This chapter covers:
- techniques for mental multiplication and division
- approximations of the number π
0.5 and 2
Multiplying by 0.5 and dividing by 2 give the same result.
Dividing by 0.5 and multiplying by 2 give the same result.
Notice
n is used as a placeholder for a generalised example. When solving specific equations, it is substituted with the necessary number.
Example 1
- 52 : 0.5 = 52 · 2 = 104
- 43 · 0.5 = 43 : 2 = 21.5
Drag the operations to their corresponding columns.
- 18 · 0.5
- 17 · 2
- 0.5 : 0.5
- 32 : 0.5
- 0.5 · 0.5
- 0.5 · 23
- 12 : 2
- 65 : 0.5
The answers to the operations are given below. Select the numbers among them that are not the answers to the given operations.
- 8.5
- 11.5
- 64
- 6
- 1
- 32.5
- 130
- 0.25
- 46
- 9
- 25
- 34
- 2 : 0.5
- 1 : 0.5
- 0.2 · 0.5
- 0.2 : 0.5
- 0.5 · 0.5
- 2 · 0.5
- 150 · 0.5
- 15 : 0.5
- 150 : 0.5
- 1.5 : 0.5
- 15 · 0.5
Divisiding by 25
Multiplying by 4 and then dividing by 100 gives the same result as dividing by 25.
Notice
n is a freely chosen number.
300 : 25 =
850 : 25 =
625 : 25 =
175 : 25 =
105 : 25 =
70 : 25 =
90 : 25 =
275 : 25 =
Practice and solve
We know that the number π is the quotient of the length of a circle and its diameter. The closest fraction to this value is
π ≈ ≈ 3.1428571... .
- If d = 3, then
C ≈ ≈ . - If d = 12, then
C ≈ ≈ . - If d = 50, then
C ≈ ≈ . - If d = 28, then
C ≈ ≈ . - If d = 41, then
C ≈ ≈ . - If d = 39, then
C ≈ ≈ .
How can you make sure? You can, for example, roll the coin over a ruler.
π ≈
Trees are companions to humanity. Their wood, roots and leaves are used around the world. As long as we plant seeds and care for them, and not take trees that are essential to their ecosystem (such as those offering shelter to animals), we can continue to have a respectful relationship with trees. One example of this is waiting for a tree to be large enough to yield much wood, and old enough to have contributed much to their ecosystem.
- A mature pine has a diameter of 28 cm and a circumference of cm.
- A mature black poplar has a diameter of 182 cm and a circumference of cm.
- A pine tree is ready to harvest when their diameter is the longer side of a sheet of paper. Their girth is then around cm (rounded up to a whole number).
- The oak tree is ready to harvest when they are
- Birch is ready to harvest when they are
- The fir tree ready to harvest when they are
- The alder is ready to harvest when they are
- The pine tree is ready to harvest when they are
- The hanging alder is ready to harvest when they are