Science Experiments Humanities Teaching Legal Issues Education WonderHowTo

Hot Math How-Tos

iOS 17 Tips, Tricks, How-Tos, News

How To: Find the length of a segment using the midpoint II

First of all in the given question you have to write down the values of the total length of the line segment, PS=15. The length of the line segment, QR =3. Now you have to find the value of line segment RS. Because you know that the Q is the midpoint of the line segments PQ and QS must be equal. Therefore you can find out the length of the half of the segment using the midpoint. Subtract the value of QR from QS. Given that segment PS=15 and Q is the midpoint, you can conclude segment PQ=7.5 a...

How To: Multiple and divide rational expressions

This video walks you through the steps of multiply and divide 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 fourth roots

In this video the instructor shows how to find out the fourth roots of a number. The properties of fourth root says that for any positive number of a, its fourth roots are real. And for any negative value a, its fourth roots are not real. So split the number inside the fourth root as the product of two perfect squares and then cancel out the power with the fourth root giving its roots. As the fourth roots of a positive number are real, the answer you get is correct. But you cannot find out th...

How To: Find the area of a parallelogram using geometry

The video shows us how to find the area of parallelogram using geometry. Here in this video it is done by using an example where the parallelogram is given ABCD. The area of the parallelogram is base times height (bh). Here the base is given as 15 but the height is not known but it is represented by the segment BD. To find the value of h, let’s use right triangle BDC on the right side of the figure. Since base is 15 and the opposite side of the parallelogram is congruent, the hypotenuse of th...

How To: Simplify cube roots

In this video, the narrator presents the viewer with a quick, painless way of simplifying cube roots. The narrator presents many methods to simplify square roots to appeal to different learning styles. By doing things like dividing the power by the root to figure out the power of a number x, the viewer is better able to tackle square-rooting numbers that may not have friendly roots. The video gets more complex as it goes on, eventually teaching the viewer to split the inside of a root up if t...

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 surface area of a rectangular prism

Have a 3 dimensional figure that you can not figure out the surface area? This video teaches the fundamental concepts and techniques of figuring out the surface area of a 3 dimension figure. In this video, the specific shape will be a rectangular prism. The video will assist its viewers in understanding and learning the process of how to find the surface area of this 3 dimensional figure. The method is simple and easy to learn. This is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in math.

How To: Find the area of rectangles, triangles & rectangles

In this tutorial the author shows how to find the area of Rectangles, Triangles and Parallelograms. He says that an area of a figure is nothing but the amount of space taken up by that figure. He now explains that the area of rectangle is length times the breadth. He demonstrates it with an example. Now he says that an area of a parallelogram is base times height. He also demonstrates how to find the area of a parallelogram. Finally he shows the area of a triangle is half times the product of...

How To: Find a missing part of a triangle, similar to another

In this tutorial the author shows how to find out the missing part of a triangle that is similar to another triangle. He explains the concept of similar triangle diagrammatically by showing that similar triangles have similar angles and parallel sides. Now he labels sides of similar triangles and marks the value of unknown side as variable x. Now in similar triangles as the lengths of sides of proportionate he shows how to write a equation of proportion and solves it finding the missing part ...

How To: Add and subtract variables

Math Problem Generator gives a video about how to add and subtract variables. All you have to do is combine the coefficient, which is the number that comes before the variable. The numbers are added or subtracted but the variable remains the same. In the video, the example given is 9x + 6x - x. First you add 9x + 6x, giving you 15x. The equation is now 15x - x. If a variable has no number written in front of it, that means the value is 1. So the equation is 15x - 1x and that is equal to 14x.

How To: Solve for the missing ratios or proportions

In this video the tutor shows how to solve the missing ratios or proportions. He explains it with an example, where a number in one of the ratios is missing and he intends to find this value. He shows the example of cross multiplication, where you multiply the values on the either side of the equation diagonally and finally solves the equation which results in the value of the unknown value. This is an introductory video explaining how to use rations and proportions to find missing values.

How To: Find the standard deviation with the Z-Score formula

In this tutorial, we learn how to find the standard deviation with the Z-Score formula. First, take your problem and write it out one by one underneath each other. Then, you will need to substitute the numbers in for the variables that are in the problem. Once you do this, you will follow the basic rules of math to find out what the answer to the problem is appropriately. Once you have done this, finish off the problem to find the answer, then you will have found the standard deviation using ...

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: Divide small numbers by big numbers

This is a mathematical educational video on how to divide a small number by a larger number. You are aware that it is easy to divide a larger number by a small number. For example, if you want to divide 379 by 9 it is easy to do so. But if you have to divide 9 by 379 it is a bit difficult. You have to add a zero and see if you can divide. You need to add one more zero so that you can divide 900 by 379. But you should know that the answer would start like this 0.0 as we have added 2 zeros alre...

How To: Find and sketch the domain of a multivariable function

Looking for a primer on how to find and sketch the domain of a function z = f(x, y) in calculus? Learn how with this free video calc 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).

How To: Square expressions involving radicals

Here we look at squaring expressions that involve radicals because people tend to make some common mistakes while solving such expressions. Take 5 times the square root of y quantity squared, the answer here is not 5y. Here's the reason, square means to multiply something with itself so the square of 5 root y would be 5 root y into 5 root y. So 5 x 5 is 25 and under root y into under root y equals just y so the answer will be 25y.

