Basic Maths For Dummies, UK Edition E-Book

Colin Beveridge

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 510

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Whether you are returning to school, studying for an adult numeracy test, helping your kids with homework, or seeking the confidence that a firm maths foundation provides in everyday encounters, Basic Maths For Dummies, UK Edition, provides the content you need to improve your basic maths skills. Based upon the Adult Numeracy Core Curriculum, this title covers such topics as: * Getting started with the building blocks of maths and setting yourself up for success * Dealing with decimals, percentages and tackling fractions without fear * Sizing Up weights, measures, and shapes * How to handle statistics and gauge probability Filled with real-world examples and written by a PhD-level mathematician who specialises in tutoring adults and students, Basic Maths For Dummies also provides practical advice on overcoming maths anxiety and a host of tips, tricks, and memory aids that make learning maths (almost) painless - and even fun.

Leseprobe

Basic Maths For Dummies®

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Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organised

Part I: Whole Numbers: The Building Blocks of Maths

Part II: Parts of the Whole

Part III: Sizing Up Weights, Shapes and Measures

Part IV: Statistically Speaking

Part V: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Whole Numbers: The Building Blocks of Maths

Chapter 1: Getting Started

You’re Already Good at Maths

Your First Homework Assignment

Talking Yourself Up

Whole Numbers: Party Time!

Parts of the Whole: Fractions, Decimals, Percentages and More

Mmmm, pizza! Everyday fractions

Percentages are easier than you think: Introducing the Table of Joy

Sizing Up Time, Weights, Measures and Shapes

Weights and measures you already know

Getting yourself into shape

Statistically Speaking

Why bother with charts and tables?

The man in the middle: Describing data

What are the chances?

The Tools You Need

Chapter 2: Setting Yourself Up for Success

Getting Properly Equipped

Tools of the trade

A space of your own

Discovering where you work best

Making your workspace better for studying

Staying Motivated

Remembering why you’re studying

Using the ‘calendar of crosses’

Rewarding yourself

Getting Your Head On Straight

Sitting up straight

Getting a breath of fresh air

Talking to yourself – not as crazy as it sounds

Learning from your mistakes

Keeping Good Notes

Deciding on a notebook or a computer

Recording the language of maths

Acing the Exam

Chapter 3: It All Adds Up: Addition and Subtraction

Nailing Down the Number Line

Adding and taking away with the number line

Adding and subtracting with two rulers

Understanding Odd and Even Numbers

Remembering Some Simple Sums

Meeting the adding table

Increasing your success with flash cards

What to do when you forget

Super-Size Me: Working with Bigger Numbers

Adding and taking away bigger numbers

Following recipes for adding and subtracting

Going Backwards with Negative Numbers

Chapter 4: Equal Piles: Multiplying and Dividing

Meeting the Basics of Multiplication and Division

Remembering Your Times Tables

Practising your times tables

Working around mind blanks

Working backwards

Multiplying Bigger Numbers

Multiplying a big number by a small number

Multiplying two big numbers

One for You, One for Me: Handling Division

Dividing and conquering

Taking one step at a time

Dealing with the left overs: Remainders

Working with bigger numbers

Figuring Out Formulas

Wait, those aren’t numbers! Looking out for letters

Missing out the multiply

Doing the sums in the right order

Working out a formula

Chapter 5: Are We Nearly There Yet? Rounding and Estimating

What’s Nearest?

A walk between two towns

Rounding on a ruler

Tie-breaks: What to do when you’re midway

A common misconception

Dealing with Decimal Places

Rounding to the nearest penny

The nearest 10p, and the nearest tenth

The nearest pound, the nearest ten pounds and so on

That’s About Right: Estimating Answers

Rough and ready: Rounding to the first digit

Checking your answers

Part II: Parts of the Whole

Chapter 6: Cake or Death: Fractions without Fear

Familiar Fractions

No half-measures

Time to split

Sizing Up Fractions

The bottom of the fraction: How big is your slice?

The top: How many slices?

