How Not To Solve Math Problems?

Solving math problems is a persistent head ache for kids and parents. Many deem it a chore due to the difficulties they face in the process. The fact is many do not know that they are solving math problems wrongly and do not know the ways to solve them correctly.

Do students solve Math problems wrongly?

Yes, they do! But how and where do they go wrong?

Rote memorization

From the childhood of kids, they have been advised to follow the rules instead of practical methods in solving problems. When kids try to apply rules instead of practically approaching a Math problem, it becomes a constant struggle for them to pick up Math skills. Instead they can come into the real world, get to know life situations while trying simple Math problems.

teachers

When it goes to an extent, kids know how to apply abstract thinking for solving Math problems and go ahead with that. For example, Geometry expects students to visualize problems and approach them with creative imagination. When students try real life examples for visualizing Geometry problems, they are able to do it at their best. Online math tutors help students in this matter with their examples, real life samples, drawings and models.

Deeming problem solving skills as an inherent talent

Problem solving skills in Math are not inherent and inborn. They come out of practice. When a child enters Pre Calculus or Algebra stage, he finds it difficult to cope with the subject and gets stuck in problems. Teachers and parents think it is somewhat inherent to solve problems and consider it as a talent in kids. Not so. It is good if a child gets stuck in a problem. For, it helps him know the way out of the problem, solving it successfully. So, problem solving is a matter of practice and not something inborn.

Parents’ role in helping kids solve math problems

Parents should be positive and encouraging while helping kids in Math problems. They should not panic and create anxiety in the minds of kids. They should understand that problem solving is a natural process in life and Math problems reflect that. They can reorient their skills while helping kids or contact tutoring centers that offer help. Suppose the child struggles with geometry homework, they can seek math homework help from expert tutors online and redeem their kids’ faults at once. It is parental care and encouragement that drive away Math fear from the hearts of students.

Parents can go in for resources like Math puzzles, quizzes and games and accustom their kids with such practices from day 1 of their Math learning. Kids find Math fun and interesting and will sit with Math problems even when they are stuck in it. It is because doing Math becomes their way of life by this time. Even when they get to do assignments in complex topics as they find in Geometry, they take it as a challenge and do it with ease. Suppose, kids struggle even then, parents can seek virtual resources like math assignment help and resolve the struggle.

Summary

So, doing math is not the issue but whether you do it rightly or wrongly is the matter. Approaches and practices decide the matter and those who understand this fact come out successful in math problem solving.

Tips And Strategies From Online Math Tutors To Conquer Math Troubles

To say that almost half the population is scared of tricky math problems would be a cliche. This is after all common knowledge for everyone is not a math junkie nor does everyone take an instant liking to it! However, it is very important that students conquer their fears and master the subject; scoring well in math is after all the key to maintain g a good GPA and would be very helpful during college admissions. Here are a few tips from popular online math tutors to help you solve tricky math problems with ease and reinstate your confidence in the subject.

Male Student Studying In Classroom With Books

Simple math tricks to boost your problem solving skills

Squaring a 2 digit number that ends with a five

In case you wish to square a two digit number ending with the number five, all you need to do is the following:

  • Multiply the 1st digit with itself and add a one to it and put this at the beginning
  • Add 25 at the end of this number and the result is ready.

For example, take 35. To square 35, all we need to do is multiply 3 to itself and add one to the result. This gives us 9+1 = 10. We just need to add 25 at the end and we get 1025 which is 352

Tip Calculation

This is something that everyone encounters on a day to day basis. A 15% tip is the standard and the next tip you or your friends or parents need to calculate a 15% tip, here’s how you can do it in a simple manner. 15 = 10 + 5. Just find out the 10% of the number (which is not but division by 10) and halve it. Now add the 10% and its halved number and your tip is ready.

For example, if you have to leave a 15% tip for 65$, here’s how you calculate it. 10% of 65$ is 6.5$. Half of 6.5$ is 3.25$. Thus, the total tip is 9.75$

There are many more such tips and tricks that students can use to ease the strain and time involved in working out complex arithmetic. Having these tips handy is sure to same them time in exams as well as homework and these work out to be the best math homework help a student can ask for!

