cranlsn
Liverwurst
   
   
    
   
 
Since: 18.3.02
From: Sussex, WI
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|  #1 Posted on 21.10.08 2119.54 | Instant Rating: 5.52 |
I'm having a senior moment (and I'm not forty yet).
My daughter has to express this as a mathematical expression.
"the total of three times the square of y and the square of y"
So...what my mind can't handle right now is...is "the square of y" the square root? Or y squared?
i.e. should she be looking for 3y^2 + y^2?
or should she be looking for 3 (times the square root of y) + (the square root of y)?
I'm not "giving" her the answer, but if I want to nudge her in the right direction...I need a nudge too.
This is embarrassingly stupid, but I can't even google it right....| Promote this thread! |           | CRZ
Big Brother
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| #2 Posted on 21.10.08 2138.34 | Instant Rating: 9.01 | Originally posted by cranlsn
I'm having a senior moment (and I'm not forty yet).
My daughter has to express this as a mathematical expression.
"the total of three times the square of y and the square of y"
So...what my mind can't handle right now is...is "the square of y" the square root? Or y squared?
i.e. should she be looking for 3y^2 + y^2?
or should she be looking for 3 (times the square root of y) + (the square root of y)?
I'm not "giving" her the answer, but if I want to nudge her in the right direction...I need a nudge too.
This is embarrassingly stupid, but I can't even google it right....
When I took math, the square of y was y squared.
Is it a precedence check? I know it's always powers, then multiply, then add... so I'm pretty sure THAT's right.
Sounds like 4y2 to me - which makes me wonder why they'd bother to word it that way in the first place. Must be some kinda trick.
I hold one math degree, but don't believe my answer!
EDIT: I think I can do superscripts without looking up Unicode elements - let's find out!
EDIT 2: Okay, I read it again - I guess technically it'd be 3y2 + y2
It's STILL a dumb question. ;-)
(edited by CRZ on 21.10.08 2141)
  | cranlsn
Liverwurst
Since: 18.3.02
From: Sussex, WI
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| #3 Posted on 21.10.08 2144.06 | Instant Rating: 5.52 |
Yay, I was right, CRZ and a math degree agree with what I originally thought.
And yes...it's a stupid question...from a page full of them. Their math teacher seems to think that teaching them things in the most confusing way possible is the path to higher education. I'm inclined to disagree.
Thanks again Zed.
edit: They're, their...apparently I could have used a better grammar teacher.
(edited by cranlsn on 21.10.08 2145) | Lise
Mrs. Guru
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| #4 Posted on 21.10.08 2145.38 | Instant Rating: 8.42 | Algebra text books should have the answers to half the exercises in the back. You should be able to look at a similar problem (or more correctly your daughter can) and look up the answer, then apply that to that specific problem.
| Lexus
Lap cheong
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| #5 Posted on 22.10.08 1515.26 | Instant Rating: 3.35 | Wait, wouldn't it be 4y^2?
I'm using the same thinking process my old Algebra teacher used when I was in the 8th grade here; The orange in this case is y^2, and you are adding three oranges to another orange, as in 3 X orange + an orange, which would net you 4 X orange.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Frown and the world laughs at you."
-Me. | Lise
Mrs. Guru
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| #6 Posted on 22.10.08 1528.13 | Instant Rating: 8.42 | Only if they were being asked to simplify the equation.
Technically correct, but I know *I* had teachers who would mark you wrong for doing it if you weren't asked to. | cranlsn
Liverwurst
Since: 18.3.02
From: Sussex, WI
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| #7 Posted on 22.10.08 1622.57 | Instant Rating: 5.52 |
They wanted the students to express the written sentence as an equation, which could be simplified after that.
I was just having vapor lock of the brain after my daughter asked if it meant squared or square root.
I actually love math. Math books? Not so much. | RYDER FAKIN
Six Degrees of Me
Since: 21.2.02
From: ORLANDO
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| #8 Posted on 22.10.08 1642.28 | Instant Rating: 9.17 | Did the B train ever catch up with A?
FLEA
Demonstrations are a drag. Besides, we're much too high | cranlsn
Liverwurst
Since: 18.3.02
From: Sussex, WI
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| #9 Posted on 22.10.08 1854.23 | Instant Rating: 5.52 |
Originally posted by RYDER FAKIN
Did the B train ever catch up with A?
FLEA
It derailed because I left a penny on the track. | Lise
Mrs. Guru
Since: 11.12.01
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| #10 Posted on 23.10.08 0225.09 | Instant Rating: 8.42 | Originally posted by RYDER FAKIN
Did the B train ever catch up with A?
FLEA
No, the Governor of Oregon said it was a waste of money to replace the track since there might be another natural disaster. |
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