Hot Math How-Tos

How To: Find a number given Its percent

This how-to video is about how to find a number when its percent is given. This video is really helpful and effective in finding the number when the percent is given, the following steps are explained in the video to find the number when its percent is given:

How To: Multiply & Divide Numbers (Basic Elementary Math)

Adding and subtracting may be the easiest of mathematical operations, but once you get it down, multiplication and division can be just as easy. That's why it's called elementary arithmetic. If it were harder, it would be called college algebra or trigonometry. But it's not— it's basic math, and once you get your head around the numbers, you'll never hate math class again! (Okay, maybe you will.)

How To: Find how many toothpicks will be needed to form the nth figure in a sequence

From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps. With this installment from Internet pedagogical superstar Salman Khan's series of free math tutorials, you'll learn how to employ inductive reasoning to determine the number of toothpicks you'll require to generate the nth (e.g., the 50th) figure in a sequence of figures.

How To: Write a sum/difference of logarithms as a logarithm

To write the sum or difference of logarithms as a single logarithm, you will need to learn a few rules. The rules are ln AB = ln A + ln B. This is the addition rule. The multiplication rule of logarithm states that ln A/b = ln A - ln B. The third rule of logarithms that deals with exponents states that ln (M power r) = r * ln M. Using these three rules you can simplify any expression that involves logarithms to arrive at a single logarithm. The instructor shows how to apply these rules to a f...

How To: Write a slope-intercept equation given an X-Y table

In this tutorial the author shows how to derive a slope-intercept equation of a line given an X-Y table. He explains that the general form of slope intercept form which is y = m*x + b. Now he intends to find value of slope, i.e. m first. Now slope is change in y over change in x. He computes the slope using the X-Y values from the table. Next he substitutes a pair of x, y value in the equation to compute the value of y intercept b. Now finally substituting the values in the equation the slop-...

How To: Use and find x & y-intercepts in algebra

A straight line can be represented in the form of a liner equation containing two variables x and y. When the equation is graphed on a pair of coordinate axes, the line passes cut through the axes in two points. The point where the line cuts the x-axes is called as its x coordinate and the point where the line cuts the y-axes is called as its y coordinate. In this way a line has x-intercept and y-intercept. The x-intercept of a line lies on x axes and is in the form (a,0). Similarly the y-int...

How To: Graph a parabola properly in vertex form

This video shows viewers who are interested in mathematics how to graph a parabola whose formula is displayed in vertex form, or the form y=a(x-h)^2+k, where the vertex is (h, k). After determining the vertex, plot it on your graph. After graphing your vertex, your axis of symmetry would be x= h, or the x-coordinate of your vertex. The a value in your equation will act as your slope in this case, and your should graph the two points which correspond to this slope on your plot 1 unit away on e...

How To: Use interval notation to express inequalities

Could you use a little help figuring out how to use interval notation to express inequalties? Watch this free video lesson. From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps (or just finish your homework or study for that next big test). With this free math tutorial, you'll learn how to give inequalities in interval nota...

How To: Use ">" (greater than) and "<" (less than) symbols

In this video the author explains how to identify the less than (<) and greater than (>) symbols and when to use them. She explains to us to relate the numbers to animals stating that the smaller numbers are smaller animals and bigger numbers are bigger animals. Now she tells us to imagine that smaller animals are eaten up by the larger animals. So she shows a smaller number comes on the left side of '<' sign and bigger number comes on the right side of '<' sign stating that the bigger number...

How To: Multiply simple fractions

Watch this video to learn how to multiply fractions by fractions. First multiply the top numbers together. For example, if you have 3/5 * 4/7, multiply 3 * 4 and put your product on top of the fraction you will get as a product. Next, multiply the bottom numbers together and put them on the bottom of your resulting fraction. Next see if you can reduce your product to simplify it. You could also do the reducing step first by canceling out any common factors in the numerators and denominators o...

How To: Find extra points for a parabola (quadractic equation)

This is a mathematical educational video on how to find extra points for a parabola. In the first two examples there is no need for finding extra points as they have five points and have zeros of the parabola. In example 3 we need to find extra points. The equation is y=4xsquare-4x+4. You can take x= -1 and get the value for y. You will get a point now. Similarly you can substitute -2 for x in the same equation and get the value for y. Now you get another point. Now you can draw the parabola.

How To: Find the horizontal asymptotes of rational functions

Finding horizontal asymptotes is very easy! Not all rational functions have horizontal asymptotes. the function must satisfy one of two conditions dependent upon the degree (highest exponent) of the numerator and denominator. If the degree of the numerator is equal to the degree of the denominator, then the horizontal asymptote is y= the ratio of the leading coefficients. If the degree of the denominator is greater than the degree of the numerator then y= 0. If the degree of the denominator i...

