Do the conversions to crack the code.
Nov 172013
Oct 302013
Oct 202013
This interactive worksheet will help you get to grips with simple and compound interest.
Oct 082013
Scan
A shocking maths exercise looking at the changing ratio of boy to girl births in Asia.
Oct 042013
Obesity is still increasing in South Yorkshire. Do the maths, then go and get some exercise!
Sep 292013
You need to find the lowest common multiple when finding common denominators to add fractions. Highest common factors are also used in fraction or ratio calculations when you cancel down. This interactive worksheet will show you how to work them out.
Sep 292013
Find as many different calculators as you can. Your phone,
your computer, the one in the back of the overflowing drawer in the hall. Then try this sum on all of them.
4+ 7 x 3
Do all the calculators give the same answer? What is the correct answer?
If you have a cheap four function calculator you will have got the answer 33, because it always calculates in the order you enter the sum. Unfortunately this is not mathematically correct!
If you used a scientific calculator you will have got the answer 25 which is correct. Scientific calculators understand the correct order to do calculations. Multiplication is more important than addition, so this comes first.
So how do we know what order to do calculations in? We use a rule called BIDMAS.
B rackets
I ndices
D ivision ÷
M ultiplication x
A ddition +
S ubtraction –
Always do brackets first. Then do any indices (like 2 squared or square root of 16). Some people refer to BODMAS where the O stands for “of”.) Division and multiplication come next (these have equal priority). Last is additions and subtractions (also equal priority)
Sep 222013
Aug 132013
This activity is about a wind turbine in Norfolk. Watch the video first, then try to answer the questions. You will need a calculator.
You can either do the activity on-line, or download and print the worksheet.
Aug 042013
This exercise will give you practice in writing big numbers in words. Many thanks to Sheffield Renewables for the use of their Top Trump cards to make this exercise.
Before you start here is an example. The St Wilfreds Centre has solar panels that produce 3250 kwh of electricity. In words this is three thousand two hundred and fifty kwh. Kwh stands for kilo watt hours.
May 282013
Dr Eugenia Cheng from Sheffield University hit the news today as she published her findings about the maths behind the perfect cream tea. An internet search will find articles on BBC and ITV news and many national newspapers. Have a go at this activity to see if you can use the formulae for a perfect cream tea..
May 112013
In May 2013 global levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere passed the milestone of 400 parts per million. This exercise will challenge your maths and help you understand why this is so important.
Apr 172013
Watch the video on Income Inequality then see if you can answer the questions.
Jan 202013
Here is a letter from the Coop Bank offering Mrs Givusabob a loan. Can you help her understand it?
Here is a worksheet version.
(MathswithGraham likes the Coop Bank because of their ethical principles, but borrowing from any bank can be very expensive.)
Jan 202013
Do you understand those letters that come through the door offering you a credit card? Have a go at this exercise to find out more.
Here is a worksheet version.
(I have used Sainsbury’s Bank as an example of a typical credit card provider- this exercise does not insinuate that Sainsbury’s Bank is any worse than other credit card providers.)
Jan 052013
Many people on a low income are not able to open a bank account.
If they need to borrow money they can be offered loans with massive rates of interest. This exercise looks at how to calculate interest rates and compares different ways of borrowing money.
The video mentions two businesses in particular. Wonga.com and Quick Quid both charge interest rates in excess of 2000%. Do you know of higher rates of interest? Please comment below to name and shame the loan sharks!
The same exercise is here in worksheet format.
Jan 042013
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation research into the minimum income standards for the UK. The Minimum Income Standard for the UK shows how much money people need, so that they can buy things that members of the public think that everyone in the UK should be able to afford.
- Figures are based on public views about a minimum standard that nobody should fall below.
- It does not show you what you require to meet all your individual needs, and is not suitable for use as a personal budgeting tool.
By entering a few details about your circumstances you can compare your income with the MIS, and see how this is made up. For instance my children are now all grown up and have left home, so I live with my wife. When I have entered details about my rent/mortgage. gas/electric/water bills etc it tells me the minimum income I require is £23,099. They break this down into how much I need for food, alcohol. council tax, clothing etc. It makes very interesting reading!
The picture shows the results for a single person.
Go to http://www.minimumincome.org.uk/ and enter your details to see what it suggests for your household.
Try this exercise to find out about a single persons minimum income. It will also help you to calculate percentages.
Jan 042013
Everybody is feeling the pinch at the moment. Try this interactive Money Saving Transport Quiz to see if you can save some cash! Here is the same exercise in worksheet format.
Jan 032013
Many people living in poverty are being ripped off with massive interest rates. People who can’t get bank accounts and are trying to survive on benefits sometimes see no alternative but to use door step lenders or shops that offer instant credit but then charge extortionate interest rates.
Try this quiz to learn more about shopping on credit.
Jan 022013
How do you work out how much electricity something uses?
This exercise will help you understand “units” of electricity and help you work out how much electricity different things use.
There is a worksheet version of the activity or an interactive version.