Web Hosting Talk : Other Forums : Web Hosting Lounge : Can you pass eighth grade math?

[The Dude]

http://www.blogthings.com/couldyoupa...hgrademathquiz

My results > http://images.blogthings.com/couldyo...uiz/failed.jpg

Only got 5/10 right

[Slidey]

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

got the second one wrong....

[monkeyhead]

***You Passed 8th Grade Math***


Congratulations, you got 8/10 correct!

Ive passed 8th grade. Whats the equivlant of 8th grade in the UK?

MAtt

[sasha]

I got 9/10 but only because there is an error in test or at least I think so

7 if .4 < x < 1/2, x could equal:
* 40%
* None of the above
* 45%
* 50%

My answer is "none of the above" but they seem to think it is 45%. I am not sure how that makes sense. 45% of what ? You cannot compare actual numbers with percentage of some unknown value.

[Slidey]

.4 = 40%
1/2 = 50%

40% < 45% < 50%

[ForumsAddict]

10/10 - simple!

[sasha]

Originally Posted by Slidey

.4 = 40%
1/2 = 50%

40% < 45% < 50%

45% on its own is not a number. 45% can get some value only when related to something.

45% of 2 or 45% of 1, ether way it has to be 45% of something.

In this case there is no enough information so you can assume that "something" is anything you want it to be and then 40% and 50% become valid answers too.

[Slidey]

yes but %'s can be expressed as decimals between 0 and 1, so .5 = 1/2 = 50%

therefore 1/2 = 50%, and .4 = 40%, and 45% is in between those 2. 50% isnt, and nor is 40% because we're using > and not >=

[sasha]

Originally Posted by Slidey

yes but %'s can be expressed as decimals between 0 and 1, so .5 = 1/2 = 50%

therefore 1/2 = 50%, and .4 = 40%, and 45% is in between those 2. 50% isnt, and nor is 40% because we're using > and not >=

I understand what you are saying, but percentages have no value on its own. They get value only when they are related to something. so 45% of 1 would be good answer but 50% of .82 would be good answer too.

Ether way I hope that test does not represent true required level of math skill for grade 8. Grade 6 - maybe but not grade 8. Grade 8 should be doing things like graphically proving pi number, doing calculations in octal system and stuff like that.

[Slidey]

no - because they can be and are (pretty often btw) represented in a numerical format such as .1, they're saying that .4 is the equivalent of 40%. its 40% of a whole, or 40% of 1. this is a tried, tested and used format, any 8th grader knows that!

i havent got a clue how old grade 8 is, as im from the uk, but why would people want to do calculations in the octal system as part of a standard maths course?

[sasha]

Originally Posted by Slidey

i havent got a clue how old grade 8 is, as im from the uk, but why would people want to do calculations in the octal system as part of a standard maths course?

because we did it in and now I see usefulness of it even I if never had to apply the knowledge in real life Math should not be about answers but about process of getting the answer. Different systems help mind free itself and think of all different way of getting the answer.

Question like this
5 + 5 equals (select the best answer)
a) 9
b) 12
c) 55
describes what i am talking about

[Slidey]

but you have trouble equating a decimal with a fraction with a % ?

[Teh_Winnar]

Originally Posted by sasha

I understand what you are saying, but percentages have no value on its own. They get value only when they are related to something. so 45% of 1 would be good answer but 50% of .82 would be good answer too.

Ether way I hope that test does not represent true required level of math skill for grade 8. Grade 6 - maybe but not grade 8. Grade 8 should be doing things like graphically proving pi number, doing calculations in octal system and stuff like that.

you have to convert them into like terms... you can't compare a percentage to a number, likewise you can't compare a fraction to a decimal, you have to have them both the same thing


since you have a decimal, a fraction and a percentage choice, you can assume that 1/2 = 50% you can also assume that the .4 is talking about a percentage not the number .4
(if you wanted to find 50% of 156 you would do

156 * .5
so likewise you would have
156 * .4
whats in between them
156 * .45 (or anything from .41 to .49)

Overthinking is bad... 100 is a nice number... .4 isn't always a number, it can also be a percentage, like lets say 40%...

[sasha]

Originally Posted by Slidey

but you have trouble equating a decimal with a fraction with a % ?

I have no problem equating a decimal with a percentage but I see why that question can have more then one answer. If there was no "none of the above" option then the best answer would be 45%. IMHO the most correct answer should be "all of the above" because in some situations any answer would be correct.

And that brings me to my point: grade 8 math should not be about "knowing" the answer but about the "process of finding the answer" and considering all available options.

As a side note, I am very much disappointed in Canadian education, low expectation from kids and overall grading system. If there are slower kids in the class that should have zero effect on others, which is not the case. That being said, I spend some time every day and try help my son learn more. He just finished grade 3 and he has no problem doing basic math with binary numbers. This will probably cause him that at some point to give the "wrong" answer to some question but overall his math skills will be at expected level.

[Acsiak - Andrew]

You Passed 8th Grade Math

http://images.blogthings.com/couldyo...uiz/passed.jpg

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

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I think the main problem sasha is having is regarding percentages and decimals. However, to make it simpler I wouldn't include fractions into the equation since while you can, it's not really used in statistics -- which is mainly where you would use percentages, and the percentage/decimal formula is a very basic part of statistics.

The real reason why we use 1.00 as a base number is because it makes working with and converting to and from percentages, coefficients, etc. very simple.