Math formulas and equations form the very bedrock of a school student’s education as numerical ability is the gateway to success later in life. The importance of math formulas and math equations can hardly be underestimated in the digital age, as mathematics powers a student’s progress in the world of technology. This is true of international schools offering the PYP curriculum as well as any other school.
Math formulas are a very useful tool in helping a student solve mathematical problems of varying difficulty as these lay out the basic pathway for approaching certain types of mathematical concepts. Once a student has understood the formula pertaining to a certain mathematical concept, he or she can then apply it to resolve any mathematical problem in that genre.
Understanding Basic Mathematics Formula
Math formulas comprise rules and methods that allow one to deploy variables to calculate values not yet known. These comprise variables, coefficients and constants. For instance, the formula for finding the area of a rectangle is length x breadth, while that for finding the area of a square is length x length.
1. Arithmetic Formulas
An arithmetic formula comprises a set pattern following a sequence of numbers. Every successive number happens to be the sum of the previous number and a constant that remains unchanged for every term comprising the sequence and is known as the common denominator. Arithmetic formulas are the very basis of mathematics. That is why international schools offering the PYP curriculum make it a point to ensure that their students get to understand and learn them.
2. Geometry Formulas
Geometry formulas help in calculating mathematical attributes like area, volume of varying geometrical shapes, dimensions, perimeter and surface area. In essence, these help resolve problems involving the interplay among points, angles, surfaces, lines, properties vested in objects and measurements.
3. Algebraic Formulas
Algebra comprises letters in addition to numbers. The former’s value is known while letters represent unknown values. A combination of letters, numbers, factorials and matrices denotes an algebraic formula.
4. Trigonometry Formulas
Trigonometry formulas denote equations that describe the relation between the sides and angles of triangles. These formulas explain the trigonometric ratios known as sine, cosine, tangent and so on relating them to the sides of a right-angled triangle.
5. Statistics Formulas
Statistics formulas help one make sense of observations, facts and other relevant information available in the form of numeric data. Statistics formulas help us measure central tendencies as well as the deviations of data value vis-a-vis the centre.
6. Combination Formula in Maths
A combination formula is deployed to determine the number of ways of selecting items from a collection in a manner that the order of selection is not of any relevance. One can use the combination formula to identify the number of possible combinations obtained from a subset of items derived from a larger set.
Tips to Remember Basic Maths Formula & Equations
Students often falter at math because they are not good at memorising formulae. This is something that can be dealt with quite effectively by following the tips given below:
1. Take the Help of a Mental Image of the Formula
Represent the different components of a formula with the help of a relatable visual element. The famed E=MC2 can be remembered by imagining E to be an elephant, M a mountain and c2 as two cars moving at the speed of light.
2. Use the Mnemonic Technique
A mnemonic device entails using any technique to remember. A classic example is the sentence, ‘Officers have Curly Auburn Hair Till Old Age’. This can be used to remember trigonometry formulas by using the first letter of every word to substitute for an element in the formula. That would give us Sine = Opposite over Hypotenuse, Cosine = Adjacent over Hypotenuse and Tangent + Opposite over Adjacent.
3. Write Down the Formula Again and Again
For some people the best way to remember something is to write it down. It follows, therefore, that one of the ways that one can remember a particular formula is to write it down repeatedly, till it gets ingrained in one’s mind.
4. Learn Hope to Use the Formula
You are more likely to forget a formula you have memorised if you don’t know how to deploy it in solving a problem. The practice that using the formula to solve problems will make you remember the formula like nothing else will.
5. Reciting the Formulas Loudly
Reciting something loudly till one remembers it, is an age-old technique for remembering something. This can be deployed very effectively for remembering mathematical formulae as well.
Conclusion
Basic math formulas and equations lie at the heart of the discipline of mathematics. Even if a student understands the principles behind a mathematical concept, he or she will not go very far with regard to mastering the subject if they can’t remember the basic formulas and deploy them effectively.
Basic math formulas comprise those pertaining to arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and combinations and these need to be understood as well as memorised for students to do well in them. This is true with regard to everything ranging from completing homework or acing a test or a quiz. It sure would be a pity if an otherwise intelligent student who understands concepts in no time always messes up his or her math test because of an inability to remember formulae.
There are several learning tricks one can deploy to enable one to remember math formulas and these have been successfully deployed by generations of school students. Some of the most popular ones have been provided in this article and can be deployed to good effect by anyone wanting to enhance their memory retention capability with regard to math formulae. We may be living in the digital age, but it can never change the necessity of memorising math formulas with the help of handy tricks like the ones mentioned in this article.
Mathematics is in all probability one of the most important subjects that a student will ever study and developing a facility for it sure is a blessing. This is especially true of formulas and equations. Central to doing well in math is to figure out the all-important formulas both in terms of understanding them and memorising them.
While one may make use of the tips and advice given in this article to get better at remembering formulas, one needs to remember above all that the most important tip of all involves practice and more practice. The more you do something, the better you get at it. It is as simple as that.
