Finding Miles Per Gallon

Finding the miles per gallon is kind of important. Especially if your cars gas gauge has always been like, "full, full, full, 3/4 full, 3/4 full, 1/2 full, 1/2 full, 1/2 full, 1/4 full - BAM EMPTY!" 

(If I know how many gallons I put in last, and how many miles I get for each one of those gallons, then I can know pretty accurately how far I can go!) 

That's how all of my car's gauges have seemed to work. Clearly, it is not me.

This is a good thing to know even if you have a better car then mine. You can plan trips and cost much more efficiently. 

(For regular viewers of this blog: I realize I was going to do an Algebra 1 class. That's not not happening, but right now we all needed a break. It is summer after all!)

Okay, so mileage is miles per gallon so it is just that. How many miles you go per gallon of gas. You can figure things like, oh my car gets 30 miles to the gallon, so if I fill up with 15 gallons, I can get 450 miles before I need gas. Good to know, right? Especially on your summer road trips.

Here are your steps:

1. Fill car completely with gas (none of this just put in $20 worth)

2. Hit the Trip Odometer button - You know the one that tells you how far you go. Make it all zeros.

3. Drive normal

4. Get gas again when needed and look at these two things: 

                          1. The miles on the trip that you reset 

                          2. The amount of gallons you put in the car (watch the pump or look to your                                         receipt)

5. Remember how it says Miles PER Gallon. Now take those miles and divide by how many gallons you just filled up.

Here's the video to explain it better:
How to Find your Gas Mileage

 Click Here

The reason you have to use the trip in your car and fill up completely is because you are keeping track of the miles you go, but you won't know for sure how many gallons you use until you fill up again. Think about it. 

Now of course it is not exact, but close enough to make an good estimate. Now my 2004 all wheel drive vehicle usually gets 20 miles per gallon here with my mostly in town driving. When I drive road trips on highways and less stops I can sometimes get 22 miles per gallon. Start keeping track, I DARE YOU!

For real, I used to check mine every single time, but now that I have 2 kids, I probably check it only half the time. Kids really do change you....

Drive Carefully!

Algebra 1 Chapter 1 Sections 3

Hey there!
If you're following me periodically you'll notice I took some time off. Life got a bit crazy. You probably don't need to hear a list, but I do like to list things, so too bad, here it is: The kids were sick for about a week, then I was sick for a week, then there was some extra traveling stuff for work, along with a child's 4 year old birthday weekend, then the party weekend, and my husband out of town for a few nights, and a few other things that were time consuming  yet too boring to list. So, there is the partial list, and you could say things happened! I do, however, want to continue this Algebra 1 series of explanations and videos!
I know I can do it, just like you can learn this math too! Sorry for the MIA month!
Let's get to it!

Algebra 1
Chapter 1

Section 3 - Properties of Real Numbers and Using the Number Line

Real Numbers include: Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, Integers, Rational and Irrational Numbers, basically everything you've probably heard of in your life.

If a number is not real, it is called an imaginary number. We do NOT need to worry about imaginary numbers just yet. Just know they are used somewhere later, and try to get over the  name. :) Thanks!

Here's the diagram of terms that will be explained.

This is the list of stuff we will be discussing in the video.

                                       Can you determine where a number would fit?

Can you place numbers in order from least to greatest?

Properties of Real Numbers and Using a Number Line - Video

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This section was pretty quick! Don't forget to like the video! 

More to come...   :) 

Algebra 1 - Chapter 1 - Sections 1 and 2

Algebra 1 - You CAN do this.

I have decided to go through what you would need to know if you were to take an Algebra 1 class in High School. I will go through the topics, and put the videos here. I'm hoping this will help to organize this subject that many find hard to grasp. I'm going to keep it simple. I will try not to talk too Math-y. If you know what I mean. (I'm kind of making my own chapters based on what I've taught before and how I feel things go together, but by the end of all of this you will see most if not all of what is in an Algebra 1 class.)

I am asking a couple few from you as you follow this. 

1. Your attitude needs to be: I can do this. Attitude is everything. Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right. Sick of teachers saying this? Well, probably because you're sick of them being right....

2. You need to watch the videos (and maybe re-watch) and do the couple of practice problems that are in the videos. If you're not trying them on your own and thinking through the problem, then you won't be able to move on to the next. Redoing the same problems actually will help you A LOT. Do it, then wait and do it again. If you're in a class, then definitely do the homework!

3. If you like the video explanation, please let me know with a like, a comment, and/or a share. Also, if you need more explanation, please leave that in a comment as well either here or on the video.

I really want to make this useful to everyone, and get people to stop being intimidated by Math!~

Here goes!!!

Chapter 1  
Sections 1 and 2 in videos in under 28 minutes!


Section 1 Topics
(about a 9 minute video)

- Variables
- Algebraic expressions
- Numerical expressions

Video explanation with some example problems

click

Section 2 Topics

 - Order of Operations (about 9 minutes)

- Evaluating Expressions (about 8 minutes)

Order of Operations Video

click

Evaluating Expressions Video

click

Here's a reminder of the exponent rules VIDEO. 

To be continued...

Interest Rates- What will you earn?

Hey everyone!

     Have you thought of investing or wondered how much you would owe on that interest rate if it was compounded annually, quarterly, etc?

     Don't be stuck to a person or a computer calculator to find this out. Make sure it's being calculated correctly. Ask them what formula they use. I'll show you a couple different formula's, and even if they don't use the same ones, you'll be able to get the idea and be able to plug the correct numbers in, and solve for the missing value. There can only be one missing value, or something else is missing. Good explanation, right? HAHA! I know. It's a bit general to get so detailed so let me just give you one example of how I knew I needed to ask more questions.

