by Scott77 76 Replies latest social current
| how much should I tip on this $25 check at 20%? | |
$5. The service better have been pretty damn good for a 20% tip! BTW, I did that in my head. [Oubliette] |
I am unsure how you go $5. I do not know if you applied this approach. 20% become 20/100= 0.2. Then $25(0.2) = $5.00 Iam correct with the method?
Scott77
You are correct, Scott77.
Quendi
I did ten percent and doubled it. Easy peasy.
By the way, never include the tax in your calculation. Always use the pre-tax subtotal.
| I did ten percent and doubled it. Easy peasy. | |
| Oubliette |
'ten percent' huh? where is it and can you show the steps you went through? My experiences inform me that learning math would be a bit easy if all the steps are clearly explained including reason why this is why numbers changes and divide instead other way? Getting to know small steps make for the better in understanding the big, and tough math concepts.Thank you Quendi for affirming my answer. By the way, what text book on consumer math do would you recommend me?
Scott77
Is algebra necessary? Let's see. What gas mileage does my car get? What will the annual cost of ownership be? What is my return on investment? How much Gatorade powder do I need to add for a 5 gallon mix? Algebra is a very important aspect of life. It does very well in these types of problems. I am still amazed at the solutions one can arrive to with DE math. And yes if one does not have the algebra down it makes the high level math a whole lot harder.
One piece of advice I will give when it comes to tackling the algebraic aspects of calculus is one I emphasize again and again to my students: TAKE YOUR TIME!!! - QUENDI
COGNAISANCE already commented on this but I will too. I have come to realize that the main source of frustration in mathematics for me is timed testing. If I sit and spend several hours on homework or a workshop assignment, I not only get A's, I get 100%. It's timed tests/quizzes that kill me (even though I've been doing quite well this summer)
In any other timed test in any other class, there is PLENTY of time not only to finish the exam, but I always spend the last 15 min/half hour going over my answers and looking for mistakes. It's in that 15-20 min or so that I get back points that give me the "A" as opposed to the "B".
However, with mathematics exams I am going through problems a breakneck speed just to finish the test on time. There is no "extra time" at the end to recheck work. The exam is turned in as-is, for better or worse.
I mentioned this to my calc instructor and he wasnt surprised, he found that to be the case even when he took exams. Anyway, I think he took my experience to heart, as our second midterm just this Thursday seemed shorter than the first. I actually finished with 20 minutes to spare where I went back and checked my work. I even found a "fatal" error in one of my answers and had to redo the problem. If I hadn't had the time, the mistake would have probably cost me an A.
When I took Algebra I in 9th grade, I struggled my first grading period and got a B. Then something clicked and I never got below an A in math again. Although both my English and Math SAT scores were good, it's the Math part that really pushed the total up to where I could join Mensa.
I use Algebra a lot in everyday life. You have to if you want to be smart about things. Especially if you're in business.
I'm in charge of a running club. At an event, most people have to pay a "cover charge", except the ones that set it up. I provide food and beer which even the free people use. How many people do I need to attend to break even? Is the price suitable that I can sustain it in the winter when fewer people come out? Can I lower the price making people happier and making me a hero? What happens when the price of beer changes?
Even if I don't calculate the numbers in my head, I understand what the formulas have to be to figure out the answers to my questions. I can plug those into a spreadsheet or calculator and do calculations. Which is what Algebra is really about. Formulas, not the exact numbers. X can be any number and a formula tells you how to take X and calculate Y.
People might not NEED that in every day life, but they're probably getting screwed over from time to time if they don't use these principals.
Another example. Most grocery stores do it now, but you have a price/ounce or price/unit. Without it, you have some item like pancake mix that comes in several brands with different sized boxes. And IMO, no significant difference between brands. Which one is the best value for the price? I've seen things like 3 for price $x. But buying them seperately or in different sized containers, you can get just as much cheaper. And every time that happens, I feel proud that I know math and didn't get suckered in.
And aside from knowing formulas, people can't even do basic math. Bought my daughter an ice cream cone one day. I think the cost was like 2.15. I pulled out a $5. Then decided I didn't want 85 cents change, so I searched and found a quarter. But the kid at the register already rung it up and couldn't figure out the change if I added a quarter. I had to tell him. You owe me $3.10. And I just shook my head at the lack of skills this kid had. Especially for somebody working a register.
I find the author of the NY Times article either a bit deceptive or stupid. I could argue several points, too many to go into detail about.
I do know one thing. The people I see making the biggest advancements in science and technology fields are generally good at math. Their average co-workers may not need to be at that level. But then again, they're not the ones doing the best work, getting the biggest raises, etc.
I loved high school algebra and geometry (97% on my final); hated graphs and word problems though.
From Wikipedia
Dumbing down is a deliberate diminution of the intellectual level of education, literature, cinema, news, and culture. The term dumbing down originated in 1933 as slang used by motion picture screenplay writers to mean: [to] "revise so as to appeal to those of little education or intelligence." [1]
The nature of dumbing down varies according to the subject matter and the reason for the dumbing down, but it usually involves the over-simplification of critical thought to the degree of undermining the intellectual standards of language and of learning; thus tending to trivialise cultural, artistic, and academic standards, as in the case of popular culture.
Oklahoma's Algebra exam requires a 70% to pass = a D, so a Charter school could conceivably have all it's kids average a D+ and honestly claim they had a 100% pass rate. Kids could pass the easier parts of the algebra exam and fail the more advanced sections and still pass the final exam. Nothing to brag about.
IMO, all these tests are just quasi IQ tests, which employers would love to have , but can't get. I once took a MASS test for a job at a powerplant and passed it. It's the test that subtracts wrong answers from right ones, which is the kind of feedback you get for mistakes in the real world.
The way teaching works, is my daughter has passed every math class through the 9th grade( extra credit helped)- and even algebra this year in HS, but she failed the end of course exam by 7pts, so she is in summer school and hopefully she passes the exam in 3 weeks- it's a graduation requirment. She remarked how much better this teacher is than the one she had for the course.
As I tolder her, English is more important. An employer may not now or even care that you scored poorly in algebra, but they will quickly figure out you are a doofus in English- poor English might even keep you from getting hired.
I am an advanced a Excel user. You aren't going to be able to write a decent formula without Algebra. So yes, I use my schooling all the time. That Excel analysis means I can extract trends from large data sets, which my bosses value.
