Example: FINDING A NUMBER WHEN A

A small engine rated at 12 horsepower is found to be PERCENTAGE OF IT IS KNOWN

delivering only 10.75 horsepower. Example:

ARITHMETIC
Eighty ohms represents 52% of a microphone's total
What is the motor efficiency expressed as a percent? resistance. Find the total resistance of this microphone.

Solution: Solution:
The engine is delivering 10.75 out of a possible 12. It is a standard practice in Mathematics to let x
represent an unknown quantity.
Write this as a fraction i.e. 10.75 and multiply by 100.
12
We know that 52% of x is 80, so we write this as:
10.75 × 100 1075 89.58 52 × x 80
= = =
12 12 100

Therefore, the motor efficiency is 89.58%. Multiple both sides of this equation by 100 and
divide both sides by 52 to get:
x = 80 × 100
52

Finally:
x = 8 000 = 153.846 ohms
52

POWERS AND INDICES

The power (or exponent) of a number is a shorthand When a number has a power of 3, it is commonly
method of indicating how many times a number, called referred to as cubed. For example, 73 is read as "seven
the base, is multiplied by itself. Powers and exponents are cubed" or "seven to the third power." To remember
also known as indices. For example, 34 means "3 to the this, think about how a cube has three dimensions:
power of 4." That is, 3 multiplied by itself 4 times. The 3 length, width, and depth.
is the base and 4 is the power.
Any non-zero number raised to the zero power always equals 1.
Example:
2³ = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8 Example:

Read "two to the third power equals 8." 7⁰ = 1, 181⁰ = 1, (-24)⁰ = 1

105 = 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 = 100 000 NEGATIVE POWERS

A number with a negative power equals its reciprocal
Read "ten to the fifth power equals 100 000." with the same power made positive.

SQUARES AND CUBES Example:

When a number has a power of 2, it is commonly The number 2-3 is read as "2 to the negative 3rd
referred to as squared. For example, 72 is read as "seven power," and is calculated by:
squared" or "seven to the second power." To remember
this, think about how a square has two dimensions: 1 1 1
2-3 = 23 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 8
length and width.

Module 01 - Mathematics 1.21

When using a calculator to raise a negative number to POWERS OF TEN
a power, always place parentheses around the negative Because we use the decimal system of numbers, powers
number (before raising it to a power) so that the entire of ten are frequently seen in everyday applications. For
number gets raised to the power. example, scientific notation uses powers of ten. Also,
many aircraft drawings are scaled to powers of ten.
LAW OF EXPONENTS Figure 1-10 gives more information on the powers of
When multiplying numbers with powers, the powers can ten and their values.
be added as long as the bases are the same.

Example: POWERS
OF TEN EXPANSION VALUE

POSITIVE EXPONENTS

32 × 3⁴ = (3 × 3) × (3 × 3 × 3 × 3) = 106 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 1 000 000

105 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 100 000
3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 3⁶ 104 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 10 000
or, 32 × 3⁴ = 3⁽² + ⁴⁾ = 3⁶ 103 10 × 10 × 10 1 000
102 10 × 10 100
101 10 10
When dividing numbers with powers, the powers can be 100 1
subtracted as long as the bases are the same. NEGATIVE EXPONENTS
10-1 1/10 1/10 = 0.1
10-2
Example: 10-3
1/(10 × 10
1/(10 × 10 × 10
1/100 = 0.01
1/1 000 = 0.001
10-4 1/(10 × 10 × 10 × 10 1/10 000 = 0.0001
10 × 10 × 10 × 10 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 10-5 1/(10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10) 1/100 000 = 0.00001
10⁴ ÷ 10 =
2
10 × 10 = 10 × 10 = 10 × 10 = 10 2
10-6 1/(10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10) 1/1 000 000 = 0.000001

or 10⁴ ÷ 10 2 = 104 2 = 10 2 Figure 1-10. Powers of ten.

ROOTS

A root is a number that when multiplied by itself a To find the square root of a number that is not a perfect
specified number of times will produce a given number. square, use either a calculator or the estimation method.
A longhand method does exist for finding square roots,
The two most common roots are the square root and but with the advent of calculators and because of its
the cube root. For more examples of roots, see the lengthy explanation, it is not included in this module.
chart in Figure 1-11.
The estimation method uses the knowledge of perfect
SQUARE ROOTS squares to approximate the square root of a number.
The square root of 25, written as 25 , equals 5. That
is, when the number 5 is squared (multiplied by itself), Example:
it produces the number 25. The symbol is called Find the square root of 31. Since 31 falls between
a radical sign. Finding the square root of a number the two perfect roots 25 and 36, we know that 31
is the most common application of roots. Numbers must be between 25 and 36 . Therefore, 31 must
whose square roots are whole numbers are called perfect be greater than 5 and less than 6 because 25 = 5
squares. The first ten perfect squares are: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, and 36 = 6. If you estimate the square root of 31 at
36, 49, 64, 81, and 100. The square root of each of these 5.5, you are close to the correct answer. The square
numbers is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, respectively. root of 31 is actually 5.568.