Technology and math learning

Apart from such tips and tricks, students can also employ technology to learn math effectively. For instance, take geometry. It is quite different from the usual math and requires imagination. Most online tutors and teachers at school today recommend using technology to learn such difficult concepts better. These days there are umpteen numbers of mobile apps that are designed to help students explore the concepts that are tricky. Some of the popular math apps include Geometry Stash, Omni Graph Sketcher, Triangle Solver, Pocket Geometry and Geo Board. Similarly, there are many other popular apps for calculus, trigonometry, complex numbers, and algebra and so on. Students are increasingly turning towards these apps for math assignment help and math homework help.

Summary

Conquering math troubles is no longer impossible with such time tested tricks and strategies. With more and more students leaning towards technology to learn math, teachers too have begun to employ technological aids in classrooms to ease the learning process and make it fun. Students are sure to benefit from the above mentioned tips and apps and ace their math papers if they employ them judiciously.

Become An Amazing Math Tutor: The Secret To Metal Math

Math is a very interesting and innovative subject, we start learning it from a very young age and use it all our lives. The secret to metal math can be understood when you want to solve questions much faster and efficiently. This can be applied for both the students and tutors. Often we wonder why the same question is solved by different people in different ways. This is the beauty of math, there are many ways and approaches to get to the same answer. One method can take more time and many steps whereas another method can take less time and fewer steps to reach the final answer. The thing to realize here is all the different approaches are right and you can follow which ever method best suits your ability to understand the given question.

Let us now take a look at some mental math tricks which will help you while solving different math homework help questions.

While changing the percentages to fractions, divide by 100 and for changing a given fraction to percentage multiply by 100. Here are some examples:

Betty went to trekking with her friends. She drank 75% of the protein shake she brought with her after trekking for 3 hours. What fraction of the protein shake does she have left?

For the above question we are given that 75% of the protein shake is finished. This implies the remaining amount is equal to 100% – 75% = 25%.

Therefore, the amount of protein shake Betty has = 25%. For converting the given percentage into a fraction divide by 100. math help 1 Hence Betty still has 1/4 of the protein shake remaining during her trekking.

Did you find the example quite interesting? Now let us look at another example for changing fractions to percentages.

Samuel finished 1/5 of his homework. What percentage of his homework is still to be completed?

Here you are given that 1/5 of the homework is completed. This implies the amount of homework to be completed is 1 – 1/5 = 4/5.

Now for converting the fraction into a percentage multiply by 100. Follow the diagram given below and try to visualize the calculations mentally:

math help 2

This method mentioned above is very useful because percentage are used almost in every branch of mathematics. Let us look at some quick applications of what we have just learned:

Percentage to fraction:

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The above examples are for percent to fractions which can be quickly solved in your mind. Practice similar questions to realize how you will become much faster and efficient in your calculations.

Fractions to percent: Below examples are for quick conversion from fractions to percentages. math help 4 After the percentages, let us take a look at how the fractions can be changed to decimals. Do you feel you already know them? Well remember, we are trying to learn the metal math. Here is how you can convert them in your mind. Take a look at the following questions:

Fractions to decimals: Change the fraction 2/5 into a decimal number. Here the given fraction is 2/5. The mental math trick is, for changing any given fraction to decimal number try to have 10 or multiples of 10 in the denominator. Multiply the numerator and denominator if the fraction 2/5 by 2. Follow the diagram below: math help 5 Did you follow the method? This trick has limitation though it can only be applied to the numbers which get 10 or multiples of 10 in the denominator via multiplication. Let us look at more examples to perfect this method.


Convert 7/25 into a decimal number.

Look at the denominator here its 25, which can be changed to 100 on multiplication by 4. Hence multiplying and diving the given fraction by 4. Follow the diagram below, this needs to be visualized mentally.

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Therefore the fraction 7/25 can be written as 0.28 in the decimal form.

Let me share another branch of math, Algebra where mental math tricks can be applied.

Adding the exponents: Combine the expression 3x4 (x5) Here for the given expression we have multiplication between the same variable x which needs to be combined. Since the base variable is the same for the given exponents add the powers. Here is the rule: math help 7 Subtracting the exponents: Combine the expression 2x11/ x9. Here for the given expression we have division between the same variable x which needs to be combined. Since the base variable is the same for the given expressions subtract the exponents of x. Here is the rule: math help 8 Multiplying the exponents: Combine the expression (x3)5? Here for the given expression we can combine exponents of the variable x by multiplying since they are raised to the same base. Follow the diagram below: math help 9

Therefore, today we looked through different methods and examples for solving math mentally. Use these methods to solve different questions whenever and wherever applicable. For more info you can chat with live math tutor online and get your math assignment help from amazing math tutors.