I am reteaching myself math, but something is bugging me soooo bad and I can’t find the answer. What is a real life example of multiplying a fraction by a fraction? I was wondering why .05 to the 5th exponent would get smaller not bigger. This is driving me bonkers.
Sure 1/2 makes sense, but how about 1/2 times 3/5 in real life?!?
Edit: OMFG. Math is cool and makes sense. Finally, I’m 28. Thank you all!!!!
Edit: I was given an AP Scholar award, but it was not for math.
* * * The best explanation goes to the person who explained “times” and “of” were synonomous!!!! * * *
NOW EXPLAIN THIS: How am I in the 99.9th percentile for arithmetic, but suck at math?! Do I have potential? Am I still gifted in “math” or are math and arithmetic too separate things. A professor told me they are different parts of the brain.
In: Mathematics
This used to bug me a lot too, it clicked when I was thinking about areas. So, let’s say you multiply 2 lengths.
2m x 2m you get 4m2 (2 meters multiplied by 2 meters is 4 meters squared).
So, here the unit is changing from meters to meters squared (so, you are going from length to area). So, you are essentially making a big square with a side of 2m which is the same as 4 1mx1m squares = 4m2
Now, let’s think about fractions.
0.5mx0.5m is 0.25m2. Here, you are making a square with a 0.5m side, and if you think about a square with a side equal to 0.5 m, it would just take a quarter of space as a square with a 1m side which lines up perfectly.
So, we understand that the magnitude is going down, but forget that the units are changing in ways which increases the difference between them dramatically.
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