How To: Find the Slope Given 2 Ordered Pairs

Slope is the change in Y over the change in X. Written out, the formula looks is as follows: (y2-y1)

How To: Find the perimeter & area of a complex figure

In this video tutorial the author shows how to find the perimeter and area of a complex figure. He shows that a complex figure can be subdivided into standard geometric figures. In the current example he divides the complex figure into a rectangle and a triangle. Now he computes the perimeter by adding the three sides of the rectangle and the two sides of the triangle. Similarly he computes the individual areas of the rectangle and the triangle and finally adds then up to find the area of the...

How To: Find the 100th term in a sequence

Need to find the nth term in a given arithmetic sequence? See how it's done with this free video math lesson. Need help finding the From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps (or just finish your homework or study for that next big test). With this installment from Internet pedagogical superstar Salman Khan's seri...

How To: Simplify a radical expression including variables

Want to simplify a radical expression with algebraic variables? See how it's done with this free video algebra lesson. From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps (or just study for that next big test).

How To: Simplify using the distributive property

Algebra can be difficult to wrap your head around sometimes. When it comes to Algebra, you'll need as many solving short cuts as you can get. Here is an excellent video that will teach you how to simplify Algebraic expressions using the distributive property. This informative tutorial will give you a step by step run down on how to solve an expression. It includes four different examples to help you get an idea of how this method works. So before you raise your hand in class, take a look at t...

How To: Add fractions with unlike denominators

In order to add fractions that are not alike, you will need to find the lowest common denominator. This is the least common multiple of the fractions. To add 2/3 plus 1/5, you will need to find the lowest common denominator. Here, it is best to think of all of the multiples of the denominators. If it helps, make a list. For 3, it is 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, etc. For five, the multiples are 5, 15, 20, 25, etc.

How To: Factor trinomials by grouping in algebra

Learn how to factor trinomials using the grouping method in this free video algebra lesson. From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps (or just study for that next big test).

How To: Determine if lines are parallel or perpendicular

In this tutorial, we learn how to determine if lines are parallel or perpendicular. You will be given two straight line equations. First, remember that parallel lines have equal slope, identical to each other. Perpendicular lines have negative reciprocal slopes. For example, 2/3 and -3/2 would be a perpendicular line. If you think of parallel lines, then you can graph them to see what they look like when written down. Then, graph the other lines to see what they look like as well. Once you un...

How To: Solve word problems containing radical equations

See how to unpack and solve a word problem containing radical equations with this free video math lesson from Internet pedagogical superstar Simon Khan. From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autodidacts. And, thanks to the Internet, it's easier than ever to follow in their footsteps (or just finish your homework or study for that next big test).

How To: Add and subtract rational expressions

This series walks you through the steps of adding and subtracting rational expressions. This excellent video shows you a clean board, with the instructors voice showing exactly what to do. Don't fret, any question you may have, will be answered. Watching this video will make you feel like your back in the classroom but rather comfortably from your home.

How To: Simplify radicals before adding or subtracting

This video in the Education category will show you how to simplify radicals before adding or subtracting. By doing this you will find all like radicals which will then ensure that you have all radicals in the simplest form. Let’s say you want to subtract square root of 45 from 3 square roots of 20. Now square root of 45 can be written as square root of 9 x square root of 5. Because, 9 and 5 are factors of 45. Similarly, 3 square roots of 20 can be simplified to 3 x square root of 4 x square r...

How To: Graph linear equations using y=mx+b

This video is an instructional guide about Graph Linear Equations presented in algebraic form. It is an easy to follow, step by step guide to solving such equations using the graph intercept formula. The first example equation is Y = 2x -1 over y = mx + b. The video then shows you how to breakdown the equation into manageable sums using fractions to represent the data, and then presents the formula for interpreting the answer from these sums onto the graph co-ordinates. The second and third e...

How To: Solve an equation with a radical under a radical

In this video the instructor shows how to solve an equation with a radical under a radical. If you have an equation with a square root on both sides, with one of the sides having another inner square root under the original square root, it can be a little tricky to solve it.

How To: Multiply rational expressions with opposite signs

In this video the instructor shows how to multiply and write rational expressions in lowest terms. The fist thing you need to do is cancel out the common factors in the numerator and the denominator. You can cancel a term in the top with a term in the bottom even if they are diagonal as long as one is in numerator and the other is in the denominator. After cancellation if you have a term in numerator and an identical term in the denominator but with opposite signs, then pull out the negative ...

How To: Convert temperature using a point slope equation

In this video the instructor shows how to convert temperature using the point slope form. In this kind of problem sometimes you are given a temperature in Fahrenheit and its equivalent in Celsius and an other temperature similarly in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Now you are asked to find a linear equation for these pair of temperatures. To solve these kind of problems assume that the given temperatures represent the point (x, y). Now you have two points. Substitute this value in the point slo...

