Technical Math For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))

Technical Math For Dummies is your one-stop, hands-on guide to acing the math courses you'll encounter as you work toward getting your degree, certification, or license in the skilled trades. You'll get easy-to-follow, plain-English guidance on mathematical formulas and methods that professionals use every day in the automotive, health, construction, licensed trades, maintenance, and other trades. You'll learn how to apply concepts of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry and their formulas related to occupational areas of study. Plus, you'll find out how to perform basic arithmetic operations and solve word problems as they're applied to specific trades. Maps to a course commonly required by vocational schools, community and technical college, or for certification in the skilled trades Covers the basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry Helps professionals keep pace with job demands Whether you're a student currently enrolled in a program or a professional who is already in the work force, Technical Math For Dummies gives you everything you need to improve your math skills and get ahead of the pack. Technical Math For Dummies 5 About the Authors 7 Dedications 9 Authors’ Acknowledgments 9 Contents at a Glance 11 Table of Contents 13 Introduction 23 About This Book 23 Conventions Used in This Book 24 What You’re Not to Read 24 Foolish Assumptions 25 How This Book Is Organized 25 Icons Used in This Book 27 Where to Go from Here 28 Part I: Basic Math, Basic Tools 29 Chapter 1: Math that Works as Hard as You Do 31 Discovering the Benefits of a Technical Math Book 32 The Basics Are Basically Basic 32 Meeting Measurement and Conversions and Studying Story Problem Strategies 33 Using Workhorse Math 34 Building Your Knowledge of the Branches of Math 35 Life Math Isn’t Classroom Math 36 Chapter 2: Discovering Technical Math and the Tools of the Trades 39 Busting Myths about Math 40 Remember: Somebody Else Already Did the Hard Work 42 The Trades, They Are A-Changing 43 Math Devices That Can Help You Do Your Job 44 Chapter 3: Zero to One and Beyond 53 Looking at the Numbers that Count: Natural Numbers 54 Going Backward: Negative Numbers 57 Getting Between the Integers: Fractions, Decimals, and More 58 Taking a Look at the Lesser-Known Numbers 60 Handling Numerical Story Problems 62 Chapter 4: Easy Come, Easy Go: Addition and Subtraction 65 Making Everything Add Up 66 Subtraction: Just Another Kind of Addition 71 Example: Flour Power 76 Example: Sheep on Trucking 77 Chapter 5: Multiplication and Division: Everybody Needs Them 79 Go Forth and Multiply! 80 Doing Simple Multiplication Like Your Grandfather Did It 83 Easy Street: Multiplying by 0, 1, and 10 87 Divide and Conquer 89 Example: In the Machine Shop 96 Chapter 6: Measurement and Conversion 99 Main (And Not So Main) Systems of Measurement 99 Converting Length, Weight, and Volume 107 Example: Don’t Get Bored by Board Feet 114 Example: Getting the Dosage Right 115 Chapter 7: Slaying the Story Problem Dragon 117 Removing the Mystery from Story Problems 118 The Step-by-Step Story Problem Solution 122 Example: Furring Strips 129 Example: And Now, from the Banks of the Nile 130 Part II: Making Non-Basic Math Simple and Easy 133 Chapter 8: Fun with Fractions 135 Meeting the Numerator and Denominator: Best Friends Forever 136 Tackling the Different Types of Fractions 141 Performing Math Operations with Fractions 145 Example: Dividing and Selling a Cheesecake 151 Example: Cutting Fire Stops for Framing Carpentry 153 Chapter 9: Decimals: They Have Their Place 157 Diving into Decimal Basics 158 The Four Ops: Working with Decimals in Four Math Operations 162 Decimal Conversion 167 Round, Round, Get Around, I Get Around 169 Making Change and Charging Sales Tax 170 Example: A Journey to Office Supply Heaven 172 Chapter 10: Playing with Percentages 175 Pinpointing Percentages: Half a Glass Is Still 50 Percent Full 175 Percentages Are Good Converts 178 Calculating Percentage Increases and Decreases 181 Dividing a Pie Using Percentages 182 Example: The World of Pralines 185 Example: Oily to Bed and Oily to Rise 187 Chapter 11: Tackling Exponents and Square Roots 189 Exponentiation: The Power of Powers 190 Getting Back to Your (Square) Roots 197 Example: Finding the Bytes On a Disk 199 Part III: Basic Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry 201 Chapter 12: Algebra and the Mystery of X 203 Variables: Letters Represent Numbers, but the Math Is the Same 204 Variable Relationships: X and Her Friends 207 Math Operations with Variables 209 Example: How Many Oranges Are in that Orange Juice? 