"Only 18 percent of American adults can calculate how much a carpet
will cost if they know the size of the room and the per yard price of
the carpet, according to a federal survey." --New York Times, 7 December 2013
---
My room is 13'x10' but there is a 4'x4' section near the door I do not
want covered. Carpet is $12.50 per square yard. How much will it cost
to carpet?
?
I can do it. What's the big whoop??
.
"Only 18 percent of American adults can calculate how much a carpet
will cost if they know the size of the room and the per yard price of
the carpet, according to a federal survey." --New York Times, 7 December 2013---
My room is 13'x10' but there is a 4'x4' section near the door I do not
want covered. Carpet is $12.50 per square yard. How much will it cost
to carpet??
I can do it. What's the big whoop??
.
Probably not noticing that half the problem is in square feet not square yards and the conversion between them.
9 square feet per square yard. ;)
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is only rekindling my hatred for math.
This is only rekindling my hatred for math.
But please, please, please don't hate Bubble Sort?
clc
clear all
'''INPUTS
'''
'''The vector of numbers
disp ('INPUTS')
disp('Input the vector of numbers')
A=[18 7 6 15 4 13];
disp(A)
'''INPUTS
'''Input the vector of numbers
''' 18 7 6 15 4 13
'''SOLUTION
'''
'''Number of entries, n
n=length(A);
% making (n-1) passes
for j=1:1:n-1
... % comparing each number with the next and swapping
... for i=1:1:n-1
... if A(i)>A(i+1);
... ... % temp is a variable where the numbers are kept
... ... % temporarily for the switch
... ... temp=A(i);
... ... A(i)=A(i+1);
... ... A(i+1)=temp;
... end
... end
end
OUTPUT
disp(' ')
disp ('OUTPUT')
disp ('The ascending matrix is')
disp(A)
'''OUTPUT
'''The ascending matrix is
''' 4 6 7 13 15 18
This is only rekindling my hatred for math.But please, please, please don't hate Bubble Sort?
** spoiler omitted **
Bubble Sort is an evil abomination.
I've seen it done in actual production code.
Microsoft?
.
This is only rekindling my hatred for math.
I'm in the midst of doing two semesters of math to qualify for the math class I actually need to meet my B.F.A. core requirements.
So yeah...right there witcha'.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As a former math professor, I'm not surprised at all, because they're taking a fairly tricky problem (converting square feet to square yards) and trying to trivialize it by implying that Americans can't figure out total cost from area and price per unit area (a simple problem).
Even engineers make stupid unit errors. Anyone remember the Mars Orbiter? Billions of dollars lost because one team was using metric and the other English measurements?
I spent a HUGE amount of time teaching my classes, "ALWAYS get the units the same before doing anything else!", and it's a surprisingly difficult concept. My students always wanted to do all the math first so they could just apply the unit conversion at the end because it's "easier" and "faster". Even though it's wrong. The notion that it's wrong is HARD.
So the suggestion that an American couldn't calculate the before-tax price of a 9-square-yard carpet at $12.50 per square yard is ridiculous. The notion that an American can't calculate the before-tax price of an 81-square-foot carpet at $12.50 per square yard is absolutely reasonable: The person looking at the quiz is going to see "square units" and "price per square units" and multiply without checking the units. Was there any penalty for being wrong? Any reward for being right? Or was it just a man-on-the-street quiz people were taking for fun?
I suspect many other cultures (especially western European) would get similarly poor results on such a "trick" question.
.
Hurray for Public School !!
.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
As a former math professor, I'm not surprised at all, because they're taking a fairly tricky problem (converting square feet to square yards) and trying to trivialize it by implying that Americans can't figure out total cost from area and price per unit area (a simple problem).
Even engineers make stupid unit errors. Anyone remember the Mars Orbiter? Billions of dollars lost because one team was using metric and the other English measurements?
I spent a HUGE amount of time teaching my classes, "ALWAYS get the units the same before doing anything else!", and it's a surprisingly difficult concept. My students always wanted to do all the math first so they could just apply the unit conversion at the end because it's "easier" and "faster". Even though it's wrong. The notion that it's wrong is HARD.
So the suggestion that an American couldn't calculate the before-tax price of a 9-square-yard carpet at $12.50 per square yard is ridiculous. The notion that an American can't calculate the before-tax price of an 81-square-foot carpet at $12.50 per square yard is absolutely reasonable: The person looking at the quiz is going to see "square units" and "price per square units" and multiply without checking the units. Was there any penalty for being wrong? Any reward for being right? Or was it just a man-on-the-street quiz people were taking for fun?
I suspect many other cultures (especially western European) would get similarly poor results on such a "trick" question.
I think this can also be related to the quantities mentioned by Krensky.
It is quite possible the ones who wrote the test are not carpet-layers.
For instance, IIRC, the typical widths of rolls of carpet are 12', 13'-6", and 15'.
So, how one would decide to tackle the problem may depend upon how one actually decides to lay the carpet.
Although not a carpet layer myself, I think the best bet might be to get a 10' long piece of carpet that is 13'-6" wide, cut out a 4'x4' spot in the appropriate area then either cut 6" off the width before laying it or cut that (approximately) 6" against one wall out last (after tacking/gluing most down) with a box cutter (or whatever) to perfectly fit it in place. Having your room laid out with one piece of carpet rather than multiple cobbled together pieces would look better and more professional, IMO. If pieces are going to be cobbled together it might be best to try and hide such areas beneath couches and such.