How To: Find the equation of a circle given: center & tangent

In this video, the instructor shows how to find the equation of a circle given its center point and a tangent line to it. To do this, take a graph and plot the given point and the tangent on that graph. Now, from the center of the circle, measure the perpendicular distance to the tangent line. This gives us the radius of the circle. Using the center point and the radius, you can find the equation of the circle using the general circle formula (x-h)*(x-h) + (y-k)*(y-k) = r*r, where (h,k) is th...

How To: Solve a linear system by elimination method

This video is about using the elimination method to solve a linear system. The lady presenting this video says that elimination method means that one of the two variables has to be eliminated while adding up the two linear equations. She then explains the example equations 6x-2y=66 and 5y=-29-2x. She asks you to first line up x and y. So the second equation is rewritten as 2x+5y=-29. Then she says that, to eliminate a variable, we should have their variables equal in value but of opposite sig...

How To: Calculate percent error in chemistry lab activities

If you want to know how to calculate percent error easily, you should watch this video. Error is the amount of deviation from accurate values. Error calculation is not possible, unless you make a quantitative measurement of the various quantities involved in your experiment. Measurement can help us in calculating errors and knowing how right we are in our theoretical models. In calculating percent error, We need to get the experimental value and the value which you are aiming at, which is the...

How To: Multiply fractions with canceling

This video will show you how to carry out multiplication of fractions using cancellation, which will make your fraction multiplication problems simpler to solve. You will need to look at the numerator of the first fraction and the denominator of the second fraction and see if you can find a common factor between the two numbers. If one does exist, you can simply divide both numbers by that common factor and simplify. Repeat this for the other numerator and denominator and if possible, your fr...

How To: Divide variables

This is a helpful video provided by Math Problem Generator. It deals with the complex challenges of dividing variables. The audio is great and provides specific examples of dealing with multiple types of this problem. The video lays out three simple steps. The first being to simplify the coefficient, the second being to divide the variable, and the third being to deal with the results of the division. The information is clearly presented and best of all it's free. I think we all wish there we...

How To: Divide fractions

Need a little help in the fraction department? Don't sweat it. Luckily, there is this two-part math tutorial on the subject of dividing fractions to help you along the way. In part one, learn how to divide proper fractions an in part two, learn how to divide mixed numbers with whole numbers.

How To: Find the slope of a line given 2 points with fractions

In this video tutorial the instructor shows how to find the slope of a line given two points with fractional values. To do this first name your two points as point 1 with coordinates as x1, y1 and point 2 with coordinates x2, y2. Then substitute the values in the equation of the slope which is slope m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). Now all you have to do is simply the fraction after substituting the point values. Be careful about the signs while substituting in the formula. Now finally after solvin...

How To: Find a slope of a straight line with: Ax + By + C = 0

In this video the instructor shows how to find the slope of an equation which is in the form Ax + By + C = 0. He says that the formula to find the slope of a line in the above form is slope m = -A/B, where A and B are the numeric constants of the variables x and y in the given equation. He goes on and further shows how to do this with a couple of examples. He shows how to reduce any equation into the general form and how to apply the slope formula then. This video shows how to find the slope ...

How To: Find the area of an oblique triangle using formulas

In this tutorial the instructor shows how to find the area of an oblique triangle using different formulas. To find the area of an oblique triangle there are different formulae. The first formula to calculate the area of a triangle is area A = (1/2) * a * b * Sin(C), where a and b are the lengths of the two sides of the triangle and C is the value of the angle of the triangle that lies in between the two sides a, b. Now substitute these values in the given formula to find the area if you have...

How To: Simplify a quadratic formula result

In this video the tutor shows how to simplify a quadratic formula result. You can solve a quadratic equation using the quadratic formula. The first thing you have to do when given the quadratic equation is bring all the terms to one side so that you have a zero on the other side of the equals to sign. Now the formula to calculate the roots of the quadratic equation ax*x + bx + c = 0 is x = (-b + root of(b*b - 4*a*c) ) / 2 * a. The other root can be obtained by using the minus sign before the ...

How To: Find the percentage of a number

In this tutorial the author explains of how to compute percentages of a given number. He explains that x percent of some number y is x multiplied by y and divided by 100. He says that of means multiply and percentage means for hundred. He goes on and explains this concept with numerous examples. He suggests a small trick to move the decimal point of a number two digits to the left to get it divided by hundred. The author demonstrates many more similar tricks and short cuts using which one can...

How To: Find Leg Lengths and Hypotenuse of a 45 45 90 Triangle

A 45 45 90 triangle is a special right triangle because you can use short cuts to find leg length and hypotenuse length. This video solves two problems involving leg length and hypotenuse length.

How To: Determine if you have a function

In this tutorial, we learn how to determine if you have a function. You will start off with two functions and their points. The 'x' values make up the domain of the function and the 'y' values make up the range. The input values are the domain and the output are the range. If you're checking to see if you have a function, you will need one 'y' for every 'x'. This means that each value has another one that goes with it. Each of the points need to have one partner with them, no more and no less...