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Help With Math


bnolan

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Note: In this message I will be attempting to use irony to help people with their math skills. If you are satire impaired, stop reading now.

 

Question #1 - Today I worked 8 hours and 15 minutes. But on my timecard I can only enter "8 point something". How do I convert 15 minutes to "point something"?

 

Question #2 - My daughter ran a 2k fun run in 9.5 minutes. How do I convert that to minutes and seconds?

 

 

Answer #1 - All you have to do is divide the 15 minutes by 60 (because there are 60 minutes in an hour) and add that answer to 8. 15/60 = .25 so the answer is 8.25 hours.

 

Answer #2 - Just take the .5 minutes and multiply by 60. The answer is 9 minutes and 30 seconds.

 

Guess what? Degrees Minutes and Seconds works exactly the same way as Hours Minutes and Seconds. The math is exactly the same. I can't imagine that there is anybody out there that graduated high school who can't solve these two problems, yet time and time again I see the same questions on this forum. I think people assume it is harder that it really is, so they just don't try.

 

Guess what again? You don't even have to do the math. Your GPS will do it for you:

 

- If your coordinates look like 45.12345° set your GPS for DD.ddddd

- If your coordinates look like 45° 07.407' set your GPS to DD MM.mmm

- If your coordinates look like 45° 07' 24.4" set your GPS to DD MM SS.s

 

After you enter your coordinates as a waypoint, you can change to any other format and the GPS will convert the coordinates.

 

I hope I didn't hurt anybody's feelings. I just wanted to help educate the confused among us.

 

[ edited to note that I apparently can't spell math ]

Edited by bnolan
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I am an attorney.

 

If I worked 8 hours and 15 minutes, I would just round it up to 10 hours and bill you for that.

 

If I ran a 2K in 9.5 minutes, I would just round it up to .2 hours and bill you for "travel time." If I was carrying anything, I would also bill you for "express courier service."

I'm a welfre recepiant. I'll just benefit from the extra taxes you get charged :)

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I can't imagine that there is anybody out there that graduated high school who can't solve these two problems, yet time and time again I see the same questions on this forum.

 

To quote my calc. II teacher "Math skills deteriorate exponentialy with relation to the time after the text cover is closed."

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In junior high pre-algebra I was given a problem -- "If two trains, one traveling north and the second traveling south on the same line of tracks, are heading towards a junction where one of the two trains can switch lines to avoid a collision, and the junction is twice as far as one third the distance of the second train to the first train when the first train is currently going twice as fast as its normal running speed, how fast must the second train go and what length of distance must be covered to avoid a head on collision?"

My answer was "This question is an extra long run on sentence making this math problem too hard to answer."

 

In an ironic twist of fate that very scenario was currently happening on a real set of train tracks in rural usa and my answer was to be used to avoid a real life disaster. Since I chose not to answer the question correctly, there was a terrible crash in which several hundred head of cattle were tragically gassed by the contents of the tanker cars being hauled by train number two.

 

I was subsequently arrested for juvenile arithmatical neglegence and sentenced to 3.1415... years of community service picking up fresh prarie dollars on the plains of rural usa.

 

Kirk out.

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In junior high pre-algebra I was given a problem -- "If two trains, one traveling north and the second traveling south on the same line of tracks, are heading towards a junction where one of the two trains can switch lines to avoid a collision, and the junction is twice as far as one third the distance of the second train to the first train when the first train is currently going twice as fast as its normal running speed, how fast must the second train go and what length of distance must be covered to avoid a head on collision?"

My answer was "This question is an extra long run on sentence making this math problem too hard to answer."

 

In an ironic twist of fate that very scenario was currently happening on a real set of train tracks in rural usa and my answer was to be used to avoid a real life disaster. Since I chose not to answer the question correctly, there was a terrible crash in which several hundred head of cattle were tragically gassed by the contents of the tanker cars being hauled by train number two.

 

I was subsequently arrested for juvenile arithmatical neglegence and sentenced to 3.1415... years of community service picking up fresh prarie dollars on the plains of rural usa.

 

Kirk out.

Son......have you rehabilitated yourself? :)

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I will be attempting to use irony to help people with their math skills.

 

What's a "math?"

 

P.S. I am also an attorney........

