Happy Pi Day!

Today is 3/14/2011, which is not only the first day of Spring Break for my students and fellow teachers but Pi Day for math enthusiasts.  Of course, this is because the rounded value of Pi is 3.14.  So go get that string and make a circle out if it. Then find the diameter of that circle and have your own Pi! (Please don't eat it!)

By the way, do you know why this date will be special in four years? I'll let you ponder that throughout the day.

Can students still bring teachers an apple?

Geometry Online Question #4

You have until Monday, March 21, 2011 by 10:00 PM to answer the following TWO-PART question. Make sure that you use COMPLETE sentences. For example, "No", "Yes", or "I don't know" would not be acceptable for full credit.

If you submit your answers by Friday, March 18, 2011 at 11:59 PM you will receive TEN EXTRA CREDIT POINTS towards a test for the fifth six weeks.

You have three options to submit your answers:

1. E-Mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.  Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.

2. Send me a message through my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mathauthority.  Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.

3. Post on my blog here by doing the following...

• Click on the link above and then post your comment.

• Be sure to include your first and last name, class period, and your answer to the questions in the comment box.

• Once you finish, click the drop down arrow below the comment box and choose "Anonymous".

• If you have any problems commenting, please e-mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.
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Here is the two-part question... This counts as ONE homework grade and ONE quiz grade!

a. Take the following four numbers: 293, 471, 864, 348. If I told you that one of these numbers didn’t belong with the other three, which one would it be? Explain your reasoning with at least two complete sentences.

b. The geometric mean of two numbers can be found by taking the square root of the product of the two numbers. For example, the geometric mean of the numbers 9 and 25 is 15 because 9 times 25 equals 225 and the square root of 225 is 15. So you’re here’s your question… what are two sets of numbers where the geometric mean is equal to 32?


Good luck!

Geometry Online Question #3

You have until Monday, February 28, 2011 by 7:00 PM (new time!) to answer the following THREE-PART question. Make sure that you use COMPLETE sentences. For example, "No", "Yes", or "I don't know" would not be acceptable for full credit.


You have three options to submit your answers:

1. E-Mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.  Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.


2. Send me a message through my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mathauthority.  Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.


3. Post on my blog by doing the following...

• Click on the link above and then post your comment.

• Be sure to include your first and last name, class period, and your answer to the questions in the comment box.

• Once you finish, click the drop down arrow below the comment box and choose "Anonymous".

• If you have any problems commenting, please e-mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.

Here is the three-part question... This counts as ONE homework grade and ONE quiz grade!

a. Amy drew a right triangle with legs whose lengths are the square root of 5 and the square root of 5 and whose hypotenuse is five times the square root of 2. Is this a 45-45-90 triangle? If it is not, explain how you can change the sides so that it is a 45-45-90 triangle.

b.  The date December 31, 2043 can be written in the format 12/31/43. This is an example of a true mathematical statement because 12 + 31 = 43. Suppose I wanted to write dates in the 21st century for Valentine’s Day (which is always celebrated on February 14) that will also give me true mathematical statements when writing in this format. There are only two of them this century. What are these two dates? Give your answers in standard format (like 12/31/43 = December 31, 2043).


c. Suppose that you just struck it rich by earning a million dollars. You are given the option of receiving $900,000 right now (because of taxes) or earning an equal amount from the million dollars over the next 25 years (no taxes). Which option would you choose? Explain your answer in at least THREE complete sentences.


Good luck!

Geometry Online Question #2

Thank you for visiting the blog. You have until Friday, January 28, 2011 by 10:00 PM to answer the
following TWO-PART question. Make sure that you use COMPLETE sentences. For example, "No", "Yes", or "I don't know" would not be acceptable for full credit.

You have three options to submit your answers:

1. E-Mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com. Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.

2. Send me a message through my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mathauthority. Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.

3. Post on this blog by doing the following...

• Click on the link above and then post your comment.
• Be sure to include your first and last name, class period, and your answer to the questions in the comment box.
• Once you finish, click the drop down arrow below the comment box and choose "Anonymous".
• If you have any problems commenting, please e-mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.

Here is the two-part question... This counts as ONE homework grade and ONE quiz grade!

a. Solve for x and y in the following picture.  List the steps to solve the problem for both x and y. In other words, write your equations and solve!  (Source:  pg. 268 from our Geometry textbook)

b.  Suppose that the Ninth Grade Center offered distance learning for core courses (Math, Science, Social Studies, and English).  Distance learning, for those who don’t know, would be a way to have a complete class on the web.  It would be like I would teach all of the lessons from the web, you ask questions through the web, you submit homework on the web, and you would take quizzes and tests on the internet.  Would this be something you would be interested in?  Explain why or why not in at least three COMPLETE sentences.

