I hate math!

[Megadeth]

OK, so math is my worst subject! None of my friends are any good at math either! I just started with an intermediate algerbra class and already my head is spinning! I cant stand polynomials and rational factoring!

I'm looking at some of these problems, they are supposed to be easy, I know what the answer is supposed to be because the back of the book has some of the answers but I can't do it on my own.

Give me biology, geography or just about anything over math!

Just taking a break to share my frusteration with everyone! Now back to my homework

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Megadeth
OK, so math is my worst subject! None of my friends are any good at math either! I just started with an intermediate algerbra class and already my head is spinning! I cant stand polynomials and rational factoring!

I'm looking at some of these problems, they are supposed to be easy, I know what the answer is supposed to be because the back of the book has some of the answers but I can't do it on my own.

Give me biology, geography or just about anything over math!

Just taking a break to share my frusteration with everyone! Now back to my homework

I've found that the enjoyment of mathematics is directly related to the quality of the math teacher. Unfortunately Algebra gets the shaft in college and you guys get all of the teachers who aren't good enough to teach Calc, DE, or whatever.

My advice is this: Do the problems over and over until you can get them right. Then explain to your friends why those answers are correct. Teaching someone how to do something will expose any flaws in your own understanding. If you can show your friends how to do something, you will have mastered it.

 

[Beige]

Im not too fond of math myself but it beats chemistry. er..yeah..hang in there and with enough effort you will get it.


"PHYSICS ROCKS!" I love that subject..xD

 

[Megadeth]

Hehe... of course being the great procrastinater I am I put this off until tonight and it is due tomorrow and I'm really stuck! I know I can't blame anyone but myself but it's how I've always operated.... Works great for some classes where I can work under pressure.... But not with math.

 

[Beige]

Originally posted by: Megadeth
Hehe... of course being the great procrastinater I am I put this off until tonight and it is due tomorrow and I'm really stuck! I know I can't blame anyone but myself but it's how I've always operated.... Works great for some classes where I can work under pressure.... But not with math.

LOL yeah i know what u mean..Procastination only works with essays for me. I always somehow pull off a B and rarely an A with las tminute essays. I think i should stop because one of these days i might not do a good job.

 

[Megadeth]

4x x x
-- = -- - --
3 18 6

Am I even on the right track... I've gotten it down to 24x=2x but how am I supposed to get x by itself? I don't think I'm doing this right. LOL.

 

[Elderly Newt]

Originally posted by: Megadeth
4x x x
-- = -- - --
3 18 6

Am I even on the right track... I've gotten it down to 24x=2x but how am I supposed to get x by itself? I don't think I'm doing this right. LOL.

lol... you messed up somewhere... 24x cant equal 2x.

When all else fails, you can always fall back on your basic arithmetic. Anything that you can do with constants you can do with variables. Try different numbers for x in 24x=2x... you'll never get one that works.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Elderly Newt
Try different numbers for x in 24x=2x... you'll never get one that works.

x=0

 

[Megadeth]

Ok... I have 4x over 3 equals x over 18 minus x over 6. I know that x is supposed to equal 0 according to the back of the book but I'm not doing something right.... I've used 18 as my LCD....

 

[johnjbruin]

Dude - how old are you. This is algebra we are talking about...

Sheesh... kids these days...

 

[Megadeth]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Elderly Newt
Try different numbers for x in 24x=2x... you'll never get one that works.

x=0

I know x is supposed to =0 because I saw that in teh back of the book but now I need to know why If only is was as simple as just putting x=0 on my paper

 

[Megadeth]

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Dude - how old are you. This is algebra we are talking about...

Sheesh... kids these days...

I'm 24 and I havent taken a math class since my senior year of high school. I wasnt good at it then and I'm not good at it now! I've been fearing taking this class and it's one of those things I've been saving until near the end of my classes.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Megadeth
I know x is supposed to =0 because I saw that in teh back of the book but now I need to know why If only is was as simple as just putting x=0 on my paper

Divide both sides by x. You'll get 24=2 which is illogical. The only way you could have gotten that is by dividing by zero. That's when those funky 1=2 type things show up.

Also, don't worry about people putting you down for having problems.

 

[johnjbruin]

Originally posted by: Megadeth

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Dude - how old are you. This is algebra we are talking about...

Sheesh... kids these days...

