Math at every step of life

by Jahnabi Das
(Durgapur, WB, India)

Mathematics is such a nice thing that all of us use it in every step of our life whether we learn it at school or not. While walking, jumping, cooking, playing, driving, riding a bicycle or doing any activity, we are using mental calculations all the time, may be unconsciously. Anyone who has sound knowledge of math can do well in any other subjects.

In our place in India mostly, metric system is used except for length measurement where inches and feet are most commonly used. To convert inches to centimeter, to get a rough estimate, we multiply it 2 and add half of it to the result. For example, 5 inches equals (5 X 2) + 2.5 = 12.5 cm (approx.).

There are so many good games available in the internet to learn mathematics for kids. Below is a few links for kids to have fun with math:

http://arithmetic.zetamac.com/

http://www.tlsbooks.com/timedmathdrillworksheets.htm

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/math-trainer-multiply.html

Barry's Response - Jahnabi, that's a pretty good approximation for metric conversion. Thank you. It used to be 2.54000508 cm to an inch, but at some point it was redefined to 2.54 cm.

I hope my visitors (and their kids) have fun learning math drills from the links above. Try cutting and pasting them into your browser address bar.

Search this site for more math information now.

Kids can learn these simple arithmetic and math tricks for easy computations

- Trick for multiplying by 9: Multiply any number by 10 and then subtract the original number to get 9. Here's an example: 7×9=(7×10)−7=70−7=63

- Trick for multiplying by 11: Place the sum between the digits of a two-digit number. Here's an example: 24×11=2(2+4)4=264

- Trick for multiplying by 5: Divide any number by 2 and then add a 0. Here's an example: 6×5=(6÷2)×10=3×10=30

- How to square 2-digit numbers ending in 5: Multiply the tens digit by the next consecutive number, followed by 25 for numbers ending in 5. 35x35 = (3x4, next consecutive number) and 25 at the end = 1225

- How to count by multiples: Make multiplication and addition easier by teaching skip counting by multiples of 2, 5, 10, etc. Here's an example: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10...

- Doubles and halves: Doubles (e.g., 7+77+7) make it easier to calculate halves (e.g., 7227). 7+7=14, 7÷2=3.5

- Adding 9 Trick: Add 10 and then subtract 1 to get 9. Here's an example: 8+9=(8+10)−1=17

- Understanding place value: Make addition and subtraction easier with multi-digit numbers by understanding place value. The sum of 435+279 is (400+200)+(30+70)+(5+9)=714

- Plus 100 in a flash: Add 1 to the hundreds place to get 100. Here's an example: 348+100=448

- Counting with your fingers: For early learners, teach finger counting to help them visualize numbers.

- Let's make 10s: Make sure you add 10s. Make 10 out of the numbers, then add the remainder. Here's an example: 8+7=(8+2)+5=10+5=15

Playful math tricks help kids learn and solve problems, fostering a positive attitude toward math.