Why do we have to show our work in math?

Question

all that matters is that we got it, not showing how.

Answer 1

Think of it like you would think about a repair to your car's engine.

You take in the car.

They give you back the car and they say it is okay.

You drive it around and the engine blows...man, THAT blows....

So now you have the car towed back to them, to have them fix it.

They say: We did that.

You say: I don't think so...show me your records of what you did, in what order and when?

They say "Gee, shucks, our computer system is down, and all it shows is that we delivered the repaired car to you"

Without them being willing to "show their work", you have no idea what they did...or if they did anything at all.

Same way with a math problem...you show the work to prove you did it and that you didn't simply copy the answer...which would be about the same as simply turning the car over to you and saying it is fixed when actually they never touched the engine.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Math is so much more than just crunching numbers in a calculator. The concept of showing your work is to illustrate that you understand the principles at each step and also to help you if the final answer is not what you expected. The teacher needs to see that you understand these concepts. The point is that math can be an interesting and illuminating journey that you will miss if you just go to the answer.

Answer 3

It DOES matter how you got it for 2 reasons, firstly if you just mysteriously have an answer out of nowhere it looks like you just copied it off someone else and secondly if you show how you worked it out you show you understand the concept - sometimes you even get marks for the workings, so that in especially complicated maths you don't lose all your marks because you make one mistake.

Answer 4

Because math teachers own stock in the companies that make paper. By showing your work, you use more notebook paper and drive sales, and the stock value , up.

Actually, it's so the teacher can see if you understand the concepts needed for problem solving. If you're wrong, the teacher can often explain the flaw in your reasoning.

When I show my work I make fewer careless mistakes. It makes you work a little bit slower, so it's easier to catch yourself when you're working with tricky equations.

Answer 5

That's what I used to think, but showing my work helped me understand why the answer was right or if I missed it, where I messed up. Another reason is due to the fact that some people cheat(I'm not implying that you do) by copying their friend's homework and then when asked to explain the problem, their tongue is tied. It gives you a better understanding of why a problem is correct and why you may or may not be right.

Answer 6

The reason why we have to show our work in math is so the teachers will see if you know how to do the problem and so he/she can tell if you are copying off of someone elses paper.

Answer 7

That's not true. Showing your work proves to the teacher that you know how to do the problem and that you just didn't copy the answer from a friend or from the answer section in the back of your book.

Answer 8

Showing your work is very benificial for you. Lets say you get a problem wrong, if you show your work, you can see where you messed up and it will be easier to spot and correct the problem. It also provides the teacher the knowledge if you really know what you are doing!

Answer 9

they need to know that you need the basics and they want you to SHOW them how you get to your answer, all these simple workings will help you a lot during later stages in life for example in unis where you have to write your own thesis and research

repetitive working will help you a lot and you won't forget some equations for the rest of your life just like when you're young, it all helps later in life although when you come out to work you'll use calculator unless you're in a research field =P

and during exams without working those examiners might think that you're copying from someone else

Answer 10

So if you get a math problem wrong you can look and see what you done wrong. Also to see that you know how to do the math problem and not just get a answer by typing it into a calculator.