Archive for the ‘algebra’ Category

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OMG! The Best Ever ALGEBRA Promo and it’s written by AI

May 19, 2023

So Mathspig asked Chat GPT to:…………..

Describe algebra in the style of Mathspig

Alrighty then, buckle up your math belts and get ready to rock the world of algebra! Algebra, my math-hungry amigos, is like the ultimate superhero of mathematics. It’s all about unleashing the power of unknowns and solving the most mind-boggling puzzles known to humanity.

In the realm of algebra, we ditch the boring old numbers and bring in the big guns: variables! These sneaky little devils represent unknown quantities that are just begging to be discovered. They’re like the Sherlock Holmes of math, always on the hunt for clues to crack the case.

Equations are the name of the game in algebra. They’re like the secret codes that hide the answers to life’s greatest mathematical mysteries. We tinker and tamper with these equations, using super cool math moves to bring order to the chaos. We combine like terms, simplify expressions, and rearrange the pieces of the puzzle until we uncover the truth.

More rules here

But wait, there’s more! Algebra isn’t just about solving equations; it’s about exploring patterns and relationships. It’s like a math treasure hunt where we unearth the underlying structure of the universe. We create graphs, plot points, and analyze the data to reveal the secrets that numbers and formulas hold.

Algebra is all about flexing your math muscles and honing your problem-solving skills. It’s a mental workout that strengthens your logical thinking and boosts your brainpower. It’s like math aerobics for your mind, keeping you sharp and ready to tackle any mathematical challenge that comes your way.

So, my math-loving amigos, embrace the power of algebra. Let your curiosity run wild, and let your mathematical genius shine. Unlock the hidden mysteries, unravel the enigmas, and conquer the world of numbers with confidence and style. Algebra is your superpower, and with it, you can conquer the mathematical universe! Mathspig, out!

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8. You can survive any amount of beating in a fight.

May 14, 2023

Lethal_Weapon_4_PosterDie_Hard_With_A_Vengance

 

 

 

 

Every action hero gets into a fistfight. James Bond, Jason Bourne, Indiana Jones. Then there are all the stars known for their fight scenes. Sylvester Stallone ( Rocky),  Arnold Schwarzenegger (True Lies), Jackie Chan (Any movie), Bruce Willis (Die Hard 1,2, 3 etc), Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon I, II, III etc), Jean Claude Van Damm (Blood Sport, Street Fighter), Brad Pitt (Fight Club), Fast & Furious 1,2,3 and so on.

But can the human body take this punishment?

We can work it out. Measurements taken at The University of Manchester have shown that local boxing hero Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton really does live up to his name. (DailyScience)

ricky 'the hitman" hatton

Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton can pack a punch!!!!! 

Similar results were found at Uni Manchester BBC (Force of boxer’s punch measured)

So one punch is equal to being hit by a car …… if only for a split second!!!!!!!!!!! Nevertheless you can be killed by this one punch.

You’ll find some great punching physics here

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9. A single match or candle will light a room the size of a football stadium.

May 4, 2023

 

This is the rework of a previous post.

Action heroes such as Indiana Jones or even film kids like Tom Sawyer or The Goonies who go into a cave, anabandoned house, a crypt or a catacomb light the entire place with one match, one candle, a lighter or a cellphoneIndiana jones 1tm sawyer.

Is this real?

 

Now mathspigs, if you are interested in a career in stage/film lighting or even architecture you will need this maths.light globe_tns

 

60Watt light globe tells us how much power it uses. But some 60W globes are brighter than others. Light is measured with weird units.

candle_tnsUSA uses Foot-candles. Can you imagine the pickup line ‘You brighten up my world like a footcandle’? A foot-candle is the brightness of a candle 1 foot away. Now think of a bubble around the candle. Brightness is mostly measured using one square foot or one square metre of that bubble:

1 LUMEN = 1 Footcandle/ft squared

1 LUX = 1 footcandle/m squared

Don’t get too hassled by these units.  As a rough rule:

1 candle = 1 LUX

candle 1 Correction

candle 2 Correction

candle 3 Correction

From graph you can see by 3m a Birthday Cake is not very bright even in a haunted house or crypt.

