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  Discussion about math, puzzles, games and fun.   Useful symbols: ÷ × ½ √ ∞ ≠ ≤ ≥ ≈ ⇒ ± ∈ Δ θ ∴ ∑ ∫ • π ƒ -¹ ² ³ °

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#202 Re: Maths Is Fun - Suggestions and Comments » Divide Site By Courses » 2024-10-17 02:08:27

Bob

There are currently 17 separate sections, most of which get used at some time and covering all the types of post that people make.  When a member makes a post it appears straight away on the forum. The moderators have to check regularly to make sure no post is abusive, illegal or otherwise unsuitable for publication. That's a big job and we do this voluntarily. It's called post-moderation meaning the check is done after the post appears.

There's an alternative: pre-moderation. With that, posts don't appear straight away. They are put in a holding area until they are 'passed' as suitable for publication.  Such a system is safer but means members don't get quick responses and cannot have a to and fro chat.

If you add lots of extra subsections it makes the job of post-moderation much, much more laborious. I doubt I've be able to keep up.

The key to making a good post is to decide which section it should appear in and then give it a good title so readers know what it's about.  That has worked well for 19 or so years.  I don't want it to change.

Bob

#203 Re: Introductions » A solo scientist new to the forum » 2024-10-16 19:05:53

Bob

hi ktesla39

Welcome to the forum.

Uni is short for University.

According to google that quote is by the  philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer.

In The Imitation Game, Alan Turing says:

“Sometimes, it is the people who no one imagines anything of...who do the things that no one can imagine.”

I think the real Turing didn't say this but it's a great line anyway.

Bob

#204 Re: Science HQ » Momentum » 2024-10-15 19:16:44

Bob

do we assume that the 3m/s is his instantaneous velocity?

Yes, that's all you can do.  Momentum must be a vector measure as it has velocity as a component. If the man is accelerating then his momentum is going up.

Bob

#205 Re: Puzzles and Games » Number sequence help » 2024-10-10 20:58:15

Bob

(1,4) (2,6) (3,2) (4,8) (5,3) (6,9)

bobbym once pointed out that you can always fit a function to any set of six points.

To be a 'solution' there has to be sufficient evidence from the given numbers to find a unique rule that will allow you to determine the next number(s).

I'm impressed with your answer phro. I'd never have got that.  But what is the rule that generates 1.5 as the next. I still cannot see it.

Bob

#206 Re: Help Me ! » Help with simplify and expression » 2024-10-10 20:49:27

Bob

hi Fra1990

Welcome to the forum.

You can simplify powers by using the rules for indices. https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/exponent-laws.html

phrontister has tidied up your maths notation to make the expression clearer. But is that what you meant?

Another interpretation of what you've posted is:

Please post again, making it clear which is right.

When you've got x and times in an expression you can use a .  for the times to avoid confusion.

Bob

#207 Re: Puzzles and Games » Number sequence help » 2024-10-10 00:36:34

Bob
mathenjoyer wrote:

9 / 6 = 1.5!!

Assume I'm really stupid. shame Please explain what the term to term rule is that generates this sequence. Thanks. smile

Bob

#208 Re: Puzzles and Games » Number sequence help » 2024-10-09 06:01:00

Bob

hi mathenjoyer

Welcome to the forum!

Well I'm glad you found an answer.  I cannot! So how about helping me out here. dizzy Where did 1.5 come from?

Bob

#209 Re: Science HQ » Momentum » 2024-10-04 00:18:28

Bob

If you are travelling with a constant momentum then it is a timeless measurement.  If you hit something there is an impulse as momentum is transferred. This takes place over time.

Have a look at this MIF page as it gives a good account of this:

https://www.mathsisfun.com/physics/momentum.html

Bob

#210 Re: Science HQ » Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion » 2024-09-30 04:10:53

Bob

Material from volcanos doesn't usually reach escape velocity so things probably sort themselves out as stuff falls back to Earth.  Rockets that go into orbit haven't left either and the direction of push is pretty random as the Earth rotates so that seems to sort that out.

