January 20th 2017 archive

What I learned- Chapter 3

In Chapter 3, I was the measurement unit. Here is what I learned from each lesson:

Lesson 1- Review on how to round numbers and how to substitute formulas.

Lesson 2- Different referents in measurement. A referent is a term to describe objects that were used to measure before real measuring tools were invented. Examples include: thumb, hand, pace, cubit, and pace. I also learned the difference between the Imperial System and the SI (metric system) of measuring.

Lesson 3- Different devices to use for measuring and how to use them. A vernier calliper is a measuring tool that is generally used for finding measurements of fine and tiny things. A vernier calliper measures to about 0.1 mm to 0.05 mm. A micrometer is a measuring tool that is generally used to find the thickness or the outside dimensions of smaller objects. A micrometer is more precise because it measures to the nearest 0.01 mm. I also learned how to read these two devices. 

Lesson 4- Conversion between the metric system. I learned about different methods to convert within the SI system, such as using the metric unit number line, using proportional reasoning, and using unit analysis.

Lesson 5- Expanding on lesson 4, I learned how to convert measurements within the imperial system and between the SI system and the imperial system. We can still use the previous three methods (metric unit number line, proportional reasoning, and unit analysis) for converting measurements in the SI system and for conversion between the two systems.

Lesson 6, 7, 8, and 9 were all about surface area and volume. In lesson 6 I learned how to apply conversions into square units of area. We expanded on this idea when we learned how to calculate the surface area and volume of prisms and cylinders (lesson 7), pyraminds and cones (lesson 8) and of volumes and spheres (lesson 9).

What I Learned- Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, I learned all about exponents 🙂 

In the first lesson I learned all about powers with whole number exponents, and what the base, exponent and index is.

In lesson two, I learned about the exponent laws. When multiplying exponents (with same base), add the exponents together. When there is a power raised to a power, multiply the exponents. And when dividing powers, subtract the exponents.

Lesson three, I learned about Integral exponents. When a base is raised to a negative exponent, you transfer the negative exponents into a fraction with a positive exponent.

The next lesson we did was lesson five, which taught us about rational exponents. We learned about fractions in radical form and methods on how to evaluate and simplify them. We continued this learning into lesson six, where we took bases raised to fraction exponents and wrote them in radical form, and simplified.