Have you ever been almost driven to tears because of fractions?

[ccharles000]

I had my first GED math class today and we started fractions. I have never liked math but out of all the things in math I suck at fractions the most. As the teacher tried to explain to me how to Multiply Mixed Numbers I swear I was about to burst into tears. I am good at just about everything else but math is going to be hell. :cry:

[mainegreen]

1. I love fractions.

Love them.

[HopeHoops]

2. Fractions ROCK!

I can help you with that. PM me with some of the problems that bake your noodle and I'll explain it. I have a degree in math.

[Strong Atheist]

3. Turn the mixed numbers into fractions:

2 3/4 * 4 3/8

Multiple the whole number times the denominator (bottom of the fraction), add it to the numerator (top of the fraction), and keep the numerator the same Viola, mixed number into improper fraction.

So 2 3/4 becomes (2*4) + 3 = 11/4 because 2 whole pizzas cut into 4 pieces each is 8 pieces plus the 3 out of 4 (3/4) left over from last night gives 11/4.

Do this to the second mixed number

4 3/8 becomes (4*8) + 3 = 35/8 because 4 pizzas each cut into 8 pieces is 32 pieces plus the 3 pieces of 8 left over from last night gives 35/8.


Then multiply top times top, bottom times bottom, and simplify...

11/4 * 35/8 = 385/32

Simplify. Divide 385 by 32 (fractions are division, the numerator is always divided by the denominator)

and you get 12 remainder 1. The 12 is the whole number, the remainder is the numerator, and the bottom (denominator stays the same, so your answer is 12 1/32.

[flying rabbit]

11. Keep the denominator the same

in the first sentence. Good example otherwise.
:thumbsup:

[Strong Atheist]

24. You are correct. It was late, I was tired, I screwed up... nt.

[Xipe Totec]

4. Six of one, half a dozen of the other

:shrug:

[MorningGlow]

5. Fractions and long division almost made me an ex-elementary school student

I hate 'em. I still hate 'em. Could barely do any woodworking in the theater scene shop in college because of fractions. They're teh evil.

[leftyclimber]

6. We've got your back, ccharles.

Let us know what you need help with and we'll get you through this. Throw us some problems you're frustrated with and we'll help you break them down.

You're a smart guy. You can do this. It's just figuring out how to get the math-lock on your brain unlocked. :hug:

:loveya:

[ccharles000]

7. thanks lefty

[rrneck]

8. I hear you. That "math anxiety" myth ain't a myth.

I hated math when I was a kid and I hate it now. I hope you've got a good teacher. If not, try to find a good tutor to help you out.

Be thankful you can cross accounting off you possible career list. :)

[Whoa_Nelly]

9. Do some online practice

Even my high school students use these sites:

http://mathisfun.com/

http://www.gamequarium.org/dir/Gamequarium/Math/


Hang in there.

It's something you want, and you will get through it! :hug:

[ccharles000]

13. great I will check them out.

[texanwitch]

22. What a great website,

I was looking for something like this.

I have to take a math test in August, this will be a big help.

It was fun.

This is only reason I wish home computers would have been around when I was a kid.

I would have made all A's.

[mitchum]

10. I've been driven halfway to tears by fractions

[Mopar151]

12. Looks like you have some good help.

If you run into problems with trig or "shop math", give a holler this way. I'm a machinist, and we live on numbers - old school sizes are based on fractions (Runes and Tarot, too, IMHO), and newer stuff is based on decimals, plus metric, and then there's geometric tolerancing....
And I've had to show plenty of shoprats how to do it without taking off their shoes....

[SeattleGirl]

14. Cried my way through nearly every math class I ever had.

My main thing was those damned story problems.

Hated those things! :banghead:

[texanwitch]

21. Me to.

I was great in math other wise.

I would blank out with word problem.

[Clintonista2]

15. How I passed any of my high school math classes I don't know

I think my math skills are probably at a 5th grade level, if that. I managed to squeek by 11'th math with a 50%, which was about 30% higher than I was expecting :rofl:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

16. Fifteen sixteenths of the time, yeah.

I have NO head 4 math.

[elleng]

17. PROBABLY!!!

(a few years ago!)

Try to find someone calm, who can help/tutor you, and ask simple questions early and often.

(And I'll be with you, cc!)

:hug:

[MissHoneychurch]

18. I miss math

I enjoyed math in school very much. It actually was my best class gradewise. Now that I have nothing to do whatsoever with math I wish sometimes I could take classes again.

I have to admit that my parents both studied math, my one grandfather was a math professor, the other a math teacher. I guess it runs in the family.

[abq e streeter]

19. AS someone else alluded to above-its all just slicing up pizzas

a good teacher and/or tutor can patiently explain it and make it make sense, even the word problems. I have faith in you to be able to overcome your fears and lack of confidence and maybe even discover that it can be fun ; just like solving puzzles. I hope you can find a good teacher/tutor and I have faith that you will, and over a period of time it'll start making sense. Best of luck to you.

[EFerrari]

20. I thought I sucked at math but it wasn't me, it was my teacher.

When I went back to school, I had a great teacher and before I knew it, math was FUN! If you need homeework help, pm me. I still love the math. :)

[ccharles000]

25. She seems like a good teacher so far

[EFerrari]

28. Good!

[LynzM]

29. I'm going to second this belief...

I tutor math on and off, and I've been told that I ought to teach, more than once. *So* much of understanding comes from a teacher's ability to explain things in a way that can be understood, even if it means coming up with 5 ways to explain the same concept. We do such a disservice in this country in the way that we teach math. :banghead:

[EFerrari]

30. I went from nearly failing math to eight quarters of straight As

-- and my teacher deserves the lion's share of the credit. There was nothing he couldn't explain and make seem easy. He and a partner developed the first math lab in our area in the mid-80s or so. That was a great idea but without his lectures, the lab would have been much harder, too.

[JVS]

23. No. Don't let them rattle you. Once you know the procedures everything should be fine.

[Midlodemocrat]

26. Dude. You can't let the fractions know you're scared!!!! That only encourages them.

[ccharles000]

27. lol

[Mopar151]

31. True that!

You must become the master of the numbers - they use confusion and intimidation to overcome "The Cruncher!"