The Most Important Math Concept You Will Ever Learn
Improve your confidence with using Dimensional Analysis for converting units, a central mathematical concept for science, engineering, technology, and everyday life.
Scott Beaver
Average rating:
4.7
Number of reviews:(368)
What's included
2 live meetings
1 hrs 50 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
Students will learn how to implement Dimensional Analysis, a mathematical technique used to convert units. Students will learn about using Metric, English, and other "conversion factors." We will discuss a general method that always works for converting any units, using conversion factors that are widely available on the internet. Students will learn to perform simple technical research using the internet. Importantly, students will also learn a way to "gut check" whether their calculations seem reasonable or not, so that they can gain self confidence in their quantitative abilities. Dimensional analysis is a central concept to all fields of science, engineering, and technology.
The class will be held in two sessions. The first session will contain a lecture, group discussion, and examples. Students will be assigned a homework to complete before the second session. In the second session, we will review the homework, make any corrections, answer questions, and assess the level of student learning with a final problem.
Upon completing the class, students will be able to answer the following types of questions:
How many centimeters (or microns, or nanometers) tall am I?
How many 2-liter soda bottles could I fill with 3 gallon-size jugs of water?
Is 100 kilometers-per-hour fast? How many miles-per-hour is that??
How many barrels (bbls) in a hogshead (Hhd) of cheese? Are those even real units???
No background in science is necessary. Students should know as background knowledge 1) how to look up information on the internet, and 2) use a calculator to multiply and/or divide several numbers.Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined December, 2017
4.7
368reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Are you interested to learn more about science? I create fun courses and experiments related to chemistry. I am patient and tuned in to student needs, and I have a teaching style that connects well with K-12 learners. I ensure that every student takes away something meaningful from each of my Outschool courses. I help learners foster a sense of self confidence, by relating science to everyday things that they already know. I'm a homeschool teacher and community college professor.
Learn more about my teaching style and philosophy on the outschool blog:
https://blog.outschool.com/this-former-college-professor-helps-kids-fall-in-love-with-science/
Have a great day!Reviews
Live Group Class
$25
for 2 classes1x per week, 2 weeks
55 min
Completed by 18 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-17
3-9 learners per class
