Practical Applications of Mathematics In Real Life.

 There are at least five areas in our lives which demand a knowledge of math or people end up in trouble.  We go over many of the formulas in class but many of the students I teach do not relate to them because they do not have experience with these things.

The first area is financial management which covers a wide variety of things.  In the old days, it would have included managing and reconciling a checkbook but few people use those anymore.

What has become more important is a knowledge of how credit cards work since those are used so much more now a days. It's important to know how they calculate interest, how the minimum payment does not do much for paying off the debt, and how a slight variation in credit rate can cause you to pay more.  There are also costs associated with renting vs buying a house or an apartment, cars, or even furniture.

Add into that the different types of insurance - car, health, life, house, renters, and more.  In addition, there is retirement to think about as in Social Security, investing in 401K's, IRA's, and Roth IRA's. Or they can think about the stock market, investing, bonds, which are something many people think about.  If nothing else, there is the importance of students learning more about balancing budgets which apply both in their personal life and in a business.

A second area deals with home improvement that uses quite a bit of math.  If you decide to redo the kitchen, you have to know how to measure for counters, cabinets, calculate the amount of flooring, back splash, sinks, refrigerators, stoves, ovens, paint, and odds and ends for a new looking kitchen.  If there is a room, math is needed to calculate the flooring, wall coverings, and ceilings.  Not all flooring is sold in the same units so you have to know how to convert so you can compare carpet vs linoleum, vs wood.

Another area math comes in handy is when looking at the cost of appliances and the amount of electricity they use.  The appliances which save the most energy may appear to cost more but within a short time have payed off the difference in savings.  Furthermore, its important students learn to read bills to see how much electricity they use every month.  They can take the information, create charts to see what time of the year they use more electricity.  Is it in the summer when temperatures are warmer or is it in the winter.  In Alaska, we usually use more electricity in the winter due to the cold temperatures.

If students look carefully they can see how math is used outside for landscaping.  There is the cost of the plants to place in the yard, supplements to keep the plants healthy, water used to keep them alive, and the cost of keeping the yard up versus hiring someone.  What about planting a garden?  This involves the cost of setting up raised beds, soil, plants, fertilizer, tools, etc to get it up and running.

What about looking at the cost of installing a pool or a spa and checking all the costs associated with their upkeep.  I have friends who had an above ground pool they could only use in the summer because it got a bit too cold in the winter.  She had to buy an alternative to chlorine to keep the water clear while balancing the pH, etc.  Maintaining a pool can be quite expensive especially if you fill the pool at the beginning of the season.  Many people forget about the cost of filling a regular swimming pool, heating the water, chemicals, etc.

These are just a few places math is used in everyday life and are examples students can connect to.  Let me know what you think, I'd like to hear.  Have a great day.