The number in front

Cancel That!

Fractions in disguise

Making cancellation easy

Doing Sums with Fractions

Writing a number as a fraction of another

The same size of slice: Adding and taking away fractions

Calculating fractions of a number

Comparing fractions

Fathoming Fractions on Your Calculator

Using the fraction button

Doing fractions with decimals

A recurring theme

Chapter 7: What’s the Point? Dealing with Decimals

A Dot You Know: Decimals and Money

Looking before and after the dot

Missing off the last zero

A Whole Lot of Nothing: Place Values and Why They Matter

Hundreds, tens and units: Looking left of the decimal point

Tenths, hundredths and smaller: Roaming right of the decimal point

Zeroing in on zeros

Linking Decimals to Fractions

Converting decimals to fractions

Converting fractions to decimals

Remembering some common fractions and decimals

Doing Sums with Decimals

Dealing with the dot

Multiplying and dividing with decimals

Flipping into fractions, and vice versa

Doing decimals with a calculator

Chapter 8: It’s All Relative: Ratios and Proportions

Meeting the Table of Joy

Introducing the Table of Joy

Seeing how the Table of Joy works

Understanding what goes where

Getting Rational: Understanding Ratios

One for you, two for me: Sharing

Cancelling ratios

Applying the Table of Joy

Working with parts

Managing multiple ratios

Getting a Sense of Proportion

Defining proportion

Perfecting proportions with the Table of Joy

Applying proportion

Scaling recipes

Chapter 9: Perfect Percentages, 100% of the Time

Perusing Some Percentages You Already Know

Comparing Percentages, Decimals and Fractions

Percentages and decimals

Percentages and fractions

Working Out Percentages the Traditional Way

Percentages as hundredths

Percentages of the whole

Going up and going down

Working Out Percentages Using the Table of Joy

Finding a percentage of the whole

Going up and going down

Playing the Percentages

Tax needn’t be taxing

A keen interest

Changing prices

Part III: Sizing Up Weights, Shapes and Measures

Chapter 10: Clocking Time

Understanding the Vocabulary of Time

Fractions in time

Different date formats

Comparing the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks

Catching the Bus: Seeing How Timetables Work

Doing Sums with Time

When does something start?

When does something end?

How long does something take?

Speeding Along

Chapter 11: Working with Cold, Hard Cash

Seeing What You Already Know

Counting coins and notes

Exploring examples of money sums

Running the Numbers

Adding and subtracting money

Multiplying and dividing money

Rounding money numbers

Using Euros, Dollars and Other Currencies

Exploring exchange rates

Converting currency with the Table of Joy

Managing More Complicated Money Sums

Dealing with deposits and payment plans

Calculating commission

Sussing out sales prices

Choosing the right sum

Chapter 12: Taking the Weight Off Your Shoulders

Appreciating What You Already Know

Using digital scales

Using analogue scales

Using a balance

Measuring Weight

The metric system: Grams, kilograms and tonnes

The imperial system: Ounces, pounds and stones

Converting Weights

Using a table

Using a graph or a chart

Using a conversion factor

Weighing in Cookery

Buying by weight

Comparing value

Cooking by weight

Chapter 13: Feeling the Heat

Understanding Temperature

Fathoming Fahrenheit and Celsius

Using a formula

Using a table or a scale

Thinking about Thermometers

Looking at Everyday Temperatures

Get cooking!

Whatever the weather

Sploosh!

Fever!

Nailing Negative Temperatures

Ordering negative temperatures

Finding the difference between negative temperatures

Chapter 14: That’s About the Size of It

How Big Is That Suitcase?

Checking in: Dimensions of luggage

Sizing up the vocabulary you need

Meeting Some Common Measuring Tools

Reading a ruler

Minding the marks

Using Different Units of Length

Looking at Length, Distance and Perimeter

How long is a piece of string?

How many miles to Babylon?