    Here's my story: We changed banks to make it more convenient for the location, and they were giving away about $150 to switch, so that sweetened the deal. Well, with the switch they did a free refinancing application for our house, meaning they were trying to take over our loan and see if they could give us a better interest rate/payment. The girl was telling us that it was going to be $150 less per month to go with them. She also said it was a 20 year mortgage, we have 28 years left on this one, and she said the interest rate was 4 percentage points higher. Umm, yes, read flag, right?

So to recap, she said, 4% higher interest rate, 8 years less payments, and $150 less a month.                
      Something as in everything was not right. When Justin told me this, I said, "No. That's wrong." I went into the bank to sign my paperwork for the accounts and she said the same thing. I asked to look at how they figured it out. The girl could not tell me, she just showed me the computer calculator that she plugged the numbers into. I asked if it was everything, taxes, and home owners insurance, as she had assured Justin it was. She said,"Yes, but not like your cable bill or electric, anything like that." Right then I realized, she had no idea what she was talking about, and she thought that I had bought 2 houses within 5 years and not understood that I don't pay for my cable on my mortgage bill. Long story short, the real lady that had our case got back to us and it would have been $250 more a month then what we already pay, and that number that was given was not including the two things I had asked about.

    Now I'm not going to get into how to calculate house payments just yet, but you can get the idea of how number sense and understanding how raising and interest rate and putting it over a shorter amount of time would NOT lower a payment. Sometimes people, just wow....

Okay, so her's what we're doing: Simple Interest and Finding the Total amount when given the principle, rate, time, and how it's compounded. VIDEO

click

Exponents- More basics

Exponents

What do they mean?
They mean that you will be multiplying the same thing (the base) by itself as many times as that exponent says. Examples:

Also, you might have noticed that anything raised to the zero power is equal to 1, not zero, as most people would guess. I will show you why in this video.

There is also the problem of having negative exponents. That can be switched to positive and most textbooks will want you to answer with only positive exponents. Check out the example below to see how you would switch you answer, and the video will explain it.

Don't forget to to watch the previous video once again to understand short cuts to exponents.


Video on - Exponents - What it Means- Zero Power - Getting Rid of Negative Exponents

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This is a short blog this time, with not much to say, but the video will hopefully show a lot in a little time! Thanks for your support!

Exponents- It's All About that Base

     Exponents, the little number above and to the right of the regular number or variable, or both. It really means how many of that number you will multiply. Why, you ask, would you ever need this? Well, you'll use it for many many things, so understanding the basics is necessary. You'll need this when dealing with science, really big or really small things. You'll also need to understand exponents when dealing with different interest rates, which is something most of us will deal with at some point.

The video shows you what the rules are listed below, and there's a guest star in it today!

Click here to see the Introduction to Exponents Rules
                                Click
Exponents:
1. With adding and subtracting- You don't do anything to exponents when the operation is addition or subtraction. You can only add or subtract the coefficient's if they have the same base to the same exponent - see video

2. With Multiplying (must have the same base)- you will add the exponents and KEEP that base. If there are coefficients, numbers in front of a variable, then you multiply those like normal.

3. With Dividing (must have the same base) - you will subtract exponents, top subtract bottom and KEEP that base. If there are coefficients, numbers in front of a variable, then you divide those like normal.


More exponent rules to come later. Lindsey and I just wanted to give you the introduction.

It's all about that base. Lindsey will tell you! Please watch the video if you haven't already. This one has a guest who is a good singer. ;)

Have a great day!

Order of Operations

Why learn order of operations?
So you don't have to be that person that gets the Facebook feed problem wrong, but posts the answer as if they are correct. Please! Just kidding, clearly, that is only one reason, as there are many other reasons! Reasons: to be well rounded, to know what you're doing in your math class, to know what your children or grandchildren are doing in their classes, etc....

Side note: If you're needing real help with Math (or any subject) please check out this site: WyzAnt Tutoring and get a free $20 off  your first tutoring session! This site connects you with real people in your area, with different backgrounds and prices. Don't wait any longer! 

     The order of operations is needed to do any type of math class. If you forgot it, well, it's here. If you think it's too hard, then please don't ever drive a car, build anything, or cook around fire, because usually those take steps. Oh, so you're saying you can follow steps? Then you can follow the order of operations. Done and done.

    You know the drill. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Aka, PEMDAS. Aka:

Parentheses (grouping symbols from the inside out)
Exponents
Multiply and Divide - from left to right
Add and Subtract - from left to right

     Now, notice how I put the multiplication and division on the same line, and the addition and subtraction on the same line? That is because it's exactly how it says it is right there. You do not do multiplication first, even though it seems that way.
     Same with addition and subtraction. I wish there was a better way to remember this, maybe: PE (MD)(AS), but that doesn't look right, so maybe: Please Excuse MarylanD's AppleS. Somehow you must remember that the MD and the AS happen from left to right not in the order you see the letters. I tried to make the letters in the same words with that second idea. What did you think? No go? I hope that video made it all clear. Be sure to watch it!

     One other thing. Parentheses stand for all grouping symbols from the inside out. Therefore if you had brackets with parentheses within, you would do the parentheses within. Also, a fraction bar with numbers on the top or bottom, act as a grouping symbol (as seen in the video). Other that that, there's not really anything else to think about, expect the order. Check out the video with examples. I DARE you to even work some out before me. GO, if you  haven't already! Go again, if you didn't work them out before me, and try them on your own. :)

Here's the video link again, in case you missed it. :) Video.