Logarithms sound like very advanced math concepts, but they’re not really that much more difficult than many other mathematical concepts. The word “logarithm,” like the word “algorithm,” gives the impression of being a very complex topic. However, much like how an algorithm is nothing more complicated than a set of rules or processes to follow,…
Category: Main Concepts
Multiplying Integers – Why Multiplying Two Negatives is a Positive
I have recently been asked to explain why two negative numbers multiply together to product a positive number. This can be a difficult concept to grasp at first, but I would like to try to simplify an explanation. First, I would like to recommend and give credit to David’s website, at Practic-All. In particular, he…
What is Scientific Notation?
It is probably one of the first topics you will learn in early physics courses. As such, it is crucial that you understand it and are able to use it. Honestly, without scientific notation, physics problems get INCREDIBLY difficult, and if you don’t get it at first, you should really put in extra effort to…
The Difference Between Precision and Accuracy
What is the difference between PRECISION and ACCURACY? Upon first glance, many students would say that the two terms mean the same thing. In normal day-to-day usage, you would talk about how precise this is, or how accurate that is, and in both cases you would be comparing “how close” some thing is to the…
What are Real Numbers? Rational, Irrational, Natural, and Integer Numbers
What are Real Numbers? When you are first learning to do math with numbers, you never think about what “kinds” of numbers you use. You just add 2 plus 2, or subtract 10 from 20, and later on begin to multiply (-3) times (-5) and other, more complicated functions. What you don’t even realize is…
Monomials and Polynomials Explained
When studying algebra, and learning how to perform more complicated rearrangements and calculations, you will frequently see math terms such as “monomials” and “polynomials.” They may sound like some kind of advanced mathematical concepts, but in reality, they are not. In fact, their definitions are really quite simple, and understanding these will help you when…
What are Significant Figures?
Counting Significant Figures is a concept usually introduced to students in beginner science courses, right near the beginning. However, it is a concept that continually confuses people even beyond their school years. This is because, at first glance, significant figures (commonly referred to as “sig figs”) appears to be very similar to rounding, but that…
The Theorem of Pythagoras Explained
The Theorem of Pythagoras is a specific case of the Cosine Law that applies specifically to right angle triangles. With it, and given any two sides of a right angle triangle, you can find the third side. Then having solved all the sides of the triangle, you can use the standard trig identities (Sine, Cosine,…
Trigonometry – Cosine Law
The Cosine Law works similarly to the Sine Law that I have already discussed. Actually, it may seem somewhat familiar to you. While the Cosine Law can be used on any triangle, the Pythagorean Theorem is a specific case of the Cosine Law which strictly applies to right angle triangles. It’s a bit more of…
Trigonometry – Sine Law
The trig functions that I’ve discussed so far (Sine, Cosine, and Tangent) will be incredibly useful to you when working specifically with right angle triangles. However, of course, not all triangles have a 90 degree angle in them. So can you still use these functions? Well, yes, but in a different way. One way is…