Math Is Fun Forum

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I think that equation is wrong...

Hi again, J.

The confusion is that 3/20 means how many times does 20 go into 3. So when you're working out that 3 goes into 20 6 times, you're actually solving the fraction 20/3!

If you see a division sign just remember that it's the bottom that goes into the top! It helps if you read it out.

For instance:
1/2 = "one divided by two"
1/3 = "one divided by three"
3/20 = "three divided by twenty"

This should hopefully help you remember that it's the first number being acted on by the second number.

You'll also need to learn how to divide a small number by one that's larger! Try searching with www.google.com for "fractions long division".

Correct!

You even alluded to the golden fleece that clogs up the voting machine!

Bonus points!

No problem, J.

I'll walk through the last one with you.

First we need to identify what percentage is 2 out of 8. First, divide 2 by 8...
2 ÷ 8 = 0.25

Now that we have 0.25, multiply it by 100 to obtain the percentage.
0.25 x 100 = 25

So 2 is 25% of 8. That's the percentage of people they check, 25%.

It then says that 408 people pass by the census. To find out what 25% of 408 is, you need to divide the 25% by 100 and then multiply that answer to 408.

25 ÷ 100 = 0.25

0.25 x 408 = 102

So 102 people would have been stopped.

Hi J.

A lot of your questions involve division in some way to work out the answer.

1) The warden works 40 hours every week, but her week is only 5 days long (she gets weekends off, probably). So how many hours would you have to work each day for 5 days to get to 40?

40 hours / 5 days = 8 hours.

2) This is very similar to the answer above. 90 cars in 3 days is how many cars a day? Work it out just like I did in #1. Now how many more cars would they check if they checked that many cars each day for 7 days?

3) There are 10 people and 1 is guilty. That means 9 of 10 are innocent, right? So what fraction is innocent then? It's 9/10. It's not random that the line in a fraction looks the same as a division sign. When you see a fraction like 1/2 it literally means "one divided by two". This is important for percentages.
To get a percentage, you need to follow two steps:
First you take a fraction and work out what it is in decimals. So 9/10 is "nine divided by ten", which works out as 0.9.
The next step is to multiply that answer by 100. That turns out to be 90.
There's your percentage! 9/10 innocent people is the same as 90%.

5) Do the steps above, but this time what would your fraction be if you're trying to find 9 out of 60?

6) What's the area of a 7 x 7 tile? Much like fractions, it's not a coincidence that it looks like 7x7 (seven times seven). And the same with 84 x 84! So work out the total area to cover (84x84) and work out the area each single tile covers (7x7). How could you use division to work out how many single tiles fit into that total area?

7) Now you need to learn to use percentages to solve this one. You have two out of every eight. What percent 2 out of 8? The question is saying that the same percentage of 408 is stopped.
But how do you work out that percentage of 408? You divide the percentage by 100 and then multiply that answer to the 408.

Here's a similar example:
25% of 200 people are stopped and asked a question. How many people were asked a question?
First, divide the percentage by 100...
25 / 100 = 0.25

Now multiply that answer by the 200 people...
0.25 x 200 = 50

So 50 people were stopped and asked a question!

Hope that helps you not only solve the problems but understand the methods a bit better.

Just like in writing, the only thing more important than putting in the right symbols is putting them in the right place!

A woman without her man is nothing.
A woman. Without her, man is nothing.

Give it time. You're still young yet .

I have to admit that didn't help the stereotype some potential voters have of women; about them being emotional. It certainly made me rethink things. Not because she's a woman mind you; I'd just prefer my president didn't cry over trivial things whomever they are. I think it would have done far more for her to appear as a strong woman figure. Like an American Margaret Thatcher.

P.S. I think MiF is on to something!

Just tried it and Mathy's right. Sorry about that.

Do this instead of pasting "=$D22" into E42:

Use a free column and drag "=$D22" down as far as you need to. Select the filled in cells and Copy.
Click once on E42, go to Edit> Paste Special.
In the menu that comes up, choose "Formulas" under the Paste section, "None" under the Operation section, and make sure the "Transpose" box is checked at the bottom.

Click OK and then do the "=E$41+E$42" step.

If I'm honest, that is partially true. Devil Went Down to Georgia was the reason I bought Million Mile Reflections and bothered to listen to them in the first place.

I haven't played Guitar Hero, and I'm confused as to why it's on it, actually. It must be too far-fetched to get a mainstream audience to play Fiddle Hero, huh? Given the choice, I'd rather mimic a windmill than a left-hand Suzuki method.

Good ol' Bob Zimmerman. Goes by the name Bob Dylan apparently because he liked the works of Dylan Thomas.

On the subject of Country, how about Charlie Daniels?

Things like that are the most frustrating part of Chess; you drop into autopilot and before you know it your next move is suffixed with "??".