Section 1.1: What is Mathematics?
Q1. Can you think of other examples where mathematics helps us in our everyday lives?
Answer: Mathematics is involved in almost every activity:
- Shopping: Calculating total costs, discounts, and change.
- Cooking: Measuring ingredients (fractions/ratios) and setting timers.
- Travel: Estimating time of arrival based on speed and distance.
- Construction: Designing layouts for homes and calculating areas for painting or flooring.
Q2. How has mathematics helped propel humanity forward?
Answer: Mathematics provides the framework for scientific and technological advancement:
- Space Exploration: Calculating trajectories for rockets to reach the Moon and Mars.
- Medicine: Analyzing patterns in genomes to cure diseases.
- Technology: Algorithms that run computers, smartphones, and the internet.
- Engineering: Designing safe bridges, airplanes, and skyscrapers.