Think back – how much did we hate math in high school, or were you one of the students that thought it was great? Either way, day after day, we use so much of what we learned in high school.
Without math, we would not have the internet, food, money, houses, roads, and advances in science.
No measuring, no building, no roads. Really? All of that comes from high school math.
And just what math did we learn in high school? And why are each of them important?
Let’s start with algebra, the study of real numbers that helps us solve problems quickly. The definition of algebra is the part of mathematics in which letters and other general symbols are used to represent numbers and quantities in formulae and equations.
Is high school math useful in everyday life?
Think of the many examples
- Catching a ball game
- Making an activity schedule
- doubling or halving a recipe
- Finding a tax liability
- Creating astrological calculations
- Technological development
- Household or business budgeting
Understanding these could teach you to be a math teacher, a stockbroker, a financial planner, or an accountant, among other professions.
Next HS math subject is geometry. Let’s look at the definition first – geometry is a branch of math that focuses on the measurement and relationship of lines, angles, surfaces, solids, and points. With geometry, you should be learning planes, constructions, measurement formulas, and formal proofs. An example of geometry is the calculation of a triangle’s angles. The best use of geometry in daily life is the construction of the building, dams, rivers, roads, temples, etc.
And these skills could lead you to computer graphics, being an artist, a scientist that is measuring orbits and planetary motions, or an interior designer. It could also lead to being an animator, a mathematics teacher, a fashion designer, a plumber, or a game developer.
Geometry helps us in deciding what materials to use, what design to make and what plays a vital role in the construction process itself. Using tools like the protractor, ruler, measuring tape are used in construction work, astronomy, for measurements, drawing, etc.
Geometric shapes. Yes, they are everywhere. Look around; almost everything is made up of both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) geometric shapes.
Let’s jump to trigonometry, which involves both algebra and geometry and being able to apply these concepts to circular and periodic functions. Trigonometry and its functions have an enormous impact on our daily life. For example, it is used in the satellite navigation system, for geography to measure the distance between landmarks, and in astronomy to measure the distance of stars
Trigonometry can be used to roof a house, to measure the incline of a roof and a roof’s height in buildings. It is used in the naval and aviation industries. It is used to create maps.
Trigonometry studies relationships between the sides and angles of triangles, and it spreads its applications into various fields such as engineers, crime scene investigators, architects, surveyors, astronauts, and physicists
Like most of nature, everything seems to follow patterns. These patterns are modeled by shapes such as triangles, circles, and ellipses, and abstract art. Let’s look at how different professions use Trig:
- Architecture/Construction: The Pythagorean Theorem aids in the construction of stable buildings, bridges, etc.
- Cartoonists: to proportion their heroes and villains.
- Clean Energy Engineers: I always wondered how they modeled the trajectory of air through an air farm
- Crime Scene Investigators: Investigators use trig to determine the entry and exit points of bullet wounds and the position of individuals involved in the crime.
- Digital Imaging: Digital imaging in terms of animation and any type of computer-generated image use trigonometric equations to model movements and behavior
- Firefighters: They use to try to determine where to position the truck relative to the fire to ensure the maximum amount of water douses the fire ensures minimal water waste and to determine the angle at which a building can be entered after structural damage that has occurred to ensure the safety of the firefighters and/or the victims.
- Music Theory: The evaluation of sound waves to allow for beautiful music.
- Oil Drilling: trajectories are calculated when drilling to ensure the maximum extraction of oil with minimal waste, which can be costly and raise the prices.
- Pilots: If you bring the plane in at too steep of an angle, you will crash. I sure hope all of my pilots took trig!
- Physicians: Ever broken a bone before? Want that boneset correctly? Yep, even Orthopedics, radiologists, and other doctors use elements of trigonometry for diagnosis and treatment.
- Park Rangers: forest health requires measuring heights of trees and other plant abundance in the area
- Timber Industry: TIMBER! Making the cut correctly, so the tree falls away from you and the equipment. Safety first.
The last HS math tends to be calculus which examines the series and sequences, the probability and limits, derivatives, and statistics.
It is used to review and improve the architecture of buildings but also such important infrastructures as bridges. If you look at Electrical Engineering, Calculus should be used to determine the exact length of power cable needed to connect two substations, even if they are miles away from each other.
A math tutor tends to use calculus often to understand the concepts of other areas of mathematics.
Calculus can be used to measure ad improve the safety of vehicles.
Credit card companies use calculus for calculating payments in and out
Space technology makes use of calculus concepts in various ways.
It can also tell us all about the motion of astronomical bodies, the movement of sound and light, weather patterns, electric and electronic circuits, and systems, just to name a few. The probability that it has been useful in the invention in a majority of the objects in your home.
Just a few of the professions that use Calculus in their job
Astronaut, Aerospace engineer, Mathematician, Animator, Chemical engineer, Environmental engineer, Mathematician, Electrical engineer, Operations research engineer, Aerospace engineer, and Software developer.
Calculus seems to be essential for our survival in our need to develop and understand climate or population growth models, the spread of diseases or mechanisms, to resolve conflicts or deal with economic and financial crises.
So, an answer to the question of is high school math necessary, we can see that almost everything we do, look at, live in, and fly with has some basis in the fundamentals of the many variations of math, so take those classes, pay attention and watch how math can shape your life.