Challenge: Draw a graph of the brightness of your own Birthday Cake!

Big Challenge:Draw a graph of your Teacher’s Birthday Cake!!!!!! Ahhhh!!!!

We know:

1 candle = 1 LUX

Now compare the brightness of 1 candle to the brightness of other sources of light:

If you want sufficient light to live your everyday life you’d need:

80 candles just to go to the toilet!!!!!!

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10. You can out run a lava flow … METRIC

May 1, 2023

This is a rework of a previous post with full calcs.

Every volcano disaster movie from Volcano (1997) with Tommy Lee Jones to Dante’s Peak (1997) withDantes_peak_ver2Pierce Brosnan someone somewhere tries to out run a lava flow. Is this possible?

The answer is maybe. You will find everything you want to know about lava flows here.Volcano_ver2

On January 10,1977, at Nyiragongo lava sprang from the sides of the volcano moving at speeds up to 40 miles per hour (60 km/hr). About 70 people were killed.

lava temp Measuring the temperature of lava. Photograph by R.L. Christiansen, U.S. Geological Survey, January 9, 1973.
The fastest Lava flows recorded were in Hawaiiin 1950 when Mauna Loa erupted. The lava traveled at 10 kilometers per hour through thick forest. But once the lava flows became established and good channels developed, the lava in the channels was flowing at up to 97 kph.

Speed of average sprinter = 16 – 24 kph

 

Can you out run a lava flow?

You would be scorched after 3 minutes!!!! 

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10. You can out run a lava flow … USA UNITS

May 1, 2023

This is a rework of a previous post with full calcs.

Dantes_peak_ver2Every volcano disaster movie from Volcano (1997) with Tommy Lee Jones to Dante’s Peak (1997) with Pierce Brosnan someone somewhere tries to out run a lava flow. Is this possible?

The answer is maybe. You will find everything you want to know about lava flows here.Volcano_ver2

On January 10,1977, at Nyiragongo lava sprang from the sides of the volcano moving at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. About 70 people were killed.

 

lava temp Measuring the temperature of lava. Photograph by R.L. Christiansen, U.S. Geological Survey, January 9, 1973.

The fastest Lava flows recorded were in Hawaiiin 1950 when Mauna Loa erupted. The lava traveled at 6 miles per hour through thick forest. But once the lava flows became established and good channels developed, the lava in the channels was flowing at up to 60 mph.

Speed of average sprinter = 10 – 15 mph

Can you out run a lava flow?

 You would be scorched in 33 seconds!!!

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Real World Maths: Surds and all that jazz …

October 12, 2022

Eddie Woo is an Aussie Maths teacher who runs his own Youtube Channel. So popular is this channel in October 2015, Woo won the NSW Premier’s Prize for Innovation in Science and Mathematics. This youtube clip won’t tell you where you will use surds, but it does something magical.

It compares surds to different kinds of music to help students understand why mathematicians go crazy over the concept of surds. This clip tells why maths is soooooo special. There is no guesswork or fake information in this maths. Maths must be accurate. And surds demonstrate this point. (Look for the 5 min mark)

Will you use surds in real life?

Maybe. Probably, not. But surds are used in mathematical programs that demand accuracy. eg. engineering skyscrapers, building satellite dishes, and even in video games. But you won’t see them. Like so much mathematics surds will be hidden in some algorithm.

Here are two Examples:

1. The Golden Ratio:

Often written a 1:1.61 the Golden Ratio or Fibonacci Sequence appears in art and nature and has an aesthetic appeal to the eye, but the accurate ratio is:

2. The Quadratic Function

Satellite dishes, headlights, torches, and bridges all designed using the parabolic arc. The parabola is defined by the quadratic function and sometimes solving for x produces an irrational no. namely a surd. Rounding off can introduce inaccuracies that can become more dramatic when scaled up to the sie of, say, a bridge. 