Math is what lawyers use to figure out how much money the client has and hence how much to charge. :)

Math is what a lawyers secretary uses to figure out how much money the client has and hence how many hours to bill.

 

That better? :):):P

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In an ironic twist of fate that very scenario was currently happening on a real set of train tracks in rural usa and my answer was to be used to avoid a real life disaster. Since I chose not to answer the question correctly, there was a terrible crash in which several hundred head of cattle were tragically gassed by the contents of the tanker cars being hauled by train number two.

 

I was subsequently arrested for juvenile arithmatical neglegence and sentenced to 3.1415... years of community service picking up fresh prarie dollars on the plains of rural usa.

 

Kirk out.

Hmmmm..... cattle involved - sentenced to 3.1415.....years. So does that give new meaning to the term stepping in a cow Pi?

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"When will we use this in the real world?"

 

In all seriousness, I once had to set up a basic algebra equation for a case I was working on. After all those years saying "when will I ever need this in the real world?" it happened. The shock nearly killed me. I don't know which surprised me more: The fact that I had to use algebra or the fact that I somehow remembered enough to actually be able to do it!

 

Still, you won't see me doing any of those mathematical puzzle caches!

Edited by carleenp
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If you understand Differential Equations you don't need calculus :)

That brings up an interesting point. I took differential equations as an undergrad. I have proof. I have the textbook... but I'll be darned if I can remember anything about it. When I had to take my comps for graduate school, I basically had to re-teach myself differential equations in order to pass the exam.

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"When will we use this in the real world?"

 

In all seriousness, I once had to set up a basic algebra equation for a case I was working on. After all those years saying "when will I ever need this in the real world?" it happened. The shock nearly killed me. I don't know which surprised me more: The fact that I had to use algebra or the fact that I somehow remembered enough to actually be able to do it!

 

Still, you won't see me doing any of those mathematical puzzle caches!

I actually used it quite a bit as a paramedic, figuring drug dosages and half-lifes.

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If you understand Differential Equations you don't need calculus :)

That brings up an interesting point. I took differential equations as an undergrad. I have proof. I have the textbook... but I'll be darned if I can remember anything about it. When I had to take my comps for graduate school, I basically had to re-teach myself differential equations in order to pass the exam.

I feel your pain, I took Diff EQ, passed with a B. When my son was a high school freshman I had trouble staying a chapter ahead of him in geometry.

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Guess what again?  You don't even have to do the math.  Your GPS will do it for you:

 

-  If your coordinates look like 45.12345°  set your GPS for DD.ddddd

-  If your coordinates look like 45° 07.407'  set your GPS to DD MM.mmm

-  If your coordinates look like 45° 07'  24.4" set your GPS to DD MM SS.s

 

After you enter your coordinates as a waypoint,  you can change to any other format and the GPS will convert the coordinates.

 

In a moment of minor seriousness :) (because I really don't know the answer to this ;) ):

 

What is the proper term for each of the following formats (I sound like a test!)?

 

DD.ddddd - I think this is decimal degrees?

DD MM.mmm ????

DD MM SS.s - I think this is degrees minutes seconds?

 

Thanks

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What is the proper term for each of the following formats (I sound like a test!)?

 

DD.ddddd - I think this is decimal degrees?

DD MM.mmm ????

DD MM SS.s - I think this is degrees minutes seconds?

You're right for the two you answered.

DD MM.mmm is usually called Degrees, Decimal Minutes

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QUOTE (Sparky-Watts @ Jan 28 2004, 01:37 PM)

QUOTE (Poppa Duck @ Jan 28 2004, 12:18 PM)

Myabe I'm dating myself, but I think the correct answer to

 

"Son......have you rehabilitated yourself?"

 

would be "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant" (sung in five part harmony of course....)

 

-PD 

 

Absolutely! 

 

I hope I did this right...

I CAN'T BELIEVE that I get to be the lucky soul who corrects it all...

 

It's actually "Kid --- Have you rehabilitated yourself?"

 

'Cuz the sarge always said, "Kid --- "

 

The wife and I always play that (We found it on CD, you believe that?) on Thanksgiving.

