to move the turkey from the freezer to the fridge. You set his alarm on Monday night and settle in for the last good night’s sleep of the week.
Time on Your Side
Why is it so difficult to subtract and add time? The answer is simple. While the decimal system of numbers is based on 10s (it is also known to math geeks as a base-10 system), time is based on 60s. In other words, there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour.
But it gets even worse. The number of hours in a day is 24, which is neither base-10 nor base-60.
There is an easy fix, though. Instead of thinking of minutes, hours, and days as numbers, imagine them on a clock face. If you think of the clock face as a circle divided into 12 wedges, you can visually subtract and add time without much effort.
Take it one step further, and it’s even easier. The diameter of the circle splits it into two halves—six hours on one side and six hours on the other side. That means that numbers directly across from each other on the clock are exactly six hours apart.
Because 9 is across from 3, 9:00 P.M. is six hours later than 3:00 P.M. And because 11 is across from 5, 11:00 A.M. is six hours before 5:00 A.M.
Once you can see the six-hour increments, it’s not too difficult to do more challenging subtraction and addition problems. For example, 8:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. is 6 hours plus 1 hour, or 7 hours.
On the Side
There’s no need to reinvent the Thanksgiving dinner. If you’re not sure how much to buy for your dinner, consider these guidelines:
• A 1-pound bag of carrots makes 4 to 5 servings.
• A 12-ounce package of fresh cranberries makes about 2¼ cups of sauce.
• A serving of gravy is about 1∕3 cup.
• 1½ pounds of fresh green beans makes 6 to 8 servings.
• A 5-pound bag of potatoes makes 10 to 12 servings.
• A 14-ounce bag of stuffing makes about 11 servings.
And then there’s the almighty turkey. If you want leftovers, shoot for 1½ pounds per person. (Remember that the total weight includes bones, so you won’t be serving that much to everyone.) To do the math, multiply the number of guests by 1.5.
8 people • 1.5 pounds = 12-pound turkey
10 people • 1.5 pounds = 15-pound turkey
12 people • 1.5 pounds = 18-pound turkey
14 people • 1.5 pounds = 21-pound turkey
Is it just you and your cat? Why not order Chinese?
How Variables Are Like Pets (No, Really!)
You can think of variables as the cats and dogs of the math world. Independent variables are the cats. They can get along just fine without others; they just need to have fresh bowls of water and food and a clean litter box.
But dependent variables are more like man’s best friend. Except for gnawing on your grandmother’s sofa, dogs can’t do much of anything on their own. Hunting for food? Nope. Cleaning up after themselves? No way. Surviving the loneliness when you leave the room for even a moment? Heaven forbid! In short, their happiness depends on you, you, you.
Dependent variables are the same way. Take the turkey example. The thawing time
depends on
the weight of the turkey. A larger turkey takes longer to thaw. A smaller turkey takes less time to thaw. So the time it takes a turkey to thaw is a dependent variable.
But the weight of the turkey is independent. You can buy a bird of whatever size you want. Be a rebel! Go for individual Cornish game hens. Or get a huge turkey so you can have plenty of leftovers. Think like your cat and do what makes you happy—independent of the whims and wishes of your friends and family.
But whatever you do, save some for the dog. Remember, she depends on you.
Too Darned Hot
It’s the chance of her culinary lifetime. Gina has been invited to Paris to compete in a worldwide bake-off. She’s booked her flight, packed her supplies, and carefully adjusted her pecan-surprise toffee recipe to European-friendly metric units. To ensure absolute freshness, she will shell the pecans just hours before she’s expected
Time on Your Side
Why is it so difficult to subtract and add time? The answer is simple. While the decimal system of numbers is based on 10s (it is also known to math geeks as a base-10 system), time is based on 60s. In other words, there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour.
But it gets even worse. The number of hours in a day is 24, which is neither base-10 nor base-60.
There is an easy fix, though. Instead of thinking of minutes, hours, and days as numbers, imagine them on a clock face. If you think of the clock face as a circle divided into 12 wedges, you can visually subtract and add time without much effort.
Take it one step further, and it’s even easier. The diameter of the circle splits it into two halves—six hours on one side and six hours on the other side. That means that numbers directly across from each other on the clock are exactly six hours apart.
Because 9 is across from 3, 9:00 P.M. is six hours later than 3:00 P.M. And because 11 is across from 5, 11:00 A.M. is six hours before 5:00 A.M.
Once you can see the six-hour increments, it’s not too difficult to do more challenging subtraction and addition problems. For example, 8:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M. is 6 hours plus 1 hour, or 7 hours.
On the Side
There’s no need to reinvent the Thanksgiving dinner. If you’re not sure how much to buy for your dinner, consider these guidelines:
• A 1-pound bag of carrots makes 4 to 5 servings.
• A 12-ounce package of fresh cranberries makes about 2¼ cups of sauce.
• A serving of gravy is about 1∕3 cup.
• 1½ pounds of fresh green beans makes 6 to 8 servings.
• A 5-pound bag of potatoes makes 10 to 12 servings.
• A 14-ounce bag of stuffing makes about 11 servings.
And then there’s the almighty turkey. If you want leftovers, shoot for 1½ pounds per person. (Remember that the total weight includes bones, so you won’t be serving that much to everyone.) To do the math, multiply the number of guests by 1.5.
8 people • 1.5 pounds = 12-pound turkey
10 people • 1.5 pounds = 15-pound turkey
12 people • 1.5 pounds = 18-pound turkey
14 people • 1.5 pounds = 21-pound turkey
Is it just you and your cat? Why not order Chinese?
How Variables Are Like Pets (No, Really!)
You can think of variables as the cats and dogs of the math world. Independent variables are the cats. They can get along just fine without others; they just need to have fresh bowls of water and food and a clean litter box.
But dependent variables are more like man’s best friend. Except for gnawing on your grandmother’s sofa, dogs can’t do much of anything on their own. Hunting for food? Nope. Cleaning up after themselves? No way. Surviving the loneliness when you leave the room for even a moment? Heaven forbid! In short, their happiness depends on you, you, you.
Dependent variables are the same way. Take the turkey example. The thawing time
depends on
the weight of the turkey. A larger turkey takes longer to thaw. A smaller turkey takes less time to thaw. So the time it takes a turkey to thaw is a dependent variable.
But the weight of the turkey is independent. You can buy a bird of whatever size you want. Be a rebel! Go for individual Cornish game hens. Or get a huge turkey so you can have plenty of leftovers. Think like your cat and do what makes you happy—independent of the whims and wishes of your friends and family.
But whatever you do, save some for the dog. Remember, she depends on you.
Too Darned Hot
It’s the chance of her culinary lifetime. Gina has been invited to Paris to compete in a worldwide bake-off. She’s booked her flight, packed her supplies, and carefully adjusted her pecan-surprise toffee recipe to European-friendly metric units. To ensure absolute freshness, she will shell the pecans just hours before she’s expected
Similar Books