Good luck!

MLK and His Numbers

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday today (January 15), it gave me a chance to think of some facts related to him...

1.  This would've been Dr. King's 82nd birthday.  If you switch the numbers around in 82, you would get 28 --- the number of years ago that President Ronald Reagan signed the bill to give the doctor a holiday in his name.

2.  28 is also the date in August 1963 that Dr. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

3.  28 is also divisible by 4, which happens to be the number of children that he and his wife, Coretta Scott King, had.

4.  Since his birthday has been honored as a national federal holiday, January 15th has been the 3rd Monday of the month four times (1990, 1996, 2001, 2007).  There's that four again...

5.  Unfortunately, 4 is also the date that Dr. King passed away in April 1968 in Memphis, TN.

Speaking for everyone (if I may), thank you, Dr. King, for all of the efforts you gave to the American people of all races!

This post is for you, sir!

Geometry Online Question #1 (Update)

***********UPDATED*******************
Thank you for visiting the blog. You have until Friday, January 14, 2011 by 7:00 PM to answer the
following TWO-PART question. Make sure that you use COMPLETE sentences. For example, "No", "Yes", or "I don't know" would not be acceptable for full credit.

You have three options to submit your answers:

1.  E-Mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.  Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.

2.  Send me a message through my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mathauthority.  Include your first and last name, class period, and your answers.


 
3.  Post on this blog by doing the following...

• Click on the link above and then post your comment.
• Be sure to include your first and last name, class period, and your answer to the questions in the comment box. 
• Once you finish, click the drop down arrow below the comment box and choose "Anonymous".
• If you have any problems commenting, please e-mail me at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.

Here is the two-part question... This counts as ONE homework grade and ONE quiz grade!


a. Write the contrapositive of the following statement and then determine if its true or false:  "If there are only 28 days in a month, then the month must be February."

b.  From our textbook, complete the proof below by filling in any statements or reasons that are blank.

I also have an extra credit opportunity.  Click on this link for details.

Good luck!

Gotta Love the Calendar!

While working on his semester exam review today in class, a student of mine named Kameron shouted "I could put a plus sign here!"  He came to show me why he did that and I noticed something that I can't believe I didn't even think about until then.  If you write today's date (January 10, 2011) in the MM-DD-YY form, you get 1-10-11.  He put the plus sign between the 1 and 10 and... wala!  Instant math problem!

So then I asked him what's the next date that will happen?  After thinking about it, he said February 9, 2011, which is correct.  In fact, this happens at some point in every month this year except one.

Can you figure it out the other dates?

Also, tomorrow's date has an interesting property.  There is another date this year has that same property.  Can you figure THAT property out?

Post your comments or shoot me an e-mail at whatsmynumber@gmail.com.

Roman Abbreviations

Classes in Cedar Hill start back tomorrow!  Again, I hope that all students have gotten plenty of rest!

So here's a question to get you thinking.  Anybody can play along!

Before we left for Christmas, a question I posed involved the word MIX as the only English word that is made completely of Roman Numerals.  MIX translates to 1009.  (Thanks for the information, Math-e-magic by Blum, Hart-Davis, Longe, and Niederman, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2010.) 

So I would like to do the reverse of this.  I'll give you a number that translates to a common abbreviation.  Your job is to figure out what the abbreviation stands for.

     Example:  1500

     Solution:  1500 is MD in Roman Numerals.  What does MD stand for?  Medical Doctor

     The answer is medical doctor.


For my students, I will give extra credit toward this (if completed by Friday, January 7, 2011 at 11:59 PM).  You will get one point for each one you get correct; if you get all five correct, that's 10 points.  The points can be redeemed towards a quiz or test grade in the third six weeks.

For my not-so-afraid friends, I will honor you with recognition and know that the check is in the mail.

Questions:

1.  400
2.  40
3.  101
4.  600
5.  900

You may send a message on my Facebook page or post on this blog.  Good luck!

Answer to "A Question for the New Year"

Did you get it?  Hopefully, it wasn't too hard...

The answer:  Los Angeles is two hours behind Dallas.  So when Los Angeles was at 11:11:11 PM on 12/31/2010, Dallas was at 1:11:11 AM on 1/11/2011.  A way to write the first date of 2011 is 1/11/11.  Which means 1:11:11 AM looks exactly like 1/11/11.

Cool, huh?