217 Example: Medications In the Pillbox 219 Chapter 13: Formulas (Secret and Otherwise) 221 Following the Formula for Building a Formula 222 Working from a Formula to a Solution 225 Calculating Speed, Time, and Distance: Three Results from One Formula 230 Example: Cement Masonry — Pouring City Sidewalks 233 Example: Lunch Time — Buying Burgers and Fries 234 Chapter 14: Quick-and-Easy Geometry: The Compressed Version 237 Looking at Geometry’s Basic Parts 238 Examining Simple Geometric Shapes 243 Learn It Once and Forget It: The Pythagorean Theorem 247 Example: Don’t Fence Me In 249 Example: The Pen Is Mightier Than the Paddock 250 Chapter 15: Calculating Areas, Perimeters, and Volumes 253 Area: All That Space in the Middle 253 Perimeters: Along the Edges 262 Volume: The Third Dimension 264 Example: Bore and Stroke for the Auto Guy 268 Example: Yard Area, the Landscaper’s Nightmare 269 Chapter 16: Trigonometry, the “Mystery Math” 271 Handling Triangles: More Angles than a Cornfield Maze 271 By Their Sines Shall Ye Know Them: Using Trigonometric Functions 273 Example: Surveying a River 276 Example: Locating a Wildfire 277 Part IV: Math for the Business of Your Work 281 Chapter 17: Graphs Are Novel and Charts Are Off the Chart 283 Defining Charts and Graphs and Their Advantages 283 Paying Tables Their Proper Respect 284 Introducing the Three Most Important Types of Charts 285 Reading Charts and Graphs (And Recognizing a Bad One) 289 Making Charts and Graphs 292 Example: Tracking Weight and Height in a Pediatric Practice 295 Example: Cost of Materials in Residential Construction 297 Chapter 18: Hold on a Second: Time Math 301 Dividing Time into Hours, Minutes, and Seconds 301 There’s a Time for Us, Somewhere a Time for Us: Time Notation Systems 303 Converting Time 309 Time Math: Calculating Time 312 Example: The Timesheet for All Trades 316 Example: Microwave Magic 317 Chapter 19: Math for Computer Techs and Users 319 Try a Bit of This Byte: Understanding Basic Computer Terms 320 The Sum of the (Computer) Parts, and the Numbers Involved 322 Example: Total Capacity of a Mass Storage System 329 Part V: The Part of Tens 331 Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Solving Any Math Problem 333 Figure Out Exactly What the Problem Asks For 333 List the Facts 334 Convert Supplied Information into Needed Information 334 Determine What Information You’re Missing 335 Eliminate Excess Information 335 Draw a Diagram 336 Find or Develop a Formula 336 Consult a Reference 337 Pay Attention to Units 337 Check Your Answer to See whether It’s Reasonable 338 Chapter 21: Ten Formulas You’ll Use Most Often 339 Area of a Square, Rectangle, or Triangle 339 Area of a Circle 340 Feet to Meters and Inches to Centimeters 340 Miles to Kilometers and Kilometers to Miles 341 Pounds to Kilograms and Ounces to Grams 342 Gallons to Liters and Liters to Gallons 342 Temperature Conversions 343 Hours to Minutes and Minutes to Hours 343 Distance, Time, and Speed 344 Volts, Amps, and Watts 344 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Avoid Everyday Math Stress 347 Get Help with Your Checkbook 347 Use Grocery Shopping to Build Confidence 348 Practice Reading Analog Clocks 349 Play Games 349 Memorize Math Signs, Symbols, and Formulas 350 Make the Multiplication Table a Mantra 350 Use Paper Maps and Practice Navigating 351 Try to Estimate Distances 351 Take Up Music 352 Integrate Math with Nonmath Skills 353 Glossary 355 Index 367 0470598743,9780470598740,0470605340,9780470605349

Improve your technical math skills and get ahead of the pack

Are you a vocational student or a trade professional? This is your one-stop, hands-on guide to mastering the math you'll encounter on the job or while working toward your degree or certification. You'll get easy-to-follow, plain-English guidance on mathematical formulas and methods that professionals

• use every day in the automotive, health, and other trades.

