"When am I ever going to use fractions in real life?" is a common question from students. But math
has many real life applications. Adults and kids use math every day, whether it's telling time,
playing board games or reviewing sports scores.
Math in Daily Life explains how the language of
numbers affects many aspects of life. The site explains math principles involved in savings accounts,
cooking and home decorating. At DiscoverySchool.com, use the
Real World Math tools to
calculate distances and how much you would weigh on other planets.
Did you know that math and music are related? Learn how at
Online Math Applications. This site also explains the
history of math and how it applies to science and trips.
Real Life Math for Fifth Graders
explains how students need to use math in situations from cooking to traveling.
Money
Keeping track of your money is an important reason to learn math. You use math when you count change
after buying something. Math is also helpful for setting up a budget. If you get a $5 allowance per
week, you know that it will take three weeks to earn enough for a $15 CD. Adults use math to balance
their checkbook and calculate their income after taxes and other deductions.
Use the Change Maker to test your money skills. Figure out how
many bills and coins you'll get back when you buy something. For example, if you pay for a $1.25 pack of gum
with a $5 bill, you'll get three dollars and three quarters back. The
Counting Coins game allows you to practice adding up pennies, dimes and nickels from your bank.
Successful investing in the stock market requires a mastery of math skills. For more investment information,
see Kidstock and
TeenAnalyst.com.
Shopping
Math is useful while shopping because you can add up how much you've spent and calculate sales tax.
Learn how to compare prices of similar products to get the best deal.
This article on Grocery Shopping
explains how math can help you save money in the supermarket. Use the
Sale Price calculator to figure out how to
subtract percentages from prices.
Travel
If your family were going to Disneyland for vacation, would it be better to fly or to drive? To figure
this out, you must know how to compute distances and estimate the cost of each trip. If you plan to drive,
you must read a map to find the best route and calculate gas costs. If you decide to fly, you'll need math
to figure out which airline has the cheapest tickets.
Check out Online Math Applications to learn
more about gas mileage, speed, distances and maps.
Measurements
Many people must use math at work every day. Cashiers count money, accountants manage money and scientists use
complex math formulas. To learn more about careers that use math, visit
BLS Career Information.
For Parents
Parents can read Helping Your Child
with Arithmetic and Math to learn about activities like card games and
counting backward that foster an appreciation of math in kids.
Real Life Math explains how parents can help instill math
principals in children with learning disabilities.
--- J. Britten
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