Examples:
36 = 6 and 81 = 9

1.22 Module 01 - Mathematics

 NUMBER SQUARE CUBE SQUARE ROOT CUBE ROOT CIRCUMFERENCE AREA
Square Root Cube Root Circumference of a Circle Area of a Circle
Number (N) N Squared (N2) N Cubed (N3)
of N ( N ) of N ( N )
3
with Diameter = N with Diameter = N

ARITHMETIC
1 1 1 1.000 1.000 3.142 0.785
2 4 8 1.414 1.260 6.283 3.142
3 9 27 1.732 1.442 9.425 7.069
4 16 64 2.000 1.587 12.566 12.566
5 25 125 2.236 1.710 15.708 19.635
6 36 216 2.449 1.817 18.850 28.274
7 49 343 2.646 1.913 21.991 38.484
8 64 512 2.828 2.000 25.133 50.265
9 81 729 3.000 2.080 28.274 63.617
10 100 1,000 3.162 2.154 31.416 78.540
11 121 1,331 3.317 2.224 34.558 95.033
12 144 1,728 3.464 2.289 37.699 113.01
13 169 2,197 3.606 2.351 40.841 132.73
14 196 2,744 3.742 2.410 43.982 153.94
15 225 3,375 3.873 2.466 47.124 176.71
16 256 4,096 4.000 2.520 50.265 201.06
17 289 4,913 4.123 2.571 53.407 226.98
18 324 5,832 4.243 2.621 56.549 254.47
19 361 6,859 4.359 2.668 59.690 283.53
20 400 8,000 4.472 2.714 62.832 314.16
21 441 9,261 4.583 2.759 65.973 346.36
22 484 10,648 4.690 2.802 69.115 380.13
23 529 12,167 4.796 2.844 72.257 415.48
24 576 13,824 4.899 2.885 75.398 452.39
25 625 15,625 5.000 2.924 78.540 490.87
26 676 17,576 5.099 2.963 81.681 530.93
27 729 19,683 5.196 3.000 84.823 572.55
28 784 21,952 5.292 3.037 87.965 615.75
29 841 24,389 5.385 3.072 91.106 660.52
30 900 27,000 5.477 3.107 94.248 706.86
31 961 29,791 5.568 3.141 97.389 754.77
32 1,024 32,768 5.657 3.175 100.531 804.25
33 1,089 35,937 5.745 3.208 103.672 855.30
34 1,156 39,304 5.831 3.240 106.814 907.92
35 1,225 42,875 5.916 3.271 109.956 962.11
36 1,296 46,656 6.000 3.302 113.097 1017.88
37 1,369 50,653 6.083 3.332 116.239 1075.21
38 1,444 54,872 6.164 3.362 119.380 1134.11
39 1,521 59,319 6.245 3.391 122.522 1194.59
40 1,600 64,000 6.325 3.420 125.664 1256.64
41 1,681 68,921 6.403 3.448 128.805 1320.25
42 1,764 74,088 6.481 3.476 131.947 1385.44
43 1,849 79,507 6.557 3.503 135.088 1452.20
44 1,936 85,184 6.633 3.530 138.230 1520.53
45 2,025 91,125 6.708 3.557 141.372 1590.43
46 2,116 97,336 6.782 3.583 144.513 1661.90
47 2,209 103,823 6.856 3.609 147.655 1734.94
48 2,304 110,592 6.928 3.634 150.796 1809.56
49 2,401 117,649 7.000 3.659 153.938 1885.74
50 2,500 125,000 7.071 3.684 157.080 1963.49

Figure 1-11. Functions of numbers.

Module 01 - Mathematics 1.23

CUBE ROOTS FRACTIONAL INDICIES
3
The cube root of 125, written as 125 , equals 5. That Another way to write a root is to use a fraction as the
is, when the number 5 is cubed (5 × 5 × 5), it produces index (or exponent) instead of the radical sign. The
the number 125. It is common to confuse the "cube" square root of a number is written with a 1⁄2 as the
of a number with the "cube root" of a number. For exponent instead of a radical sign. The cube root of
clarification, the cube of 27 = 273 = 27 × 27 × 27 = a number is written with an exponent of 1⁄3 and the
3
19 683. However, the cube root of 27 = 27 = 3. fourth root with an exponent of 1⁄4 and so on.

Examples:

31 = 311⁄2 125 = 1251⁄3 16 = 161⁄4

3 4

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING NOTATION

Scientific notation is used as a type of shorthand to CONVERTING NUMBERS FROM

express very large or very small numbers. It is a way to STANDARD NOTATION TO SCIENTIFIC
write numbers so that they do not take up as much space OR ENGINEERING NOTATION
on the page. The format of a number written in scientific Note that when any number is written without a
notation has two parts. The first part is a number greater decimal point, it is implied that the decimal point is to
than or equal to 1 and less than 10 (for example, 2.35). the right of the last digit.
The second part is a power of 10 (for example, 106). The
number 2 350 000 is expressed in scientific notation To change the format of a number from standard
as 2.35 × 106. It is important that the decimal point is notation to scientific notation, move the decimal point
always placed to the right of the first digit. to the position between the first and the second digits.
Count the number of places the decimal point is moved.
Notice that very large numbers always have a positive Including the new position of the decimal point, write
power of 10 and very small numbers always have a the number without the string of zero place holders.
negative power of 10. Then write × 10 and raise 10 to the power equal to the
number of places the decimal point was moved. If the
Example: decimal is moved to the left such as when working with
The velocity of the speed of light is over 186 000 000 a large number, the power is positive. If the decimal
mph. This can be expressed as 1.86 × 10 8 mph point is moved to the right such as when working with
in scientific notation. The mass of an electron is a small number, the power is negative.
approximately:
0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 911 grams. Example 1:
Convert 1 244 000 000 000 to scientific notation.
This can be expressed in scientific notation as: The decimal point, although not written, is located
9.11 × 10 -28 grams. to the right of the last zero. It must be moved to the
left 12 places to be positioned between the first and
Engineering notation is a version of scientific the second digit. Writing the number without the
notation in which the exponent of ten must string of zeros, we now have 1.244. Then write × 1012
be divisible by three (i.e., they are powers of because the decimal point was moved 12 places to
a thousand, but written as, for example, 106 the left. Thus, 1 244 000 000 in standard notation
instead of 100 02). becomes 1.244 × 1012 in scientific notation.

1.24 Module 01 - Mathematics