How to Use Math & Science in Everyday Life

Students sometimes get so bogged down in the minutiae of memorizing math equations and scientific formulas that they cannot see how basic math and science skills will help them navigate through the rest of their lives. To rely completely on a calculator or a scientific cheat sheet is to do yourself a grave disservice. You could put your financial future, or even your health, at risk.

Things You'll Need

• Cash
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Checkbook
• Cookbook

Instructions

1. Calculate how much change you should be receiving when you purchase goods with cash. Occasionally, clerks make mistakes when figuring out how much change to give back.

2. Brush your teeth, and you are making a small-scale chemistry experiment in your mouth. You are neutralizing acids that degrade the enamel on your teeth.

3. Look at a rainbow. What you are looking at are varying wavelengths of light, which falls under the heading of "color science."

4. Balance your checkbook or create a monthly budget. Doing either requires a firm grasp of basic math.

5. Halve or double a recipe. Doing so requires that the chef understand how to divide or multiply.

6. Know what happens when you mix cleaning products together before you do so, because the mixture could be hazardous to your health. For example, mixing bleach and ammonia will create chlorine gas, which could potentially be lethal.

References

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Science in Everyday Life
• Dartmouth College: How Are Rainbows Formed?
• Google Books: "Everyday Math for Everyday Life"

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• BBC: The Dangers of Mixing Bleach and Ammonia