I need ideas to help my students understand how to work with isolating variables when they are on both sides of the equation....thank you for any creative ideas and suggestions!!!!
10/01/12, math passerby wrote: > On 9/29/12, Deborah Farrell wrote: >> I need ideas to help my students understand how to work >> with isolating variables when they are on both sides of the >> equation....thank you for any creative ideas and >> suggestions!!!! > > This reminds me of a real experience of mine (from around > 1994) that I posted about in 2001, which has since been > included on several internet lists of math joke: > > Once, in a "math appreciation" course, part of a test I gave > had some one-variable linear equations to solve. Most of this > course was "algebra-free" since many of the students had very > weak backgrounds in math. However, solving one-variable linear > equations was one of the topics covered and this test was > given after that topic had been covered. > > Question -- Solve for x: 3x - 2 = x. > > Student asks during test -- "I can solve for x on the left > side, but what do I do with the x on the right side?" >
If by "solve complex fractions" you mean rewriting a complex fraction as an expression that contains at most one fraction bar (which one then can seek to reduce to lowest terms), I usually teach the method of multiplying both the numerator and the denominator of the “first order” (i.e. main) fraction by a common denominator of all the "second order denominators", and then repeat if necessary.
Example 1:
(5/6 - 2/3) divided by (1/4 + 3/2).
Multiplying numerator and denominator by 12 gives
(10 - 8) divided by (3 + 18) = . . .
Example 2:
[x/(x-y) - x/(x+y)] divided by [y/(x-y) + x/(x+y)]
Multiplying numerator and denominator by x^2 - y^2 gives
If you have something of the form (A+B)/(C+D) where one or more of A, B, C, D look like the expressions in Examples 1 and 2 above, then apply the technique to each of A, B, C, D that is a complex fraction to get something that now has the form of something like the expressions in Examples 1 and 2, then apply the technique again . . .
algie2On 10/07/12, R Rader wrote: > I want to create a jeopardy game to be played on the > smartboard for my pre-algebra students. Any suggestions > for an easy to use template?
This one is great: [link removed]
You can use mathtype equations by selecting plaintex in cut and copy preferences.
...See MoreOn 10/15/12, zainab wrote: > domain and range of 1/(1-sinx)
The only operation/function appearing that imposes a restriction is division, which requires that the denominator 1 - sin(x) be nonzero. Thus, the domain consists of all real numbers x except those making sin(x) = 1, which equals . . .
For the range, note that
-1 = -1
Now add 1 throughout to get
2 >= -sin(x) >= 0
Since the reciprocals of all numbers between 0 and 2 give rise to all positive real numbers (indeed, this will be the case for all numbers between 0 and any specified positive number, such as all real numbers between 0 and 0.0001), the range contains the set of all positive real numbers. Clearly, the range does not include 0 (1/stuff is never equal to 0) and the range does not include any negative numbers (1/positive is never negative), so it follows that the range is exactly the set of all positive real numbers.
On 10/18/12, Cale Moore wrote: > Hello, my name is Cale Moore and I am a product design > student at the University of Kansas. For my senior thesis, > I am designing a series of math manipulatives for higher > levels of math (trigonometry, precalc, calc, algebra, > etc.). If you are a secondary math teacher, it would > greatly help my project if you would fill out a short > survey concerning your use of manipulatives in the > classroom. Please follow the link below to participate. > > [link removed]
I am looking for a fun way to introduce fractions to elementary school children. I have a few ideas involving the chocolate bar, but I am trying to find something a little more active with less sugar. Any suggestions on games you might have used would be greatly appreciated!!!!
On 10/26/12, Holly wrote: > I am looking for a fun way to introduce fractions to > elementary school children. I have a few ideas involving > the chocolate bar, but I am trying to find something a > little more active with less sugar. Any suggestions on > games you might have used would be greatly appreciated!!!!
I have lots of math manipulatives for sale... base 10 set, counting items, flash cards, home made games etc. Mostly appropriate for gr 1-4. Email me for more info
You will need nine cards : ace through nine. Shuffle. watch and be amazed. How is this possible? Demonstrate the card trick to your students...see if they can find the secret.
You will need nine cards : ace through nine. Shuffle. watch and be amazed. How is this possible? Demonstrate the card trick to your students...see if they can find the secret.
10/01/12, math passerby wrote: > On 9/29/12, Deborah Farrell wrote: >> I need ideas to help my students understand how to work >> with isolating variables when they are on both sides of the >> equation....thank you for any creative ideas and >> s...See More