z

Young Writers Society


Math help needed!



User avatar
52 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 8413
Reviews: 52
Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:36 pm
eab10 says...



I am in an advanced math class, and I probably shouldn't be, but I completely don't understand probability or trigonometry. My teacher is extremely busy all the time, and it doesn't help to be in her shortest class period of the day either. If anyone can give me some tips on how some of this stuff is done, I would be eternally grateful. Plus, I have to take the stupid CRCT next week, so you can tell I'm sort of in a jam here. Please help! Thanks all!
"A stranger in a strange land" ~ Exodus 2:22
  





User avatar
153 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 32184
Reviews: 153
Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:39 pm
Jagged says...



Can you give some example questions that you have trouble doing, so I can see what exactly you need help with?
Trig and probability can enclose quite a bit of material, so I'd rather not take the risk of starting to explain it only to realize I've strayed into calculus-level trig by distraction; it'd only make things harder.
Lumi: they stand no chance against the JAG SAFETY BLANKET
  





User avatar
52 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 8413
Reviews: 52
Thu Apr 15, 2010 11:45 pm
View Likes
eab10 says...



I'm only in the 8th grade. I don't know exactly what the parts are. It's just real basic probability and real basic trigonometry. There's not much detail in it, but I have difficulties understanding it. One example on a worksheet I had for probability was about the probability you have of rolling a 4 and a 2 in that order on a single six-sided dice. How would you figure something like that out? It has something to do with fractions I think, but I'm not sure.
"A stranger in a strange land" ~ Exodus 2:22
  





User avatar
153 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 32184
Reviews: 153
Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:23 am
View Likes
Jagged says...



Okay, in that particular case (and others of the same kind) it's just a matter of multiplying the odds of getting each number by each other:

On a six-sided die, you have 1/6 chances of getting a four. You also have 1/6 chances of getting a two. The probability of getting first a four then a two is thus (1/6)*(1/6)=1/36.
Lumi: they stand no chance against the JAG SAFETY BLANKET
  





User avatar
52 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 8413
Reviews: 52
Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:45 am
eab10 says...



So, it's just multiplying fractions? Oh, well I guess that's simple enough. Thanks! (watch me forget that when I take the CRCT)
What about trigonometry?
"A stranger in a strange land" ~ Exodus 2:22
  





User avatar
153 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 32184
Reviews: 153
Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:56 am
View Likes
Jagged says...



Pretty much, yeah. There are a couple of cases where you might need to add them, but they're not as common.
Again, got any examples? Are you only just starting it? In any case, there's one thing that shall always be your best friend when it comes to trig: SOHCAHTOA.
In other words, Sine Opposite/Hypotenuse Cosine Adjacent/Hypotenuse Tangent Opposite/Adjacent. Commit it to memory :)
Lumi: they stand no chance against the JAG SAFETY BLANKET
  





User avatar
52 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 8413
Reviews: 52
Fri Apr 16, 2010 1:12 am
View Likes
eab10 says...



Really, we did just start learning it, and our teacher keeps saying we need it for the test and everything. I don't really have any examples on me right now, but I recognize the words sine and hypotenuse. I just don't know what they are. We did something on the Pythagorean theorem too. Again, the concept of it just doesn't click in the mind. But, it's just the basics of it. My teacher said we won't learn it in depth until the 9th or 10th grade. Thanks for the help with probability again!
"A stranger in a strange land" ~ Exodus 2:22
  





User avatar
153 Reviews



Gender: Other
Points: 32184
Reviews: 153
Fri Apr 16, 2010 1:30 am
View Likes
Jagged says...



Okay.

Pythagorean Theorem recap, just in case:
In a right-angle triangle, the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two shortest sides equals the square of the length of the longer side (aka the hypotenuse). The two shorter sides are usually written as a and b, the hypotenuse as c, so you get this:
a^2 + b^2 = c^2


Now, to the trig:
Again, you have a right-angle triangle.
triangle.jpg
triangle.jpg (2.93 KiB) Viewed 502 times

See angle X? Good. [BC] is the side opposite it, [AC] the one adjacent to it.
Now, the sine of that angle, sin(x), will be equal to the length of the opposite side from the right-angle divided by that of the hypotenuse, so [BC]/[AB].
For cosine, it's the adjacent over the hypotenuse, so cos(x)=[AC]/[AB].
Tangent is opposite over adjacent, so it's tan(x)=[BC]/[BC].

That good?
Lumi: they stand no chance against the JAG SAFETY BLANKET
  





User avatar
3821 Reviews

Supporter


Gender: Female
Points: 3891
Reviews: 3821
Fri Apr 16, 2010 2:41 am
View Likes
Snoink says...



I made this desktop for my sister when she was struggling with Trig... maybe it'll help? ;)

If you need any help with math tutoring, PM me. I'm actually a math tutor and I worked with many people on those very subjects.
Attachments
sohcahtoadesktop.gif
sohcahtoadesktop.gif (15.14 KiB) Viewed 434 times
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach

Moth and Myth <- My comic! :D
  





User avatar
52 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 8413
Reviews: 52
Fri Apr 16, 2010 11:30 pm
View Likes
eab10 says...



Thanks peoples! I think I get the trigonometry stuff a little. (I feel so smart now :smt038 ) You guys are awesome! That sohcahtoa thing is neat! It'll help me this year and probably in high school too! :smt003 So, once again, you guys are awesome!
"A stranger in a strange land" ~ Exodus 2:22
  





User avatar
2631 Reviews

Supporter


Gender: Female
Points: 6235
Reviews: 2631
Sun Apr 18, 2010 10:21 am
View Likes
Rydia says...



*Moved to Homework Help*
Writing Gooder

~Previously KittyKatSparklesExplosion15~

The light shines brightest in the darkest places.
  





User avatar
71 Reviews



Gender: Female
Points: 8033
Reviews: 71
Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:53 am
thehobbitgangster says...



Just another way of remembering trig functions is "Some Old Horse Came A-Hoppin' Through Our Alley". That's the way I learned it any way.
A man can change his stars.
William Thatcher ~ "A Knight's Tale"

Just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm lost ~ Lost! by Coldplay
  








Nothing is impossible, for the word itself says, 'I'm possible!'
— Audrey Hepburn