This week in math, we started our next unit. We learned how to factor trinomials using the area method.
Example:
9x+5x=15x so this is what the square would look like.
This is the easiest way for me to solve a trinomial because I am able to visualize what the answer would be.
This week in math, I learned a quicker way on how to turn entire radicals into mixed radicals by finding what 2 multiplied together get the radicand; I can find what number it divides by and factoring that way. Until now, it hadnt fully clicked in my mind on how this works. I am able to work on my practice much better, correctly and more easily.
Example;
√45
45=9*8
9=3*3 (perfect square)
3√8
Example:
√20
20=4*5
4=2*2
2√5
This week, I was only at school for 3 days. Monday to Wednesday. I don’t remember much specifically within those 3 day, however, I have noticed that my mental math skills are coming back to me. I haven’t had math in over a year so I am still a bit rusty, but recently, I have been able to recall square roots, cubed roots, multiplication, division and other equations and find the answer much faster than at the start of this semester.
I have noticed this while out-and-about with my family, friends, etc. For example, I can multiply larger numbers in my head much faster than before. Or, I can estimate the square root of random numbers I see, like price tags.
This week in math, I learned a way to find out if a number is divisible by 4 or by 9. If you are able to divide a number in half 2 times; it is divisible by 4. If the digits of a number equal 9 or a multiple of 9. it is divisible by 9.
I chose to write about this because before I know this method, I would waste a lot of time by just dividing a number by 2 over and over again. This method would allow me to make factor trees more efficiently which would ultimately improve my overall math skills.
Example
120/2=60
60/2= 30
120/4=30
Example
144 – 1+4+4=9
144/9=16
Eample
162 – 1+6+2=9
162/9=18
Here, it can get divided by 9 twice.
18/9=2
This week in math, I learned what radicals were. I didn’t know before that there was such a thing as 4 roots, 5 roots, etc. It reminded me a little about dimension and how 4 roots expressed as a 4 dimensional shape is incomprehensible to the human mind. We are quite literally unable to comprehend a 4 dimensional shape, or even a 5th or 6th dimensional shape.
The math piece around 4 roots ( 4√) means that you need to find a number that, when multiplied by itself 4 time equals the radicand.
Example:
4√16 is 2 because 2*2*2*2 = 16
Example:
4√625 is 5 because 5*5*5*5 = 625