How do we use math everyday?

Question

I have to do a math project. "The point is to apply algebraic techniques to daily living AND to demonstrate that you understand APA style." It needs to be at least 3 pages so it has to be somewhat substantial. Can anyone think of a way that someone would use math, in depth, every day?

Answer 1

I use it when shopping for food for the after school program that I work for. For example, each child is supposed to get 3/4 cups of cereal each Wednesday. So if I'm buying for 80 children I need to be sure that I'm buying enough boxes of cereal to feed each child 3/4 cups of cereal. I look at the serving amount on the side of the box to see how many servings are there. If the serving size is 3/4 cups then it's fairly easy to figure out, if there's 10 servings per box and each serving is 3/4 cups, then I know I only have to buy 8 boxes. However, if there are 10 servings per box but each serving is 1 1/2 cup, then 8 boxes would be too much, so I have to use math to figure out the right number of boxes.
I would times 1 1/2 or 1/5 by the number of servings per box, 10, to find out how much cereal was in each box. I would then divide by 3/4 or .75 to see how many servings of 3/4 cups I could get out of the box.

When I was learning fractions and math I never thought I'd use them quite that much, but that's just one way that I use them in daily life.

Answer 2

Sports. Shooting in basketball is mathematical. Catching a ball in baseball. Shooting the ball at the goal in soccer.

Going shopping. Computing prices in your head.

Calculating tip when at a restaurant.

Calculating how many miles to a gallon you get.

Answer 3

Adjusting recipes, such as doubling them or halving them. For example, you have to halve a recipe calling for, say, 3 1/2 cups of flour.

3 1/2 over 1 equals x over 1/2.

3.5/1 = x/0.5

3.5 x .5 /1 = x (Three point five times point 5, all divided by 1, equals x. Any number divided by one is itself.)

3.5 x .5 = 1.75, or 1 3/4

that is, one and three-quarters cups of flour.