 

Hugs and kisses,

 

Dave

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QUOTE (Sparky-Watts @ Jan 28 2004, 01:37 PM)

QUOTE (Poppa Duck @ Jan 28 2004, 12:18 PM)

Myabe I'm dating myself, but I think the correct answer to

 

"Son......have you rehabilitated yourself?"

 

would be "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant" (sung in five part harmony of course....)

 

-PD 

 

Absolutely! 

 

I hope I did this right...

I CAN'T BELIEVE that I get to be the lucky soul who corrects it all...

 

It's actually "Kid --- Have you rehabilitated yourself?"

 

'Cuz the sarge always said, "Kid --- "

 

The wife and I always play that (We found it on CD, you believe that?) on Thanksgiving.

 

Hugs and kisses,

 

Dave

Oh, my......you are so right!!! I knew that didn't sound right when I posted it......oh, well.....

 

.....another note, you can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant (exceptin' Alice)! ;)

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Stunod - thanks for the answer to my question above!

 

I saw Arlo at Epcot's Flower Power festival last year - absolutely fantastic! He couldn't do Alice's Restaurant (only a 30-45 minute show!) - but he did do City of New Orleans - and of course told all the stories!

 

What was really great was that I was actually one of the younger people there (I am sort of the end of the baby boom!) - usually at events I attend (like a rollerblading marathon for instance) - the majority of people are a LOT younger than me! And of course, in my office, it seems like they get younger every day!!!!

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One of the most famous mathematical mysteries of our time....

 

SOLDIER #1:

What? A swallow carrying a coconut?

ARTHUR:

It could grip it by the husk!

SOLDIER #1:

It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

ARTHUR:

Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?

SOLDIER #1:

Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?

ARTHUR:

Please!

SOLDIER #1:

Am I right?

ARTHUR:

I'm not interested!

SOLDIER #2:

It could be carried by an African swallow!

SOLDIER #1:

Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's my point.

SOLDIER #2:

Oh, yeah, I agree with that.

ARTHUR:

Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot?!

SOLDIER #1:

But then of course a-- African swallows are non-migratory.

SOLDIER #2:

Oh, yeah.

SOLDIER #1:

So, they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway.

[clop clop clop]

SOLDIER #2:

Wait a minute! Supposing two swallows carried it together?

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One of the most famous mathematical mysteries of our time....

 

SOLDIER #1:

What? A swallow carrying a coconut?

ARTHUR:

It could grip it by the husk!

SOLDIER #1:

It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

ARTHUR:

Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?

SOLDIER #1:

Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?

ARTHUR:

Please!

SOLDIER #1:

Am I right?

ARTHUR:

I'm not interested!

SOLDIER #2:

It could be carried by an African swallow!

SOLDIER #1:

Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's my point.

SOLDIER #2:

Oh, yeah, I agree with that.

ARTHUR:

Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot?!

SOLDIER #1:

But then of course a-- African swallows are non-migratory.

SOLDIER #2:

Oh, yeah.

SOLDIER #1:

So, they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway.

[clop clop clop]

SOLDIER #2:

Wait a minute! Supposing two swallows carried it together?

I thought that the most famous mathematical question was......

 

Damm I forgot the question. The answer is 42 though.

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One of the most famous mathematical mysteries of our time....

 

SOLDIER #1:

What? A swallow carrying a coconut?

ARTHUR:

It could grip it by the husk!

SOLDIER #1:

It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.

ARTHUR:

Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?

SOLDIER #1:

Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?

ARTHUR:

Please!

SOLDIER #1:

Am I right?

ARTHUR:

I'm not interested!

SOLDIER #2:

It could be carried by an African swallow!

SOLDIER #1:

Oh, yeah, an African swallow maybe, but not a European swallow. That's my point.

SOLDIER #2:

Oh, yeah, I agree with that.

ARTHUR:

Will you ask your master if he wants to join my court at Camelot?!

SOLDIER #1:

But then of course a-- African swallows are non-migratory.

SOLDIER #2:

Oh, yeah.

SOLDIER #1:

So, they couldn't bring a coconut back anyway.

[clop clop clop]

SOLDIER #2:

Wait a minute! Supposing two swallows carried it together?

I thought that the most famous mathematical question was......

 

Damm I forgot the question. The answer is 42 though.

I thought is was "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

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