I'm 24 and I havent taken a math class since my senior year of high school. I wasnt good at it then and I'm not good at it now! I've been fearing taking this class and it's one of those things I've been saving until near the end of my classes.

I thought algebra was required to even get out of high school?

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
I thought algebra was required to even get out of high school?

It is.

6 years without practice makes a person rusty, especially if it's something you weren't wild about to begin with. I know I've forgotten everything we did in AP English 4.

:shudder:

 

[darkxshade]

math is a lot easier when you just pretend you're dealing with money.

 

[Megadeth]

Originally posted by: johnjbruin

Originally posted by: Megadeth

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Dude - how old are you. This is algebra we are talking about...

Sheesh... kids these days...

I'm 24 and I havent taken a math class since my senior year of high school. I wasnt good at it then and I'm not good at it now! I've been fearing taking this class and it's one of those things I've been saving until near the end of my classes.

I thought algebra was required to even get out of high school?

Yeah it was and I had a tough time with it but got through it. It's been 6 years sinice I've had to do anything like this stuff.

 

[Leper Messiah]

Originally posted by: Megadeth
Ok... I have 4x over 3 equals x over 18 minus x over 6. I know that x is supposed to equal 0 according to the back of the book but I'm not doing something right.... I've used 18 as my LCD....

(4x/3)= [(x/18)-(x/6)]. multiply each side by the lowest comon denominator, in this case 18.
18(4x/3)= 18(x/18) -18(x/6)

so you get 24x= x-3x. so yeah, your math is kinda right. 24x=-2x, so 26x=0. x=0.

EDIT: Fvcked up a little bit, but the answer is still x=0

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: johnjbruin
Dude - how old are you. This is algebra we are talking about...

Sheesh... kids these days...

Weren't you supposed to learn that stuff in high school? What state are you from where the high schools did such a poor job?

 

[clickynext]

Originally posted by: darkxshade
math is a lot easier when you just pretend you're dealing with money.

Or cream pies. Mmmm...

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Megadeth
I know x is supposed to =0 because I saw that in teh back of the book but now I need to know why If only is was as simple as just putting x=0 on my paper

Divide both sides by x. You'll get 24=2 which is illogical. The only way you could have gotten that is by dividing by zero. That's when those funky 1=2 type things show up.

Also, don't worry about people putting you down for having problems.

actually, dividing both sides by x can cause you to lose solutions in problems.
Example: x^2 = x. Divide both sides by x and you end up with x = 1. You lose the possible solution of x = 0. It's a pretty big deal when you get to trig.

 

[dym]

i think Math is easy until you get into 4xx level classes.

 

[Leper Messiah]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Megadeth
I know x is supposed to =0 because I saw that in teh back of the book but now I need to know why If only is was as simple as just putting x=0 on my paper

Divide both sides by x. You'll get 24=2 which is illogical. The only way you could have gotten that is by dividing by zero. That's when those funky 1=2 type things show up.

Also, don't worry about people putting you down for having problems.

actually, dividing both sides by x can cause you to lose solutions in problems.
Example: x^2 = x. Divide both sides by x and you end up with x = 1. You lose the possible solution of x = 0. It's a pretty big deal when you get to trig.

well, with quadratics and such, some times graphing them is a good idea.

 

[DrPizza]

For what it's worth, (before someone points out that for many problems, different methods lead more quickly to a solution, I'll acknowledge this, but if he's stuck at this point, he needs more general help)

#1 rule: what you do to one side of the equal sign, you do to the other.

Generally, try to get all the terms with variables on the same side of the equals sign.
In the case of 24x = 2x, subtract 2x from both sides. That makes it cancel out completely on the right hand side.
Then, you have 22x = 0. Now, divide both sides by 22 and you have x = 0.

 

[Leper Messiah]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
For what it's worth, (before someone points out that for many problems, different methods lead more quickly to a solution, I'll acknowledge this, but if he's stuck at this point, he needs more general help)

#1 rule: what you do to one side of the equal sign, you do to the other.

Generally, try to get all the terms with variables on the same side of the equals sign.
In the case of 24x = 2x, subtract 2x from both sides. That makes it cancel out completely on the right hand side.
Then, you have 22x = 0. Now, divide both sides by 22 and you have x = 0.

but its -2x for each side. so its 26x=0. I made the same mistake. Just want to reinforce that, since in other problems it will matter.