Lesson 3 APPLICATIONS OF MATHEMATICS

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

Objectives:

1. cite different applications of mathematics in everyday life,

2. solve mathematical problems; and,
3. appreciate the applications of mathematics in one’s life.

Oftentimes, a question that recurs in the learning life of a student is the

practicality or applications of what he/she learned. This lesson gives you instances on
the practical applications of math to real life.

3.0 When will I use Math?

1. Financial Management

⮚ knowledge of arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and

division, to which algebra is needed

a. understanding loans and investments

b. interests (exponential growth)
nt
r
A=P 1+( ) n

where, "A" is the ending amount, "P" is the beginning amount (or "principal"), "r" is
the interest rate (expressed as a decimal), "n" is the number of compounding in a
year, and "t" is the total number of years.

c. mortgages (using the compound interest formula)

2. Health and Exercise

a. BMI (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323586.php)
b. counting calories
c. weights

3. Building Things

⮚ Math helps you save time and money.

a. home improvement (calculating the floor area for tiles, wall surface area for paint,
how much electrical wire to be used for outlets, etc.)
 b. outdoor landscaping (building planters, plots, gazebos)
4. Buying Things

a. Grocery store (multiplication, estimation, percentages)

b. Market

5. Baking or Cooking Things

● measuring ingredients to follow a recipe

● multiplying / dividing fractions to account for more or less than a single batch
● converting a recipe from Celsius to Fahrenheit
● converting a recipe from metric (mL) to US standard units (teaspoon, tablespoon, cups)
● calculating cooking time per each item and adjusting accordingly
● calculating pounds per hour of required cooking time
● understanding ratios and proportions, particularly in baking (ex. the recipe calls for 1 egg
and 2 cups of flour, then the ratio of eggs to flour is 1:2).

Metric to US Standard Unit Conversion

1 US legal cup = 240 mL

1 US tablespoon = 14.79 mL
1 US teaspoon = 4.92 mL
1 US fluid ounce = 29.57 mL

With a knowledge of math, for example, you can quickly deduce that a half-cup of
flour is the same thing as eight tablespoons of flour. This can prove handy if you find that
your half-cup measure is missing. Likewise, if you are cooking from a recipe that serves 4
people, but you need to feed 8 people, your math skills tell you that you can simply double
all of the necessary ingredients. Without math, you may not have enough food (or have too
much food) to feed your guests.

6. Measuring Things

a. Utilities such as electricity and water

b. Weight
c. Temperature

Celsius to Fahrenheit Conversion

Example
A recipe calls for the oven to be set at 220°C, but yours is labeled by
Fahrenheit. To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit in this recipe, follow the
following formula:
9
Formula: ℃ × + 32=℉
5
 9
Solution: 220 × +32=℉
5
396+32=428 ℉
d. Others:
Here's an exponential growth function: y=a (1+ b )x

where, y = final amount remaining over a period of time

a = the original amount
x = time
● The growth factor is (1 + b).
● The variable, b, is percent change in decimal form
x
Here's an exponential decay function: y=a (1−b )

where, y = final amount remaining after the decay over a period of time
a = the original amount
x = time
● The decay factor is (1-b).
● The variable, b, is percent decrease in decimal form.

7. Logical and Critical Thinking Development

Math helps us think analytically and have better reasoning abilities. Analytical
thinking refers to the ability to think critically about the world around us. Reasoning is our
ability to think logically about a situation. Analytical and reasoning skills are important
because they help us solve problems and look for solutions. While it may seem farfetched to
think that solving the train problem above can help you solve a problem in your life, the
skills that you use in framing the problem, identifying the knowns and unknowns, and taking
steps to solve the problem can be a very important strategy that can be applied to other
problems in life.

8. Travelling

Math helps in estimating the amount of fuel you’ll need to planning out a trip based
on kilometers per hour and distance traveled. Calculating fuel usage is also crucial to long
distance travel. Without it, you may find yourself stranded without gas or on the road. You
may also use math throughout the trip by paying for tolls, counting exit numbers, checking
tire pressure, etc.
Long before GPS and Google Maps, people used atlases, paper road maps, road signs,
or verbal directions to navigate throughout the country’s highways and byways. Reading a
map is almost a lost art, requiring just a little time, orientation, and some basic math
fundamentals.

9. Math in Music
 Music production requires a solid knowledge of mathematics. Music’s tempo, pitch,
and volume are actually mathematical functions. Tempo is a proportion, pitch is a property of
a sound wave, and volume is measured in decibels which are in a logarithmic scale. EDM
(Electronic Dance Music), a new genre of music, is totally produced on computers. BPM
(Beats-per-minute) is a basic trait that mixing and producing EDM requires. Especially
today, making music thus means knowing Math.
10. Math is the Language of Physical Sciences and Computing

Physical sciences like Physics and Chemistry uses a lot of mathematics. Physics deals
with projectiles, waves, circuits, and other topics. The subject is very important in
engineering. Chemistry also involves a lot of Mathematics as it works by using formula,
equations, and computations.
Mathematics is used in computer programming. Computers are the future of almost
all aspects of our life. All major businesses and transactions are expected to be computerized
sooner or later. But computers cannot function on their own. They are programmed using the
principles of Logic and Mathematics such as the logarithms and algorithms. With enough
mathematics knowledge, you might even be able to decipher the title of this paragraph.

11. Math keeps your brain in shape

Studies show that Mathematics keeps our brain healthy. It stimulates neural activities
and keeps our brain working. This slows down or prevents things like senescence and natural
cell aging. Keeping our brain in shape also prevents strokes. Math thus leads to a healthier
lifestyle.
Research conducted by Dr. Tanya Evans of Stanford University indicates that
children who know math are able to recruit certain brain regions more reliably, and have
greater gray matter volume in those regions, than those who perform more poorly in math.
The brain regions involved in higher math skills in high-performing children were associated
with various cognitive tasks involving visual attention and decision-making. While
correlation may not imply causation, this study indicates that the same brain regions that help
you do math are recruited in decision-making and attentional processes.

12. Math in your career.

Many careers, such as engineering, architecture, business administration, and

management have obvious mathematics usage. However, many careers like hotel and
restaurant management, being a professional artist, and careers in agriculture have also
mathematics in them.