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: Solve equations with the order of operations

In mathematics, the order of operations define the priority in which complex equations are solved. The top priority is your parenthesis, then exponents, followed by multiplication and division, and finally addition and subtraction (PEMDAS). This video tutorial demonstrates the order of operation with various examples and explains the associated methodology. From Ramanujan to calculus co-creator Gottfried Leibniz, many of the world's best and brightest mathematical minds have belonged to autod...

How To: Determine the age of a fossil using carbon-14

If you have a fossil, you can tell how old it is by the carbon 14 dating method. This is a formula which helps you to date a fossil by its carbon. If a fossil contains 60% of its original carbon, how old is the fossil? The half life of carbon 14 is 5600 years. That means this is how long it takes for half the nuclei to decay. After 5600 years, if we start with a gram, we end up with half a gram. This rather complex formula shows you how to solve this puzzle using accepted scientific methods.

How To: Identify characteristics of a sample during a survey

To identify characteristics of a sample in your survey, there are many factors to consider of your samples. The first four characteristics you need to focus on are gender, age, income level, and education level. All four of these characteristics must be proportional to that of the population. You also need to consider the geographic location. Only take samples from the immediate geographical area. Finally, an important characteristic of the survey is the sample size. You do not want to ask to...

How To: Calculate percent yield

This video shows you how to calculate the percentage yield in chemistry. To find the percentage yield, you will need to divide the actual yield by the theoretical yield. Then, multiply it by 100: i.e. % yield = actual yield/theoretical yield x 100. An actual yield is the amount of a substance produced in an actual laboratory experiment. It is based on an actual physical measurement of a quantity. The theoretical yield is the yield as is calculated on paper: i.e. through calculations. Therefor...

How To: Solve the circumference of a circle using a cookie

In this video the instructor shows you the diameter, radius and also how to find the circumference of a circle using a cookie as an example. When you draw a line against the cookie passing through its center and touching its boundaries, it is a diameter of the circle. Radius of a circle is half the diameter of the circle. The length of the circle along the border of the circle is called circumference of the circle. The formula to compute the circumference of a circle is 2 * Pi * r, where r is...

How To: Factor a trinomial with negative leading coefficient

In this video the instructor shows how to factor a trinomial with negative leading coefficient. Most of the students are confused when they have to factor a trinomial with a negative leading coefficient. But there are many ways to solve these kind of problems as shown in this video. One way you can do is that take out the greatest common factor (GCF) of -1 from the equation. So pulling the -1 gives you the original trinomial with all the signs of the terms changed. Now go on and factor the ne...

How To: Divide numbers using long division

This video focuses on how to do long division. She starts by dividing 1548 by 26, going incrementally between each value. She first take 26 into the first three numbers of 1548 (154) and gets 5, then takes the remainder of 24 (154-130) and brings down the 8 to get 248. She then divides 248 by 26 to get 9 with a remainder of 14. She then goes into some detail as to how to extract the decimal from the remainder by continuing the long division and adding zeros to the end of the divisor. At the e...

How To: Find the x & y intercepts of rational functions

In this tutorial the instructor shows how to find the x and y intercepts of rational functions. Finding the intercepts of a rational function is similar to finding the intercepts of other normal equations. You can find the x intercept of the equation by setting the value of y to zero and solving the equation. Similarly you can solve the y intercept by setting the value of x to zero and solving the equation. Now while solving this rational function for intercepts if you face a situation where ...

How To: Find the slope given 2 points

This tutorial will show you how to determine the slope of a line if you are given two coordinates on a coordinate plane. You should first find the location of each point on the plane, remembering that the coordinates are in the format of x-axis (or horizontal movement), followed by y-axis (vertical movement). After plotting both these points, you should draw a straight line between these two points and then determine the slope of this line by taking the rise over the run of the line.

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: Solve basic linear function word problems in algebra

Need some help solving linear function word problems? 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 series o...

How To: Find the inverse of a function in algebra

Need a little help figuring out how to find the inverse of a function in algebra? 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 calculate the inverse of a given algebraic fun...

How To: Use matrices to solve systems of equations on a TI83

This video shows how to use matrices to solve systems of linear equations on TI83 and TI84 series graphing calculators. 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: Carry numbers when adding in basic arithmetic

Need to know how to carry numbers when adding in basic mathematics? Learn how. 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 series of free math tutorials, you'll learn how to carry ...

How To: Add and subtract rational expressions in algebra

In this math tutorial, you'll be trained in the arcane art of adding and subtracting rational expressions by finding the common denominator. A skill many discard upon leaving middle school, it is used by the villians who operate under the acronym "SAT" to test those caught blank minded and whose minds are unrationalized.

How To: Find the equations of parallel and perpendicular lines

A pair of straight lines can be parallel lines or perpendicular lines or neither. Two lines are said to be parallel when their slopes are equal. Two parallel lines never intersect each other. On the other hand two lines are perpendicular when the product of their slopes is equal to -1. Two perpendicular lines intersect only once and at right angles. So when you are given two lines and asked to find if they are parallel or perpendicular lines, first compute the slope of the lines. Identify two...

How To: Solve complex indefinite integrals in calculus

In this video the math teacher explains the meaning of the indefinite integral formula in calculus by stating it in terms of antiderivatives. He then shows in general terms how this indefinite integral formula has a related derivative formula, i.e. if the derivative of F(x) is f(x) then the indefinite integral of f(x) is F(x) plus a constant term (C). With this general relationship the teacher takes us through three related examples where he converts a derivative formula to an integral formul...