Maths

[Digit]

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16180719

I'm innumerate! I was flummoxed by the first one 'cos I was trying add them, multiply them etc.

Roy.

 

[cambournepete]

Easy-least as long as you can read the questions correctly..

 

[Digit]

I failed the 11 plus 'cos the questions made no sense to me, and still don't! :lol:
Have you seen those exam bloomers they are publishing?

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

I fell into the same trap as Roy on the first one. So I should have been thinking laterally. (Not strictly testing maths is it?)

I managed the fruit question, but I suspected I was wrong because it was too easy. I was wondering what the grapes had to do with anything.

The fractions question was ok. I do that sort of thing to get off to sleep.

The 'three boxes' question is the sort of mental exercise that bores me silly, unless I actually need to find a result for some practical purpose. As I didn't have to disarm a device, (Diehard 4) I didn't bother and switched off.

Or am I just not clever enough! :mrgreen:

 

[brianhabby]

I got them right, but then I enjoy math (not that I'm an expert).

My grandson used to be quite poor at math and because of this he just concluded he was no good at it so I think he even stopped trying. Recently he has been accompanting me to the workshop at weekends and I've been able to show him the practical uses for maths in working things out and measuring. Relatively simple stuff but it has given him a much needed confidence boost and improved his ability no end.

I think his lack of ability just might have something to do with the way he is taught at school.

BTW. the first question on the Sky News page is simplicity itself. Think about it. If the answer has got to be 100 then the last digit of the two numbers you are looking for must add up to 10. That is the 4 and the 6. It then becomes quite easy to figure out where the 2 and the 7 should fit.

regards

Brian

 

[marcros]

I got them right, but then I enjoy math (not that I'm an expert).

My grandson used to be quite poor at math and because of this he just concluded he was no good at it so I think he even stopped trying. Recently he has been accompanting me to the workshop at weekends and I've been able to show him the practical uses for maths in working things out and measuring. Relatively simple stuff but it has given him a much needed confidence boost and improved his ability no end.

I think his lack of ability just might have something to do with the way he is taught at school.

BTW. the first question on the Sky News page is simplicity itself. Think about it. If the answer has got to be 100 then the last digit of the two numbers you are looking for must add up to 10. That is the 4 and the 6. It then becomes quite easy to figure out where the 2 and the 7 should fit.

regards

Brian

Brian,

I think that the link between academic and practical use is missing in a lot of teaching. Maths is an excellent example.

Mark

 

[Benchwayze]

Brian,

I can't even tell you what is a Prime Number!
I fib. I know one and that is 2... :mrgreen:

 

[Digit]

Granted, but I would have phrased the question differently. The recently posted howlers included a right angle triangle with the hypotenuse marked X, underneath the question was 'Find X.' The student circled it and stated, 'Here it is!'
In my day the question would have been, 'Find the value of X.'
Any number not divisible by other than itself or one is a Prime John, so 7 is, 9 ain't.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

But every number is divisible by itself.. ?

I just spent a few minutes trying to make up prime numbers. I didn't make many, but at last I see what the theory is getting at. Sadly, I don't feel any more clever, nor see what advantage there is in knowing. But thanks anyway Brian. Seems 2 then is the only even Prime? Or have I got that wrong? I fear maths at school was very basic. Never even touched Trig, until just before I left!


!

 

[Digit]

Sorry John typo, self and one. So 7 is divisible by 1 and 7, 9 is divisible by 1 and 9 but is also divisible by 3.
Yes, 2 is the only one.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

Sorry John typo, self and one. So 7 is divisible by 1 and 7, 9 is divisible by 1 and 9 but is also divisible by 3.

Roy.

PM sent. Ta m'man...

 

[mailee]

When I left school my maths were terrible. They are much better now but without the use of a calculator I am lost with fractions and decimals. I can worl things out in my head but it takes me longer than most folk. I think my lack of knowledge on this was I just couldn't grasp the basics and found the lessons boring. I learnt more once I started work, I had to to work out my wages. :lol: But for the life of me I still can't see how you can get 110% as 100% is a whole unit?? For an example take the cost of fuel at the pumps it is advertised as 147.9 how can you have .9 of a pence?? To me it's all alchemy! :roll:

 

[Digit]

The same way as you can get 200%, which is simply two. 110% is 1.1
If you are charging £10 for a service and you increase your price by 10% the customer is now charged £11. 1/10 more.

Roy.

 

[brianhabby]

For an example take the cost of fuel at the pumps it is advertised as 147.9 how can you have .9 of a pence?? To me it's all alchemy! :roll:

That's just psychology at work. 147.9 is really 148 but the petrol companies want you to think you are only paying 147. It should kick in after 10 litres though as that will be £14.79 instead of £14.80 - a massive saving of a whole penny. :roll:

 

[adidat]

Well heres my secret when i was about 11-12 my mum enrolled me on a maths club called kumon invented by a crazy jap. The idea was you used to do a small maths booklet every day that started off quite easy and every fortnight you go back to this church hall have your books marked sometimes do a test, and be given the next two weeks worth. By the end i hated! It. But since then i have been able to long sums in my head with ease.

Shame there wasnt an equvilent in spelling :lol:

Adidat

 

[Benchwayze]

I see where Mailee is coming from. We don't have a 1/10 of a penny coin.

I suppose the cost per litre is arrived at by dividing a barrel of oil, by however many litres there are in a barrel. (How many litres are in a barrel, BTW? Or is it measured in Gallons anyway!) That could result in there being odd fractions of a penny. If so, well that's what we get charged. (Rounded UP to the nearest penny usually.) :twisted:

 

[cambournepete]

... a barrel of oil, by however many litres there are in a barrel. (How many litres are in a barrel, BTW? Or is it measured in Gallons anyway!)

42 US gallons or almost 159l.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Pete...

So my tank holds about 1/3 of a barrel then. Now I know why I paid just over £45.00 the other day for about half a tank. :mrgreen: (£6.85 for 5 litres - which is MY gallon!) UKWoodwork bashes will begin to suffer I fear!

Yes folks, I know I am talking about petrol as opposed to barrels of crude.

 

[Jack (W)]

The answer Sky gives for question 1 bothers me, for it is solely this:

76 + 24 = 100

…which, as a sum, is correct, but in my view it is a deplorably incomplete answer.

There are four cards and four placeholders for them. The question requires the cards to be placed in the placeholders so that the answer = 100.

There are four unique ways in which the cards can be arranged in the placeholders so that the result of the sum = 100:

24 + 76
74 + 26
26 + 74
76 + 24

So all four above are RIGHT answers (as we all know), but Sky only gives one of them.


Sorry if I appear touchy over this. I have on a few occasions had my Computer Based Training (CBT) answers marked WRONG because the programmer failed to appreciate that his RIGHT answer was not the only RIGHT answer!

Jack

 

[Digit]

As with the one I posted concerning 'find X.' If the questioner can't ask a sensible question they shouldn't complain about the answer.

Roy.