Go Math!

Hey everyone!
In Math, we have been learning about fractions, decimals, and percents as I have mentioned in past my posts. But, how does all this come into play in our real lives? Well, it is actually very relevant, especially decimals and percents.

For example, let's say we're going shopping. We are at the CD store, and there are two CDs we are deciding between, let's say the David Cook CD and the David Archuleta CD. The DC CD is originally $25, but you get 15% off. The DA CD is originally $30, but you get 25% off. Which one is cheaper?
Well, it would look like the David Archuleta CD is cheaper, as you get 10% more off. But let's see how that turns out when you calculate it.
For the DC CD:
15% is equal to 0.15. So when you multiply $25 by 0.15 we should get what 15% of $25 is. That comes out to $3.75. Then we subtract $3.75 from $25 to get $21.25, our new price.
For the DA CD:
25% is equal to 0.25. So when you multiply $30 by 0.25 we should get what 25% of $30 is. That comes out to $7.50. Then we subtract $7.50 from $30 to get $22.50, our new price.
We just figured out that the DC CD is cheaper than the DA CD by $1.25.
So then what CD do we buy? The David Archuleta one, obviously! David Cook isn't even worth $21.25. ;-)

Percents and decimals also come in handy when calculating things such as tax on an item, how much tip to give you server at a restaurant, and many more. So, this was a very useful unit to learn, as it will definitely become relevant in our lives.

Until next Wednesday,
-K