Current Events > Honestly, math is so discouraging

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Super Slash posted...

What's an easy way to compare fractions? Going to do my test today and I'm expecting that to be on there.

Like "Is this fraction greater or less than this other one"

multiply the denominators together.

For example:

3/4 compared to 7/8.

multiply 4 x 8 which is 32 (common denominator)

Now multiply 3 x 8 which is 24.

Multiply 7 x 4 which is 28.

Now you have 24/32 compared to 28/32.

28 is more than 24.

7/8 is the bigger fraction.

-edit-

Super Slash posted...

You multiplied the denominators, but then you seemed to have multiplied the first numerator with the second denominator, then the second numerator with the first denominator. Why?

Because whatever you do to the bottom number you have to also do to the top in order to keep the fraction the same.

Its part of the process.

Called cross multiplication.

Multiply the denominators together but then multiply the numerators by each opposite denominator.

if you simplify, you will see that:
3/4 = 24/32
7/8 = 28/32

@Super_Slash

YWS-is-King posted...

multiply the denominators together.

For example:

3/4 compared to 7/8.

multiply 4 x 8 which is 32 (common denominator)

Now multiply 3 x 8 which is 24.

Multiply 7 x 4 which is 28.

Now you have 24/32 compared to 28/32.

28 is more than 24.

7/8 is the bigger fraction.

You multiplied the denominators, but then you seemed to have multiplied the first numerator with the second denominator, then the second numerator with the first denominator. Why?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILvch5cSor4

Mistere Man posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILvch5cSor4

Damn, that helped a lot. I have no clue why this method works, but I got all of the problems on that video right on my first try.

The last two problems on this practice test involve order of operations, which I have not learned yet; think that comes later in the class. Wtf.

Super Slash posted...

The last two problems on this practice test involve order of operations, which I have not learned yet; think that comes later in the class. Wtf.

Isnt that PEMDAS?

YWS-is-King posted...

Isnt that PEMDAS?

It is, but I'm starting from the bottom of the barrel and PEMDAS hasn't been covered yet.

For a bit of background on my education: I was homeschooled by my aunt and grandmother, and they were both terrible at math and eventually kind of gave up on it.

math is something you need to grind out through repetition. that's why every math teacher/prof assigns dozens of questions for each chapter.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I can't add up large numbers in my head, really. Not with random numbers anyway, like the example you gave.

I think that you should take notes about what comes easiest and hardest to you in terms of learning content, and try to pursue those methods that naturally come easier.

Very few things feel more hopeless than bashing your head against the wall with an incompatible learning method.

You may need to do problems over and over until you figure out a pattern. You may need an infographic, speech, an activity/app, or learn the reasoning and base concepts before you can learn how they're applied.

omg...I just got a 36/100 on my test. Ouuuuch.

I get two more attempts, but I got SO MANY wrong, and a few of them I just guessed, and three I left blank with no clue how to solve them; I'll post some of them in a bit.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

this is basically how I'd do it, although it's not so much visualizing them stacked as much as visualizing each digit at a time, starting at the ones digit, and hoping that by the time I finish I haven't forgotten the results of the first few digits <_<

Alternatively, basically any situation I'd be adding large sorta-random numbers in my head, I wouldn't be too concerned about exactly accuracy, and so that question would basically become:

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


slightly under 3 million plus slightly under 80 thousand equals a little bit over 3 million

If you struggle with math, it's usually that you are trying to build on concepts you don't fully understand.

Take steps back to the part where you feel 100% confident then just move forward 1 part at a time until you hit a part you aren't 100% confident at and really stick at it until it "clicks" for you.

Math is not something you can fake, and so if you try to work on something that you don't yet understand you are going to have a bad time.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/2/1/AAA_yAAAC7Fx.png
This might help visualize it. A lot of schools have blocks like this to help understand the logic: https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Blue-Plastic-Base/dp/B000F8R5KK