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Index:
1.) Guide for using a calculator
2.) Fractions
3.) Decimals
4.) Percentages
5.) Conversion between fractions , decimals and
percentages
6.) Significant figures and rounding
7.) Cross multiplication
8.) Graphs
9.) Important quiz for the mathematical skills

NOTE: THIS BOOK INCLUDES MATHS QUESTION

TAKEN FROM IGCSE MATHS PAST PAPERS

Mr. OMAR WALID +20 102 906 4230

 1.) Calculators

First of all, you will need to get a scientific calculator, even though
you will not use the scientific functions in the chemistry, but it will be
needed in other IGCSE subjects.

The most famous and frequent used calculators are these:

MAKE SURE TO DOUBLE CHECK WITH THE EXAMINATION CENTRE, AS SOME CENTRES DON’T
ALLOW SPECIFIC TYPE OF CALCULATORS.

It is recommended by the student to have two calculators,

especially during the exams just in case if any malfunction
happened in the main calculator, and also the student can double
check his answers on both of the calculators.
The second backup calculator is not required to be scientific, you
can get simple calculators as a backup.

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First of all when using the calculator make sure it is (Normal) mode, by
doing the following steps:
1.) Press on the shift button , that’s found on the top left of the
calculator
2.) Press on SETUP button , that’s found on the top right of the
calculator
3.) Then choose NORM option
4.) Then press on number 2

Second of all make sure that the calculator is on (Computer) mode, by

doing the following steps:
1.) Press on the MODE button , that’s found on the top right of the
calculator
2.) Press on the on COMP option

Now your calculator is ready to solve any chemistry

question related to any mathematical skills

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2.) Fractions:
Q: What is a fraction?
A single unit can be broken into equal parts called fractions. If, for example, the unit is
broken into ten equal parts and three parts are then taken, the fraction is written as
3/10. That is, three parts out of ten parts.
In the fraction 3/10
The 3 is called the NUMERATOR
The 10 is called the DENOMINATOR

YOU CAN WRITE A FRACTION ON YOUR CALCULATOR BY USING THE

BUTTON FOUND UNDER THE CALC OR OPTN BUTTON.

ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF FRACTIONS:

You are not required to know how to add and subtract fractions MENTALLY in
chemistry, as it can be done easily using your calculator.

TEST YOURSELF (1):

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MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION OF FRACTIONS:

Also like adding and subtracting fractions, you are not required to know how to
multiply and divide fractions, as it also can be done easily using your calculator.

TEST YOURSELF (2):

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3.) Decimals:

Decimals is a way of expression of fractions, and fractions is way of

expression of decimals.

MOST LIKELY WHEN YOU GET AN ANSWER AS DECIMAL ON YOUR CALCULATOR, IT

WILL BE WRITTEN AS FRACTION TO SIMPLIFY IT MORE. SO TO CONVERT IT USE THE
BUTTON SD, THAT’S FOUND UNDER THE COS BUTTON.

In lower grades, you were taught about decimal place, so here is a quick
recap for it.

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TEST YOURSELF (3):

Convert the decimal 0.65 to fraction

Convert the fraction 2/10 to fraction

Convert the decimal 1.4 to fraction

Convert the fraction 5/2 to decimal

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4.) Percentages:
Q: What is a percentage?
Percentage is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using
the percent sign.

If it was mentioned to find the percentage OF a specific value, then the word OF
indicates multiplication.

Also in percentages, you can just use your calculator to find anything related to
percentage.

TEST YOURSELF (4):

Find the 50 % of 30

There are 75 blocks and 5 of them are colored red. Find the percent of red blocks.

5.) Conversions between Fractions, Decimals and

Percentages:

For sure, by now you can convert both decimals and percentages into fractions, so this will
really help you to convert decimals into percentage and vice versa.
You can convert decimal into percentage by just multiplying it by 100
This also can be done easily using your calculator.

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TEST YOURSLEF (5):
Convert 3/10 to percentage and decimal

Percentage = ………………………..
Decimal = ………………………..

Convert 65% to fraction and decimal

Fraction = ………………………..
Decimal = ………………………..

Convert 0.557 to percentage and fraction

Percentage = ………………………..
Fraction = ………………………..

Convert 1/3 to percentage and decimal

Percentage = ………………………..
Fraction = ………………………..

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6.) Significant figures and rounding:

As you have seen in TEST YOURSELF (5), the last part, you got a recurring value for
percentage and decimal (non-ending value), so it is impossible to write the non-ending
value in the small space given to you in the exam paper, so you will be asked to round
it to (1 or 2 decimal places/nearest whole number/ 2 or 3 significant figures)

Significant figures:
There are some rules that must be known by you to round to the specific significant
figures.

SplashLearn

Rounding:
If 28 617 people attend a gymnastics competition, this figure can be reported to various
levels of accuracy.
To the nearest 10 000 this figure would be rounded up to 30 000.
To the nearest 1 000 this figure would be rounded up to 29 000.
To the nearest 100 this figure would be rounded down to 28 600.

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TEST YOURSELF (6):
Round these number to the nearest 3 significant figures and 1 decimal place:
2.5728
1.) ………………………..
2.) ………………………..

14.952
1.) ………………………..
2.) ………………………..

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7.) Cross multiplication:
This is the most frequent used mathematical skill in chemistry.
So we must know it is only used in DIRECT proportion, FOR EXAMPLE, Workers in a pottery
factory are paid according to how many plates they produce. The wage paid to them is said to
be in direct proportion to the number of plates made. As the number of plate made increases so
does their wage.

If it was said that 3u is equal to 2h, so how many u is equal to 7h.

We can write it in this way  3u : 2h
(x)u : 7h

So we cross multiply the 3 by 7, then divide the result by 2.

TEST YOURSELF (7):

We have 7 footballs that costs 10 dollars.
What is the cost of 10 footballs?

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8.) Graphs:

There are many ideas for graphs, so we will divide it into 5 main parts.
Before anything you must know that the vertical line is called the y-axis and the
horizontal line is called x-axis.

IDEA (1):
Finding the value of each smallest box on any axis.
It is equal to value of points divided by number of boxes.
Examples:
There are 10 boxes, with the value of 20, so we will divide 20 by 10 (20/10), so each box is equal
to 2.

TEST YOURSELF (8):

There are 20 small boxes and their total value is equal to 30.
What is the value of each smallest box?

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IDEA (2):
So when it comes to you when drawing a graph, you must select suitable scale, where the graph
you are drawing must cover more than 50 percent of both the y-axis and x-axis.

IDEA (3):
After plotting the points, you could be asked to draw a straight line, so you must draw a
straight line that passes through most of the points. This line is called LINE OF BEST FIT.
If you found that it is impossible to get most of the points, then try to get the average of the
two points by estimation.

IDEA (4):
After plotting the points, you could be asked to draw a smooth line, where you will not draw a
straight line, but you will draw a curve that MUST pass through all of the points.

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IDEA (5):
After finishing plotting the points and drawing smooth line graph, you could be asked to find
the gradient of the line at a specific point. At that question you will be required to draw a
tangent on that point then calculate the gradient.

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Steps to draw a tangent:
1.) Align the ruler on the curve, so that angle of x is equal to angle of y.
2.) Then draw a line.

Steps to calculate the gradient:

1.) Get two points where the line of the gradient passes through.
2.) Then use the formula m = (y1 – y2) / (x1-x2)

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