3. The Golden Ratio in Music

Mozart arranged his piano sonatas so that the number of bars in the development and recapitulation divided by the number of bars in the exposition would equal approximately 1.618, the Golden Ratio. Find more @ CLASSIC FM.

Back to Mozart.

In the above diagram, C is the sonata’s first movement as a whole, B is the development and recapitulation, and A is the exposition.

And here is Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major as an example. Can you hear the Golden Ratio. Not really. But it’s there.

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DART vs ASTEROID: Middle School Math

September 27, 2022

DART is a test

of NASA’s planetary defence plans.

AND IF YOU GOOGLE ……..

 DOUBLE ASTEROID REDIRECTION TEST

                                       Guess what?

The DART(Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission was launched on Nov. 23, 2021, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

It is the size of a small vending machine and it has been travelling through space for 10 months.

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No Frills MATHs SKILLS for Parents 3: Pre-Algebra

May 23, 2022

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No Frills MATHs SKILLS for Parents 2 : Algebra

May 4, 2022

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Winter Olympics 2022: Why do figure skaters spin so fast?

February 3, 2022

Here is the sensational pairs team from the 2018 Winter Olympics.

But why do ice skaters spin so fast?

Here is the math!

REASON  1:

Well, mathspiggies, the girl in this video is right. Angular momentum remains constant unless external forces are applied.

L = mvr

L = angular momentum

v = linear velocity

r = separation of object

Louisa Barama, USA

Louisa Barama, USA

Let’s have a look at this equation:

Figure skate maths1

The fastest spin on ice skates was achieved by Natalia Kanounnikova (Russia) with a maximum rotational velocity of 308 RPM (rotations per minute) at Rockefeller Centre Ice Rink, New York, USA on 27 March 2006. See Guinness Book of Records.

 Record spin :  vr = 308 RPM

Other spins include:

Mao Asada, Japan, triple Axel

Mao Asada, Japan, triple Axel

Triple Axel spin vr = 220 – 280 RPM

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

 Maximum Triple Axel spin vr = 402 RPM

Skaters can spin faster during a triple axel jump because there is no friction from the ice slowing their spin.

To complete a quad axel, it’s estimated that the skater would have to rotate in the air at:

540 rpm.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Camel spin vr = 90 RPM

More info here.

Kim Yuna, South Korea

Kim Yuna, South Korea

…………………………………………….

REASON 2:

How can a figure skater move from

a camel spin into a very fast standing spin?

Now, mathspiggies, you must separate Linear Velocity (v1 ) from Angular Velocity (vr ). Linear Velocity is measured in m/sec ie. it is the speed of, say, a skaters foot around the circle. Angular Velocity is measured in either RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) or degrees or Radians per minute. Ie. It is the rate of spin. We can’t judge how many m/sec a skaters foot is moving in a circle. We can only see how fast they spin. In other words, we see their Angular Velocity. When a skaters foot is in the Camel position that foot travels in a very big circle.

But when that same foot is in a Triple Axel postion it moves in a very, very small circle.

Patrick Chan, Canada, Camel Spin

Patrick Chan, Canada, Camel Spin

Patrick Chan, Canada, Triple Axel

Patrick Chan, Canada, Triple Axel

figure skate maths 2

By halving the radius, firstly, a skater’s Linear Velocity doubles due to the conservation of angular momentum.

Then, secondly, by halving the radius the circumference of the circle moved by , say, the skaters foot is halved.

Overall, by doubling the velocity around the circle and halving the circumference a skater increases their rotational velocity by a factor of 4.

Look at the numbers:

Camel spin vr = 90 RPM

…………………………………………………………………………………

Triple Axel spin vr = 4 x 90 RPM = 360 RPM

That’s about right.