Why do we have to learn algebra and how do people use it in our daily life?
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Ever tried splitting a complicated dinner bill? Yeah that’s when you need algebra.
I never liked algebra. I do solve my problems with my common sense. Spend .75 c out of a dollar you make. Simple.
It’s used in many many different ways, but it doesn’t mean people carry an algebra textbook with them all the time.
Virtually any profession uses (mostly simple) algebra on a daily basis.
Even in your non-professional daily life you use it all the time, for example, when you do the shopping for the month, you either use statistics (last month I bought x amount and it was enough) or algebra (I use x amount per serving, I have y servings per week, a month has 4 weeks, therefore I need 4*y*x amount).
The people who design and create the electronics and software (including games-writers) for the phones/tablets/laptops/televisions/WiFi routers (in fact almost all consumer-electronic and electrical products) .. all use a lot of maths and mathematical ideas daily. Also structural engineers who design bridges and buildings so they don’t fall down. And mechanical engineers who design robots, and motors or engines for cars and motorbikes – use lots of maths to work out how to get the highest performance for lowest cost, weight, or smallest size. People in these professions use maths so much they barely realise they’re doing it.
Starting to learn algebra at school opens the possibility that you could one day go into those sorts of interesting jobs.
In business, or as a salesperson you’d need a basic level of maths, including algebra, to keep track of profit and loss, sales and commissions, and to make decisions on whether to spend money up-front in order to make a saving or make a sale later.
In everyday life outside of those careers, a working knowledge of maths is important for your financial well-being. You need maths to work out which mortgage or credit or car-financing offer is a good or bad deal, and if you get it wrong, it could cost you $100000’s over a lifetime. Similarly for utility-bills and the different tariffs, or to calculate whether installing a new heating system or solar panels is *really* going to save to you money or not. When you get older you’ll have to worry about income tax, and perhaps means-tested benefits – again a knowledge of maths will enable you to check that you are paying or receiving the correct amounts, and help you make the most of your situation.
Sorry to say it, but people with poor maths skills are exploited, ripped-off, and misled by unscrupulous banks and other organisations (sometimes subtly, over time). In politics too, you’ll get the wool pulled over your eyes if you don’t understand maths.
There are many reasons.
First of all, when you’re in high school (or middle school) you usually don’t know what career you’re going to choose. Even if you do, things could change. Even if everybody knew, average class have a lot of people, each of which may want to choose a different path. You can’t teach different stuff to every single person, so you try to find a common ground. Math can be useful in many jobs (from plain algebra to more advanced stuff), and basic math knowledge helps you follow STEM classes in college if you want to. College professors don’t want to waste months explaining x+5=2.
Second, a bit of math does help.
Basically everyone in the “real world” uses percentages (10%, 35%) at some point, for taxes, shopping discounts,… That’s algebra.
Or, let’s say you want to build something out of wood, let’s say a fence. Your favorite shop only has 6 and 8 ft wooden boards. How many boards do you need to build a fence in your 3,000 sqft home? How much is that going to cost you?
Or maybe you want a nice pool. Let’s say a 5×10 pool, 5 feet deep. But you need chlorine to kill germs. Someone tells you people generally recommend 85 mL of chlorine every 4,500 liters. How much is that going to be?
Or, let’s say you’re driving around and you have to fill the gas tank. You have 40 bucks left. Can you fill a full tank?
Third, math in school does (or at least should) train some problem solving skills. You face a problem, you look at what you have and try to find a solution. If it doesn’t work, it’s probably because you forgot something along the way or you made a mistake.
But another purpose, which no-one has mentioned so far, is to teach you how to think.
To stretch your brain.
To prime you for the real world.
Your brain is the only thing that separates you from other animals and school tries to teach you how to use it.
Algebra is a set of techniques to represent mathematical relationships and solve mathematical problems. It’s a toolkit that involves representing numbers by symbols (so the relationships hold true for any numbers the symbols might represent) and following rules when manipulating the symbols (so the relationships hold true at every step).
The toolkit of algebra can be used in virtually any branch of mathematics. Is it likely that these skills will be used in everyday life? Possibly not. But having no competence in this toolkit will close off all sorts of potential activities.
The people who design and create the electronics and software (including games-writers) for the phones/tablets/laptops/televisions/WiFi routers (in fact almost all consumer-electronic and electrical products) .. all use a lot of maths and mathematical ideas daily. Also structural engineers who design bridges and buildings so they don’t fall down. And mechanical engineers who design robots, and motors or engines for cars and motorbikes – use lots of maths to work out how to get the highest performance for lowest cost, weight, or smallest size. People in these professions use maths so much they barely realise they’re doing it.
Starting to learn algebra at school opens the possibility that you could one day go into those sorts of interesting jobs.
In business, or as a salesperson you’d need a basic level of maths, including algebra, to keep track of profit and loss, sales and commissions, and to make decisions on whether to spend money up-front in order to make a saving or make a sale later.
In everyday life outside of those careers, a working knowledge of maths is important for your financial well-being. You need maths to work out which mortgage or credit or car-financing offer is a good or bad deal, and if you get it wrong, it could cost you $100000’s over a lifetime. Similarly for utility-bills and the different tariffs, or to calculate whether installing a new heating system or solar panels is *really* going to save to you money or not. When you get older you’ll have to worry about income tax, and perhaps means-tested benefits – again a knowledge of maths will enable you to check that you are paying or receiving the correct amounts, and help you make the most of your situation.
Sorry to say it, but people with poor maths skills are exploited, ripped-off, and misled by unscrupulous banks and other organisations (sometimes subtly, over time). In politics too, you’ll get the wool pulled over your eyes if you don’t understand maths.
Algebra is the mathematical tool for solving story problems. Math problems in real life are usually stories or situations. Say you want to buy some coffee beans. One brand costs $8 for 12 oz. The other one is $20 for 24 oz. Which is the better deal? You use algebra to turn the real life situation into a math problem to solve and then apply that answer back to real life. How much *should* 36 oz cost, may be another problem to solve.
Algebra is a set of techniques to represent mathematical relationships and solve mathematical problems. It’s a toolkit that involves representing numbers by symbols (so the relationships hold true for any numbers the symbols might represent) and following rules when manipulating the symbols (so the relationships hold true at every step).
The toolkit of algebra can be used in virtually any branch of mathematics. Is it likely that these skills will be used in everyday life? Possibly not. But having no competence in this toolkit will close off all sorts of potential activities.
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