Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

Black 4 Step Problem Solving

Astronomy and Large Numbers
People have always been fascinated by the moon, the planets, and the stars. Hundreds of
stories have been written to try and explain these lights in the sky. Different cultures in
different times developed varied explanations for these celestial bodies, but almost all
people through the ages believed two things. One, that the moon and the sun were about
the same size; and two, that the moon, the planets, and the stars were very close to the
earth. Then mathematics changed everything!!

Over 2000 years ago a brilliant Greek

mathematician named Eratosthenes used
fairly simple mathematics to determine
the circumference of the earth. This was
one of the world's most valuable
discoveries because once we knew the
circumference of the earth, trigonometry
could be used to find the distance to the
moon, the sun and other heavenly bodies.

Several years after Eratosthenes's discovery, two other Greek mathematicians used
trigonometry to find that the moon was approximately 250,000 miles from the earth. This
provided dramatic proof that the moon, the sun and the stars weren't just miles above us
as previously thought, but were hundreds of thousands, and. possibly even millions of miles
away. Humankind suddenly realized that everything around us was not what it appeared.

Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

Mathematics was the key to our present understanding of the

earth and the universe. As we continue to try and unlock the
mysteries of space, mathematics will be one of our most
important tools.

The fastest traveler in our universe is light. Light travels 186,000 miles per second, which
is fast enough to circle the earth over 7 times in one second.

Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

You can tell how, far away a thunderstorm is by using this information about the speed of
light and sound. When you see lightning, the thunder occurs at the same time, but because
sound is much slower than light, it will take several seconds for the sound to reach your
ears (unless the storm is directly overhead).

If thunder sounds 12.5 seconds after

the lighting, can only tell how far away
the storm is?

Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

We know that light is the fastest traveler in the universe, but even with light's
extraordinary speed, it still takes many years for the light from the stars to reach our
eyes. The closest star to us, besides the sun, is Alpha Centauri. Astronomers once
believed that Alpha Centauri was a single star, but now it is known that it is a triple star.
This triple star is approximately 23,462,784,000,000 miles from the earth.

Distances in space are so large that

astronomers find it much easier to use
light-years as a, measurement of distance.
A light-year is the distance light travels in
a year.

Instead of saying that Alpha Centauri is 23,462,784,000,000 miles away, astronomers say
that it is 4 light-years away. Another term that astronomers use to measure large
distances in space is a parsec. Each parsec is equal to 3.26 light-years.

Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

Sometimes when we are dealing with large distances in space, our numbers become too
large for a calculator. We need to learn how to multiply these large numbers on our
calculator because we certainly do not want to do the math using paper and pencil!!

When you multiply numbers that are too large

for the calculator, you must remove all the
zeros at the end of the numbers, multiply, and
then return the zeros to your answer.
Lets look at the example concerning the distance light travels in a week:
186,000 x 604,800
becomes
186 x 6048.

Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

186 x 6048 = 1,124,928

186 x 6048 = 112,492,800,000

Solve the following problems on your calculator by removing zeros:
A. 55,000 x 96,000 =
B. 186,000 x 36,000 =
C. 4005 x 92,000,000 =
When you are solving problems about
distances in space, you will be dealing
with very large numbers. The names
of these numbers are shown below.

Billion 9 zeros
Trillion. 12 zeros
Quadrillion.. 15 zeros
Quintillion 18 zeros
Sextillion.. 21 zeros
Septillion.. 24 zeros
Octillion. 27 zeros
Nonillion. 30 zeros
Decillion. 33 zeros
Undecillion..... 36 zeros
Duodecillion 39 zeros
Tredecillion 42 zeros
Quattuordecillion 45 zeros
Quindecillion. 48 zeros
Sexdecillion 51 zeros
Septendecillion..... 54 zeros
Octodecillion 57 zeros
Novemdecillion 60 zeros
Vigintillion 63 zeros
Googol..... 100 zeros
Googoplex.. a googol of zeros

Unit 1 Number Sense and Algebraic Thinking

Lesson 7 4 Step Problem Solving

Mathematicians made a very interesting observation about circles that has proven to be
very useful to astronomers and scientists. They found that you can find the circumference
of any circle by multiplying the diameter of the circle by pi.