If too many rockets go on one way trips to, say, the Moon, then this might widen the Earth Moon distance, especially as the landing would use the Moon's surface for breaking. But if a regular trade in Moon material started up the other way then there's a bigger problem. The increase in the overall weight of the Earth would affect it's rotation. Ho hum for the simple life.

Bob

#211 Re: Science HQ » Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion » 2024-09-29 02:34:33

Bob

That sounds about right. The air pressure is producing the force and when the cork pops , the rocket moves up as the water moves down.

What you haven't asked is what happens to the Earth when you are doing push ups.  I'm thinking that as you move up the Earth must move down. But the amount is fortunately small compared with your movement.  Just don't get too large a group to join you and definitely don't all push up in synch.

It helps that you come back down again as that recombines you with the Earth as a single system. If you were able to push hard enough to achieve escape velocity (roughly 25000 mph) then you would leave the Earth for ever and the rest of us would be stuck on on  planet whose orbit is permanently affected


Bob

#212 Re: Help Me ! » Bermuda Triangle » 2024-09-24 04:19:01

Bob

Does it?  It shouldn't. Those mm measurements are all pretty close so the miles should be too.  But you've got places so close you could walk/swim the distance.

I did it this way. What do you have to multiply 58 by to get 1046. answer =what it has become,  divided by what it was.

multiplier = 1046/58

Bob

ps. Maths is supposed to represent the real world so any answer should pass the 'is it reasonable?' test.

#213 Re: Help Me ! » Monomial Expression » 2024-09-24 04:09:53

Bob

A, B and C exactly right.

For D and E I would say the presence of another variable y is a reason. Also E has a + element as well.

Further thought about D. If we consider a = 8/y and k = 1 then it is monomial.  I'm regarding y as a fixed value rather than a variable. Why not?

Bob

#214 Re: Help Me ! » Creepy Mathematics? » 2024-09-24 04:03:54

Bob

The first number in each sum is decreasing by 1 and the second number is increasing by 1. So I would expect the total to stay constant.

In general if a + b = c  then (a+1) + (b-1) = c and more generally still, (a + n) + (b - n) = c for all n.

Bob

#218 Re: Help Me ! » Convert to Scientific Notation » 2024-09-23 20:08:22

Bob

This is why it works:

Positive powers of ten are 10, 100, 1000, etc so make a number bigger.

So if you reduce the value of the numeric part (32.14 becomes 3.214) you need to restore the value with a positive power of ten.

Negative powers of ten are fractional so they make a number smaller.

So if you increase the value of the numeric part (0.0514 becomes 5.14) you need to restore the value with a negative power of ten.

The number of places you have moved the decimal point tells you what power you need.

Bob

#221 Re: Help Me ! » Find x » 2024-09-23 03:52:25

Bob

Yes, good.  If you ever get to complex numbers you will discover there are also 2 complex values that work.

Bob

#222 Re: Help Me ! » Computing Grades » 2024-09-23 03:49:42

Bob

That grading method requires that every year an exam is set with exactly the same degree of difficulty.

If the questions are , for example, harder one year then less students will reach the pass marks for each grade.

In the UK grades are not pre-determined. After the marking is complete the chief examiner and other examiners use their experience from previous years to set an appropriate pass mark for that year.

For GCSE the syllabus specifies what a grade F, C and A student should be able to do which makes it easier to decide, after the exam, if the pass marks are being correctly set.

This also enables people to assess whether standards are rising from year to year.

Bob

#223 Re: Help Me ! » Computing Hourly Wages » 2024-09-23 03:42:15

Bob

I'm looking forward to it. smile

Bob

#225 Re: Help Me ! » Finance » 2024-09-23 03:40:53

Bob

But that doesn't add up to 10 000.

Try 2x - 3000 = 10000 implies 2x = 13000

Bob

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