[Blindmath] Basic Math

Tue Oct 11 22:14:51 UTC 2016

Hi. I understand everything you said, but I'm still not sure how to go 
about solving these problems.

On 10/11/2016 1:07 PM, Bill Dengler wrote:
> Okay, I'll explain some of this as best as I can. If you have 
> questions or something is unclear, feel free to ask and I'll try to help.
>
> In order to understand decimals, fractions and percents, you first 
> need to understand place value. Each digit of a number has a certain 
> value, depending on its position in the number. For example, the 
> number 11 is made of a ten and a one (10+1=11).
> The number twelve is made of a ten and 2 ones.
> 20 is made of two tens and zero ones (10+10+0=20).
> 101 is made of one 100, 0 tens and 1 one (100+0+1=101).
> 1,000 is made of 1 thousand, 0 hundreds, 0 tens and 0 ones 
> (1000+0+0+0=1000).
> This pattern continues for hundred thousands, millions, ten millions, etc.
> Each digit of a number in the decimal system, or base 10 (that's the 
> number system we normally use for counting) is based on the number 10 
> being multiplied by itself an infinite number of times (10 times 10 is 
> 100, 100 times 10 is 1,000, 1,000 times 10 is 10,000, etc).
>
> Fractions are more precise than whole numbers. They represent 
> quantities less than 1. The top number (or numerator) shows how many 
> parts you have, and the bottom number (or denominator) shows the 
> number of parts in the whole. For example, the fraction 1 over 2 is 
> one half. You have 1 part of the whole, which is made of two parts; if 
> you had both (2 over 2) you'd have exactly one whole. In the fraction 
> 1 over 4, you have one part out of a total of 4. In the fraction 3 
> over 5, you have 3 parts out of the total of 5, etc.
>
> Mixed numbers are, as their name implies, mixed; they have both a 
> whole part and a fractional part. For example, 1 and 1 over 4 has a 
> whole part, 1, and a fractional part, 1 over 4.
>
> Decimals are mixed numbers that use the place value system described 
> above for the denominator of their fractional part. The decimal point 
> separates the whole part from the fractional part. In a decimal, the 
> whole part can be (and often is) 0 or omitted; this means there is no 
> whole part and the number is simply a fraction. For example, the 
> decimal 0.5 is 5 over 10. The decimal 0.25 is 25 over 100. The decimal 
> .0001 is 1 over 10,000. The decimal 1.5 is 1 and 1 over 2.
>
> Percent literally means "for each 100." This means that they are 
> fractions where the denominator is always 100. For example, 50% is 
> simply the fraction 50 over 100. 25% is the fraction 25 over 100. 150% 
> is the fraction 150 over 100. .5% is the fraction .5 over 100, in 
> other words the fraction who's numerator is 5 over 10, and who's 
> denominator is 100.
>
> There is more than one way to represent the same fractional quantity. 
> For example, what's the difference between 1 over 2 and 5 over 10? Or 
> 1 over 2 and 4 over 8? Or 1 over 2 and 5,000 over 10,000? These 
> "equivalent fractions" need to be "simplified", or reduced to lowest 
> terms, for your final answer. This means the denominator must be the 
> smallest possible value it can be that is still an equivalent 
> fraction. For example, the fraction 25 over 100 (the decimal 0.25) 
> "simplifies" to 1 over 4.
>
> Hope this helps,
> Bill
>> On Oct 11, 2016, at 4:22 PM, Lanie Molinar via Blindmath 
>> <blindmath at nfbnet.org <mailto:blindmath at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
>>
>> I am using hard copy Braille on a Perkins, but I also have an abacus 
>> available, although I am not sure how to set these kinds of problems 
>> up on an abacus.
>>
>>
>> On 10/11/2016 11:15 AM, Lewicki, Maureen via Blindmath wrote:
>>> Tell us how you are answering: hard copy braille on a Perkins? Using 
>>> a calculator? using an abacus? Using a refreshable braille device?
>>>
>>> Maureen Murphy Lewicki
>>> Teacher of the Visually Impaired
>>> Bethlehem Central School District
>>> Bethlehem High School
>>> 700 Delaware Ave
>>> Delmar, NY 12054
>>> http://www.bethlehemschools.org
>>> Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over 
>>> again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a 
>>> purpose - not the one you began with perhaps, but one you'll be glad 
>>> to remember. Anne Sullivan
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Blindmath [mailto:blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
>>> Lanie Molinar via Blindmath
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 12:09 PM
>>> To: Blind Math <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: Lanie Molinar <laniemolinar91 at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: [Blindmath] Basic Math
>>> Importance: High
>>>
>>> Hi. I'm taking a basic math class online where I don't have an 
>>> accessible textbook available yet. Unfortunately, since it's been 
>>> several years since I've taken math like this and I have health 
>>> issues now that have made it very hard to remember how to do the 
>>> work, I'm really struggling with learning how to do it. I was 
>>> wondering if anyone might be able to give me tips on how to handle 
>>> problems like the ones I'm including below. I have a few friends who 
>>> are trying to help me, but they're sighted, and without the 
>>> textbook, I'm finding it difficult to understand what they're 
>>> telling me. They do these problems in a very visual way, so I know 
>>> they're having a hard time, too. Here are a few examples of problems 
>>> I'm working on.
>>>
>>> 1. 538.9*2892.07    2. 82*0.00000789
>>>
>>> The next few problems involve changing fractions into decimals.
>>>
>>> 3. 1/20  I know the answer to this one, but I couldn't tell you how I
>>> know it or show my work.    4. 4/9    5. 2/3
>>>
>>> These problems are division problems.
>>>
>>> 6. 434/8    7. 185/6    8. 689/14    9. 56.347/0.02    10. 553/6    11.
>>> 175.12/31
>>>
>>> The next problems involve changing fractions into percents.
>>>
>>> 12. 37/40    13. 27/25
>>>
>>> The instructions for the next few are to find the following.
>>>
>>> 14. Price: $75.37    Tax rate: 6%    Tax:
>>>
>>> 15. Attendees: 2,413    Percent men: 39%    Men:
>>>
>>> 16. Students: 15    Number of B‟s: 11    Percent of B‟s:
>>>
>>> Those are examples of the questions I'm having trouble with. I would 
>>> really appreciate any help learning how to do these. Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindmath mailing list
>>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>> for Blindmath:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/mlewicki%40bcsd.neric.org
>>> BlindMath Gems can be found at 
>>> <http://www.blindscience.org/blindmath-gems-home>
>>> ________________________________
>>>
>>> This electronic transmission contains CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION, 
>>> which may also be LEGALLY PRIVILEGED and which is intended only for 
>>> the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended 
>>> recipient of this transmission, or the employee or agent responsible 
>>> for the delivery of it to the intended recipient, you are hereby 
>>> notified that any dissemination or copying of this transmission is 
>>> prohibited. If you have received this transmission in error, please 
>>> notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this 
>>> transmission and any attachments. Thank you.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindmath mailing list
>>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
>>> for Blindmath:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/laniemolinar91%40gmail.com
>>> BlindMath Gems can be found at 
>>> <http://www.blindscience.org/blindmath-gems-home>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Blindmath mailing list
>> Blindmath at nfbnet.org <mailto:Blindmath at nfbnet.org>
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindmath_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> Blindmath:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/codeofdusk%40gmail.com 
>> <http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindmath_nfbnet.org/codeofdusk@gmail.com>
>> BlindMath Gems can be found at 
>> <http://www.blindscience.org/blindmath-gems-home>
>