Going all the way round

Summing up distance

Accessing All Areas

Recognising rectangles

Joining things up: Compound rectangles

Using formulas

Verifying Volume and Capacity

Reading Maps and Plans

Scales and distance

The best-laid plans

Chapter 15: Shaping Up

You’re Already in Good Shape

Sussing out shapes you know

Expanding your shapely vocabulary

What’s Your Angle?

Defining angles

Measuring angles

Playing with Symmetry

On reflection: Turning shapes over

Doing the twist: Rotating shapes

Pretty patterns: Tessellation

Understanding Nets, Plans and Elevations, Oh My!

Folding under pressure: Nets

Looking at every angle: Plans and elevations

Part IV: Statistically Speaking

Chapter 16: Data Mining (No Hard Hat Required)

A Spotter’s Guide to Graphs and Charts

Nailing number tables

Bringing in the bar charts

Poking about in pie charts

Looking at line graphs

Reading Graphs, Tables and Charts

Picking the right data from a table

Keeping up with keys and axes

Understanding graphs

Drilling Deeper into Graphs

Adding up totals and finding differences

Summarising graphs

Catching errors

Chapter 17: Top of the Charts

Turning the Tables

Making your own tables

Looking at a real-life table

Tallying up

Watching out for problems

Grappling with Graphs

Picking the right graph

Labelling and titling your graphs

Ordering at the bar chart

Cooking up a pie chart

Forming an orderly line graph

Drawing Graphs on the Computer

Building virtual bar charts

Creating virtual pie charts

Drawing virtual line graphs

Messing around with computer graphs

Chapter 18: Average Joe

Starting Out with Statistics

Meeting the Three Types of Average

A group of people: Who’s the most average?

The man in the middle: The median

Terribly common, darling: The mode

A mean, mean man

Home on the Range

Calculating range

Pulling range out of a graph

Chapter 19: What Are the Chances?

Probability as a Number

Considering certainty and impossibility

Tossing a coin

One in . . . whatever

Looking at the other side of the coin

Dealing cards

Practising probability with the number line

Experimenting and Estimating

Dice, cards and spinners

How many times . . . ?

Putting Many Things Together

Probability trees

Probability tables

Probability squares

Independence Day

You can’t have it both ways: Either/or events

Doing several things at once: Both or all events

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Prepare Yourself Before You Start Studying

Talking Yourself Up

Sitting Up Straight

Breathing like a Rock Star

Putting Out the Welcome Mat

Making Mistakes

Working with Your Limits

Turning Studying into a Habit

Staying Fed and Watered

Getting Your Blood Flowing

Warming Up Gently

Chapter 21: Ten Tricks for Remembering Your Number Facts

Playing Games

Flashing Cards

Sticking Stickies

Counting on Your Fingers

Tricking out the Nines

Tricking Out the Other Big Numbers

Tricks of six

Straight to eight

What about seven?

Five alive!

Breaking Down and Building Up

Eight: halving over and over

Surprised by six

Nailing nine

Finally fives

Learning from Your Mistakes

Working from What You Know

Training Yourself with Treats

Chapter 22: Ten Pitfalls to Avoid

Taking Care with Your Calculator

You’re Out of Line!

Making Sure Your Answer Makes Sense

Distinguishing ‘More Than’ and ‘At Least’

Reading the Question

Fathoming the Phantom Forty Minutes

Getting the Wrong Percentage

Rounding Too Early

Mixing Up the Mean, Mode and Median

Forgetting to Convert

Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Make Any Exam Easier

Know What You’re Up Against

Practise the Hard Parts

Remember the Basics

Use the Final Few Minutes before Your Exam

Don’t Exhaust Yourself

Think Positive, or ‘I’ll Show Me!’

Have a Ritual

Manage Your Time

Guess If You Need To

Cheat Sheet

Basic Maths For Dummies®

by Colin Beveridge

Basic Maths For Dummies®

Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, LtdThe AtriumSouthern GateChichesterWest SussexPO19 8SQEngland

E-mail (for orders and customer service enquires): [email protected]

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Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex, England

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex

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About the Author

Colin Beveridge is a maths confidence coach for Flying Colours Maths and co-author of the Little Algebra Book.

He holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of St Andrews and worked for several years on NASA’s Living With A Star project at Montana State University, where he came up with an equation which is named after him. It’s used to help save the world from being destroyed by solar flares. So far so good.

He became tired of the glamour of academia and returned to the UK to concentrate on helping students come to terms with maths and show that not all mathematicians are boring nerds; some are exciting, relatively well-adjusted nerds.

Colin lives in Poole, Dorset with an espresso pot, several guitars and nothing to prove. Feel free to visit his website at www.flyingcoloursmaths.co.uk or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/icecolbeveridge.

Author’s Acknowledgments

I’m very grateful to the team at Dummies Towers for their work and guidance in making this book awesome – particularly my editors Rachael Chilvers and Mike Baker.

The writing was largely fuelled by the Little Red Roaster coffee shop in Parkstone, and inspired by the students who helped me develop the ideas and make them simple enough to understand – extra-special thanks to Tain Duncan, Ethan Oak and Dale Bannister. LaVonne Ellis, Lisa Valuyskaya and Ryah Albatros from Customer Love all went above and beyond in getting me to just write the blasted thing.

It wouldn’t have been written at all without the work my brother Stuart and his colleagues at The Chase did on the Little Algebra Book, or the unfaltering support of my parents – Ken Beveridge and Linda Hendren – and the tireless encouragement of Melissa Day.

Dedication

For the teachers who taught me most of what I know: Brian Rodrigues, DJ Rowley, Dana Longcope and Naomi Dunford.

And for the students who taught me most of the rest.

Publisher’s Acknowledgements

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Commissioning, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Rachael Chilvers

Commissioning Editor: Mike Baker

Assistant Editor: Ben Kemble

Development Editor: Colette Holden

Technical Editors: Samuel Harrison, Vincent Kwasnica

Proofreader: Jamie Brind

Production Manager: Daniel Mersey

Publisher: David Palmer

Cover Photo: © Shutterstock / Robert Spriggs

Cartoons: Ed McLachlan

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Corrie Socolovitch, Christin Swinford

Proofreader: Lauren Mandelbaum

Indexer: Becky Hornyak

Introduction

Hi! I’m Colin, and I want to change the world.

I live in a world where, when I say ‘I’m a maths tutor,’ people say to me ‘Oh, maths . . . I was never any good at that,’ or ‘I haven’t used maths since I left school.’

I live in a world where I have to bite my tongue rather than say ‘I don’t mind that you think maths is hard, but I am saddened that you’re proud of this,’ or ‘Are you sure about that? I bet you used maths six times before breakfast this morning.’

I want to live in a world where everyone is okay at maths. Not a world full of Einsteins, not a world full of geeks – just a world where having a solid level of maths is as natural to everyone as having a solid level of reading and talking.

This book is part of my vision – and I’m delighted that you’ve picked it up. You’ve taken the first step to being a bigger part of my ideal world, and I want to do everything I can to help you become as good at maths as you want to be.

I want to show you that maths makes sense, most of the time, and that you use maths countless times a day, often when you don’t even realise it. I want to show you that after you break problems down into smaller steps, those problems are so much more doable. I want to help you stop feeling stupid or afraid or troubled by maths. I know you aren’t stupid: you just haven’t got the hang of maths yet.

Most of all, I want to hear how you get on. The best way to catch me is on twitter (@icecolbeveridge) – I can’t promise I’ll get back to you straight away, but I promise I’ll read and reply if I possibly can.

About This Book

In this book, I try to help you understand not only how to do the maths you need, but why you do the maths in a certain way. I show you maths isn’t some mystical language of squiggles but instead is a concise and efficient way to communicate. One of the nice things about maths is that it changes very little from country to country. I studied maths in France for a year and was surprised that most of the words, even in the ridiculously advanced maths they thought I could do, were either basic French vocab or very similar to the English words. The sums were exactly the same. (I still couldn’t do them, but that’s a different story.)