• Sharpen your tools — refresh your basic math skills, like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, measurement and conversion, and learn how to tackle operations better and faster

• Start your engines — find out how to easily master algebra, geometry, and trigonometry concepts

• Take the mystery out of math — discover how to work withcommon formulas to solve problems with multiple steps, and break down pesky word problems

• Get down to business — take a look at life math (and learn how it's different from classroom math) to get a handle on how you'll apply your math skills in your real-world technical work

Open the book and find:

• Math myth busters

• An easy approach to fractions, percentages, exponents, and square roots

• Plain-English explanations of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry

• How to remove the mystery from word problems

• Tips on working with the essential tools and equipment that make arithmetic easy

• The formulas you need to know

• The math you'll encounter in your daily work, no matter your profession

Learn to:

• Understand mathematical concepts used in the skilled trades and by health care, culinary, and technical professionals

• Use fundamental formulas and methods to excel in the workplace, classrooms, and on job sites

• Apply algebra, geometry, and trigonometry to solve on-the-job problems

"Technical Math For Dummies" is your one-stop, hands-on guide to acing the math courses you'll encounter as you work toward getting your degree, certifacation, or license in the skilled trades.You'll get easy-to-follow, plain-English guidance on mathematical formulas and methods that professionals use every day in the automotive, health, construction, licensed trades, maintenance, and other trades. You'll learn how to apply concepts of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry and their formulas related to occupational areas of study. Plus, you'll find out how to perform basic arithmetic operations and solve word problems as they're applied to specific trades.Maps to a course commonly required by vocational schools, community and technical college, or for certification in the skilled tradesCovers the basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry Helps professionals keep pace with job demands Whether you're a student currently enrolled in a program or a professional who is already in the work force, "Technical Math For Dummies "gives you everything you need to improve your math skills and get ahead of the pack. Basic math, basic tools. Math that works as hard as you do ; Discovering technical math and the tools of the trades ; Zero to one and beyond ; Easy come, easy go : addition and subtraction ; Multiplication and division : everybody needs them ; Measurement and conversion ; Slaying the story problem dragon Making non-basic math simple and easy. Fun with fractions ; Decimals : they have their place ; Playing with percentages ; Tackling exponents and square roots Basic algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Algebra and the mystery of X ; Formulas (secret and otherwise) ; Quick-and-easy geometry : the compressed version ; Calculating areas, perimeters, and volumes ; Trigonometry, the "mystery math" Math for the business of your work. Graphs are novel and charts are off the chart ; Hold on for a second : time math ; Math for computer techs and users The part of tens. Ten tips for solving any math problem ; Ten formulas you'll use most often ; Ten ways to avoid everyday math stress. Technical Math For Dummies is your one-stop, hands-on guide to acing the math courses youỚll encounter as you work toward getting your degree, certifacation, orỚlicense in the skilled trades. YouỚll get easy-to-follow, plain-English guidance on mathematical formulas and methods that professionals use every day in the automotive, health, construction, licensed trades, maintenance, and other trades. YouỚll learn how to apply concepts of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry and their formulas related to occupational areas of study. Plus, youỚll find out how to perform basic arithmetic. Technical Math For Dummies is your one-stop, hands-on guide to acing the math courses you'll encounter as you work toward getting your degree, certifacation, or license in the skilled trades. You'll get easy-to-follow, plain-English guidance on mathematical formulas and methods that professionals use every day in the automotive, health, construction, licensed trades, maintenance, and other trades. You'll learn how to apply concepts of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry and their formulas related to occupational areas of study. Plus, you'll find out how to perform basic arithmetic