Maths homework- help!

[Notagoodtime]

Ds is in trouble for not completing his homework. I’m trying to help him but stumped on the one. Anyone up who can help please ?

16^1/2= sqr if 16=4
4^-1=1/4
8^1/3=cube root of 8=2
2^0=1
32^3/5= 5th root of 32 cubed= 2 cubed=8
Then just order them.

Fab thank you so much. I’m so tired my brain won’t work tonight ☺️

Hmm... OK so from left to right...

16/2 = 8
4 x -1 =-4
8/3 = just under 3
2 x 0 = 0
32/5 = just over 6, x3 = just over 18

So order is 4, 1, 3, 2, 5

Hahaha ok so I got it totally wrong then! There's a reason I gave up maths after gcse!

16^½ = Square root of 16
4^-1 = ¼
8^⅓ = the cube root of 8
Last one is simplifying surds and there are YouTube videos for this particular one

DS needs to clearly explain to his teacher that he doesn't understand!

Missed 2⁰ sorry

They are all powers of 2, so you can rewrite them all as 2 to a power, raised to another power. Then using laws of indices, you multiply the powers. Then you can order them based on the magnitude of the powers.

You'll get the same answer, obv, but it's demonstrating knowledge of laws if indices, which is probably what they are after.

This is the sort of stuff that turns up in the non calculator paper. His teacher needs to see some working to show he has a clue what he is doing and not just that he can type stuff into a calculator.
Nag him gently to write down what he is thinking.

What do you mean by “in trouble”?
If he knows how to do it, but hasn’t bothered - then let him be in trouble, and let him get on with it tomorrow.
If he doesn’t know how to do it, he shouldn’t be trouble and should be telling his teacher than he needs more support.

Or is he just “in trouble” for not showing workings?

Does he understand the rules of indices?
It looks like he doesn’t (2 to power of 0 = 1, for example, not 2). Because he hasn’t shown workings, his teacher don’t know if he’s just totally guessing, or is missing just one step.

You’re got “to the power” there, and negative powers, and fractional powers. So different rules to understand. Putting them in order is secondary - that’s easy as long as you know how to work them out in the first place.

So that’s what you have to check with him first - how confident he is with each rule.

Eg 16(1/2) = (24)(1/2) = 22

@Badgerstmary

I agree with Shitandhills. 16 x 1/2 =8 4 x -1 = -4 8 x 1/3 = 8/3 = 2 2/3 2 x 0 = 0 32 x 3/5 = 96/5 = 19 1/5 Then order them.

It's powers of not multiplication so you're wrong

16(1/2)=(42)(1/2)=4(2*1/2)=4

32(3/5)=(25)(3/5)=2(5*3/5)=2^3=8
4^-1=1/4

8(1/3)=23(1/3)=2(3*1/3)=2

2^0=1

@Badgerstmary

I agree with Shitandhills. 16 x 1/2 =8 4 x -1 = -4 8 x 1/3 = 8/3 = 2 2/3 2 x 0 = 0 32 x 3/5 = 96/5 = 19 1/5 Then order them.

It's powers, not multiplication.

And as others have said, it's important to show the workings for each. Then if he gets one wrong he may still get marks even if the mistake messes up ordering the results.

@Badgerstmary

I agree with Shitandhills. 16 x 1/2 =8 4 x -1 = -4 8 x 1/3 = 8/3 = 2 2/3 2 x 0 = 0 32 x 3/5 = 96/5 = 19 1/5 Then order them.

That’s not what the calculations are though! This is all KS4 stuff, rules of indices.

Oops, just realised yep, I’m wrong. On my little phone the numbers all looked the same size. Yes, I realise they’re not. I know why I used to never work after 9pm.

This calculator is useful for the fractional ones, because you can check your answer AND it shows workings so you can work out where you went wrong.

But, don’t use it just to get an answer, you need to learn how to do it first!

www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/exponent-fractions.php

@Notagoodtime just looking at his wrong answer of 2 to the power of 0…
It’s a bit weird to get your head round if you’ve not done algebra for a while, but any number to the power of 0 is 1.
So, because it’s just a simple rule whatever the number, that’s the “easy” one of the set.
The fact that he didn’t get that one, makes me think he needs to start at the beginning - there’s stuff on BBC Bitesize and lots of other websites.
Of course it might also just be one of those d’oh moments! But I think asking him if he knows about power of 0 = 1 will flush out if he’s covered this or missed it.

A lot of wrong answers. Op ignore most - Worldwide21 is correct. These are indices that can be worked out without a calculator. A power to½ means square root, ⅓ is cube root. Anything to the power of 0 =1

Sorry to jump onto this thread but it's hit a nerve with me.

I have an 11 year old who sometimes asks me the odd maths homework question. It terrifies me. I have realised that I just cannot do any of it.

At school I was ok at maths, never a natural but was always in top set. I even had to do some engineering level maths at uni which I hated.

I feel so stupid in front of my child.
Not only can I not work out the answers, it's like my brain is just saying "I don't fucking care and I cannot focus on this shit"

Why am I so useless?
Anyone else like this?

Jesus Christ I got an A at GCSE maths and C at A level and I have no fucking clue how to answer this.

Just waiting for mine to grow up and I will have no idea how to help them. Seems much harder these days!

I feel so stupid in front of my child. Not only can I not work out the answers, it's like my brain is just saying "I don't fucking care and I cannot focus on this shit"

I understand but I think so much of this is you panicking. I reckon in real life you can multiply and divide numbers by 2. That’s all this is, with some notation. Don’t panic, keep calm!

@oxfordgreen

Sorry to jump onto this thread but it's hit a nerve with me.

I have an 11 year old who sometimes asks me the odd maths homework question. It terrifies me. I have realised that I just cannot do any of it.

At school I was ok at maths, never a natural but was always in top set. I even had to do some engineering level maths at uni which I hated.

I feel so stupid in front of my child.
Not only can I not work out the answers, it's like my brain is just saying "I don't fucking care and I cannot focus on this shit"

Why am I so useless?
Anyone else like this?

I know the feeling... I've got two maths A levels, had to do some quite hard maths in my chemistry degree and my work uses some. I've forgotten quite a lot of the stuff I don't still use. But I still have this lack of confidence if placed on the spot. And the feeling of not wanting to engage with anything that requires any working through if I don't have to. If it's work, I can, at my own pace, with no audience.

I’m quite tickled by those who got it wrong so (seemingly) confidently