teaspoon, three-quarters of a cup, etc. Your knowledge of fractions helps you carry out everyday tasks without a problem.
Also, whenever you receive your exam results, your marks are quoted as fractions. You need to understand what 17/30 means. And in case your friend gets 25/30, you should be able to tell which of you has a lower or higher score than the other.
- Graphs
While the above-mentioned mathematical concepts mostly deal with numerals, the last one in this list is graphical. Whatever trade you engage in, some concepts are better illustrated by graphs. You should be able to correctly interpret graphs when you come across one.
Do you understand how to read the x and y coordinates? What about interpreting the plotted lines? Suppose you’re journeying from point A to B in your car or public bus. After the journey, you’re presented with a graph of distance traveled against time. Using your knowledge on graphs can tell you which part of the journey took either the longest or shortest time. You can also calculate the average speed used for your trip.
To Conclude
It’s essential to master the above-mentioned mathematical concepts so they can assist you in your daily maneuvers. In case you’re not conversant with any of them, consider finding a tutor to coach you through some of the particular subjects you find confusing. In the end, you’ll get to appreciate the importance of math in real life.
