14 Aug Algebra A Topic of Importance in Maths Tuition
One question which maths tuition centers and teachers are asked countless times is why students should learn algebra and where it is actually used in real life. Well, we decided to put an end to all the confusions and curiosity from the students in this article.
If you are not writing down equations with letters in real life, does not mean you are not using algebra. You were taught algebra at a very early stage, but instead of the letter, only placeholders were used like for example _ + 4 = 6. With algebra, we get to find the unknown. If you are planning to take on a career in science, mathematics, economics and medicine, then you will be using more advanced skills of algebra. Learning algebra helps you in developing critical thinking skills. Which comprises solving problems, patterns, logic, reasoning and decision making. All of these skills are very much useful in real life and can be used in any career.
The following steps are followed, for solving a problem –
- Identifying the problem
- Considering the variables
- Developing a plan
- Implementing the plan
- Evaluating the results
For solving any problems in real life, you can use these steps. Algebra actually trains your brain for solving problems. With algebra, you can make an informed decision like for example for identifying the mortgage. When you are given the information about several mortgages by a mortgage advisor, with the several interest rates and different fees, you can use algebra for identifying the best deal. The majority of the people will choose the mortgages with the lowest interest rates, but with algebra knowledge, you can choose better loans. Another topic about algebra is solving equations, this has several uses in real life. One of the examples is if to calculate the price of an item which you have purchased. If assumedly, you have bought 7 mangoes and 4 oranges at $5, then what would be the cost of one banana.
When you are solving simultaneous equations, you will get to calculate the value of 2 unknowns using this skill. For instance, you visited a cinema hall and have purchased 2 adult tickets and 1 child ticket for $60, and on another day you purchased 3 child tickets and 1 adult ticket at $35, now solving these questions simultaneously you will be able to find the price of 1 adult ticket and 1 child ticket. Now if you are looking for another example, let’s give you one for substitution. Substitution means that you will have to replace letters with numbers, the skill is used for all branches of life. Maybe you are baking in your kitchen, then you get to find out that the recipe uses degrees Fahrenheit and your oven uses degrees Celsius. If you get to know how to substitute this will help you to use the formula for converting °F to °C. This process is also used by astronauts for performing much tougher calculations. Now leaving all of this behind, there is another reason for learning algebra, which is that at some points you will be required to use something as a stepping stone. You can be of the opinion that you may not be able to step on the stone again but it has a purpose too.
Almost 30% of the entire maths syllabus is Algebra, and you will need a clear concept of it for acing your Maths exams. If you are trying to get a grasp of this subject and still failing to get your questions answered, then you can consider taking the help of a good maths tuition centre in Singapore like Miracle Learning Centre. We believe in teaching our students by showing them real life examples.
Contact us to learn algebra in details: miraclelearning@gmail.com