Lazymaths Blog

A lot of mathematics exams nowadays, e.g. GMAT, SAT, etc, are either completely multiple choice or they have multiple-choice components. These exams required students to solve a stipulated large number of questions within a small amount of time. Students break a lot of sweat over solving these questions, by trying to solve them completely like other questions, and not utilizing the information that is in front of them. 

One of the basic difference between multiple-choice questions and other questions is that for multiple-choice ones you have to just figure out the answer, and for achieving this objective, you need not necessarily solve the question completely, as the answer is right in front of you, among the 4-5 choices that have been provided.

Ball-park, or possible range strategy, is one such very effective method to quickly solve a multiple-choice question in arithmetic. In order to use it, you first make a quick guess of what the possible range of your answer will be. Once, you have made such a guess, you can easily eliminate all the other answers, which don’t fall in that range, and so can be ruled out as a choice for the possible answer. You are now left with just 1 or 2 choices, which you can just plug-in to confirm which one is the correct answer.    

This strategy doesn’t work well if all the choices are in the possible range, and it is particularly useful when the answers are scattered over a large range, as in the following example:

If 0.303z = 2,727, then z =
a) 9,000
b) 900
c) 90
d) 9
e) 0.9

We can notice that the range of answers is too large, so we can use ball parking to solve this question. .303 is very close to 1/3, which means 1/3 of z = 2,727, then what answer could be possibly correct. You don’t even have to do the math. 2,727 is about 1/3 of 9,000; therefore, the answer must be 9,000, according to the Ballpark Strategy (note that there are no other answers even in the 9,000 range.

If you don’t use the ballpark strategy, you could multiply both sides by 1000 to eliminate the decimal points, and then divide 2,727,000 by 303 and get the same answer, although after spending much more time.

Another important use of this strategy is to double-check your answer.  Once you have solved a multiple-choice arithmetic question, you should confirm whether the answer lies in the ballpark of what the answer could be.

So, invest sometime in learning and practicing to use ball-parking. This will allow you to solve the arithmetic questions much faster and will save you precious time, enabling you to score much higher.

LazyMaths.com focuses on this strategy and has hundreds of examples to show how and where one can use ballparking. Visit the Don’t Solve section of the site to know more about it and check out some free examples.

This post is part of LazyMaths’ Math website review series. Dedicated purely to help math students, the review highlights tangible learning that the website offers to its visitors and users. If you would like to have your website considered for review, drop us an email – contact(at)lazymaths(dot)com.

Review in a Tweet
Comprehensive set of interactive math lessons, with unlimited practice

About the website
AAA math features a comprehensive set of interactive math lessons, categorized well in terms of levels (Kindergarten through Eighth) or according to topics, like Addition, Algebra, Counting, Decimals, etc. This allows the user to use the site for class related work, as well as reviewing or learning any particular topic that he or she needs.

The most striking part of the website is the focus on interactivity.  Fully interactive lessons enable illustration of key concepts through visual animation, reinforcement of important points through challenging fun math games, and prevention of learning of wrong ways of solving through immediate feedback. Also, interactivity engages the students, and makes learning math a fun activity.

Moreover, availability of unlimited practice questions allows the students to try out enough questions till they feel confident in a non-threatening environment. This has a huge impact on their self-esteem and confidence.
The content is available in two languages “English” as well as “Spanish”, allowing for a wider reach. Also, all the website content along with some additional stuff is available on a CD version. The CD version is completely advertisement free. It helps the students in avoiding distractions, and focus completely on learning.

What’s on the website?
AAAmath offers the following:
• A wide range (Kindergarten through Eighth) of lessons
• Unlimited practice questions on each topic
• Math Games
• Immediate feedback to the students
• Links to other mathematics resources

What’s the best part about this website?
No registration is required, and the site is very well structured, making navigation intuitive.

Any $$$?
Only if you buy the CD version – ranges from $24.95 to $240.95 depending on Home, Classroom or School editions

Review Disclaimer: This is an independent review of the given site. It only reflects the opinion of our site reviewer(s). Views and opinions expressed may not be representative of the site or its owners or its users and visitors. LazyMaths.com and its reviewer(s) cannot be held responsible for any damage caused to hardware or any other problem caused by visiting this site or misuse of this information. Any errors or omissions should be brought to our attention by contacting the site administrator.

Learning math on Twitter? Is this just a thought, a dream or mere wishful thinking? Not anymore!

LazyMaths.com has been sharing Free Speed Math shortcuts with its Twitter followers since the beginning of this year. Yes, One Free Shortcut a Day. Could it get better than this?

This has been so popular with our followers that they have been wanting for more! So, we plan to now offer something else for free too! More Math on Twitter!!

Starting June 15, we plan to offer one free Smart Math technique for our Twitter followers. If you are taking the GMAT, GRE, SAT, CAT, CET or any multiple choice based Math tests, this is an absolute must for you. All Smart Math techniques are in the Don’t Solve section of LazyMaths. The techniques are based on concepts of approximation, elimination and reverse substitution. Not only does using these techniques, save a ton of time to get to the answer, but it also helps in avoiding silly mistakes.

The Don’t Solve section contains problems in areas of Algebra, Percentages, Average, Ratio Proportion, Time, Speed & Distance, etc. Check out free samples here.

Eager to learn a new kind of Math right now? Go ahead, sign up with LazyMaths.com and select your choice of membership. We guarantee that you would not regret.

While we publish free speed math shortcuts and free smart math techniques, we also publish math puzzles, downloadable math learning resources like Number classification. All of these are available to our Twitter followers as well as on our blog – Zzzlog.

In short, learn math the web 2.0 way – right on Twitter! Simply follow LazyMaths on Twitter and become a pro in Twitter Math!!

This post is part of LazyMaths’ Math website review series. Dedicated purely to help math students, the review highlights tangible learning that the website offers to its visitors and users. If you would like to have your website considered for review, drop us an email - contact(at)lazymaths(dot)com.

Mathkinz.com – Rule the World (of Math)

Review in a Tweet –
By students for students – Download Math practice sheets for free from Mathkinz.com

About the website –
Mathkinz is a unique site that’s entirely run and managed by kids. Yup, school kids of grades 4 through 8. They develop the content, in this case worksheets, test material, etc. and host it too!

The website was started by Nirlesh Jain, a father that takes keen interest in his kids’ education. While teaching his kids, he came up with the idea. After speaking to his friends and family, he gathered all the neighboring kids and encouraged them to start developing math content. And in just a few months, Mathkinz.com was born. To keep the interests of kids alive, he offers Mathkinz points for the content they develop. This encourages them to keep developing more content and also build up a competitive spirit amongst them.

Mathkinz also conducts Math competitions in the central New Jersey area to encourage local students to develop better math skills.

What’s on the website?
Mathkinz offers the following:
• An online Math Quiz (By Grades – 1 through 8 – US Standards)
• Math Practice sheets (By Grades – 1 through 8 & By Subjects )
• Math Jokes
• Math Games
• Math Resources (Other math websites links)
• Math News
• Math Forum (for parents to network, ask questions, provide suggestions, etc.)

What’s the best part about this website?
You don’t have to register or sign up. Just visit the site and start printing your Math worksheets at home for your kids!

Any $$$?
Mathkinz is free, yes really!!

Review Disclaimer: This is an independent review of the given site. It only reflects the opinion of our site reviewer(s). Views and opinions expressed may not be representative of the site or its owners or its users and visitors. LazyMaths.com and its reviewer(s) cannot be held responsible for any damage caused to hardware or any other problem caused by visiting this site or misuse of this information. Any errors or omissions should be brought to our attention by contacting the site administrator.

If you watched the movie – “Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay”, Kumar is proposing his Lady love with a funky Math poem.

The poem was originally written by Dave Fienberg and titled – “The Square Root of 3″

Here it goes -
I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

… a preety mathematical way to propose someone!!

BTW, for those of you who are interested, here’s a nice compilation of all Math references in Movies – http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/mathmovies/index.html After all, even Hollywood can’t live without Math!!