Point here is that there is an enormous number of people who have either worked in home construction some time in their lives, worked in commercial or industrial construction who will look at things in such a manner, or who have spent most of their lives as do-it-yourselfers. These people will approach a task differently than those who have no such experience or say someone who looks as it strictly mathematically without bothering to relate it to the real world job being described.
Edit Note: you MIGHT want to remove the baseboard to in order to set the width exactly if cutting last. Also, is the 13x10 room measured out to be 13x10 or is that center to center of the studs at the corners? Or, something else?
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
As a former math professor, I'm not surprised at all, because they're taking a fairly tricky problem (converting square feet to square yards) and trying to trivialize it by implying that Americans can't figure out total cost from area and price per unit area (a simple problem).
Even engineers make stupid unit errors. Anyone remember the Mars Orbiter? Billions of dollars lost because one team was using metric and the other English measurements?
I spent a HUGE amount of time teaching my classes, "ALWAYS get the units the same before doing anything else!", and it's a surprisingly difficult concept. My students always wanted to do all the math first so they could just apply the unit conversion at the end because it's "easier" and "faster". Even though it's wrong. The notion that it's wrong is HARD.
So the suggestion that an American couldn't calculate the before-tax price of a 9-square-yard carpet at $12.50 per square yard is ridiculous. The notion that an American can't calculate the before-tax price of an 81-square-foot carpet at $12.50 per square yard is absolutely reasonable: The person looking at the quiz is going to see "square units" and "price per square units" and multiply without checking the units. Was there any penalty for being wrong? Any reward for being right? Or was it just a man-on-the-street quiz people were taking for fun?
I suspect many other cultures (especially western European) would get similarly poor results on such a "trick" question.
A math teacher admitting this is a trick question? It's a Christmas miracle!!!
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Pfft. We need to know the heat expansion coefficient of the various kinds of carpet, the function of average price to carpet width and to time of purchase, including transportation costs, the heat expansion coefficient of the floor in question, the relevant price data of the tools needed for the task, and then find the minimum price possible through calculus.
It's odd really. People don't seem able to solve the simplest tasks.
Pfft. We need to know the heat expansion coefficient of the various kinds of carpet, the function of average price to carpet width and to time of purchase, including transportation costs, the heat expansion coefficient of the floor in question, the relevant price data of the tools needed for the task, and then find the minimum price possible through calculus.
It's odd really. People don't seem able to solve the simplest tasks.
.
And now imagine people trying to buy their own health insurance!
.
But the television add is offering a deal to carpet two rooms and get the third room carpeted for free.
You have to buy more if you want to save!!!
If you buy 10 or more, you get them all for free !!
This is actually an economic law in Sweden.
.
"Only 18 percent of American adults can calculate how much a carpet
will cost if they know the size of the room and the per yard price of
the carpet, according to a federal survey." --New York Times, 7 December 2013---
My room is 13'x10' but there is a 4'x4' section near the door I do not
want covered. Carpet is $12.50 per square yard. How much will it cost
to carpet??
I can do it. What's the big whoop??
.
Since carpet is sold in rectangles, you are going to pay for that 4' x 4' section anyway.
How much will it cost me then?
.
How much will it cost me then?
.
Depends - is the cost per square yard or per square foot?
Depends - is the cost per square yard or per square foot?How much will it cost me then?
.
I thought it was $12.50 per square yard.
.
Checking my math just in case there's another gotcha in there i missed
130 square feet - 16 square feet= 114 square feet
114 square feet/9 to go from square feet to square yards (because 1 yard =3 feet 1 square yard = 3^2 feet= 9) This is probably the big gotcha.
12.66666666666666667 square yards X 12.50 /square yard=
158.33
Depending on how picky they would be, rounding during the problem creates a 5 cent difference which could be another gotca, as could rounding up. (mathematicians round down. Carpet dealers want every penny!)
In other news, a federal survey reports that 50% of people below average intelligence; 88% believe any statistic as long as it is attributed to "a federal survey."
In other news, a federal survey reports that 50% of people below average intelligence; 88% believe any statistic as long as it is attributed to "a federal survey."
what does '%' mean?
.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It means "in care of." The first little circle is actually a "c," the second is an "o."
More proof of maths evil.
Sure, I'm on lunch. I will bite.
by pure math
13' x 10', less 4' x 4' section is 9' x 6' which converts to 3 yards x 2 yards which is 6 square yards at $12.50 which is is $72 + $3 for
So, $75 by pure math.
In real life,
The closest roll is 12' wide. Assuming they will allow you to cut off a 13' portion, you would be buying a 12' x 13' area and throwing away the scrap. That converts to 3 yards x 3 1/3 yard for a total of 10 square yards, which at 12.50 would be $125
So, $125 in real life
Don't forget appropriate sales tax...
Sure, I'm on lunch. I will bite.
by pure math
13' x 10', less 4' x 4' section is 9' x 6' which converts to 3 yards x 2 yards which is 6 square yards at $12.50 which is is $72 + $3 forSo, $75 by pure math.
Er, no. There's a 9x6 section that you priced appropriately, but there's also a 4x10 section and a 13x4 section as well. Basically, the carpet is L-shaped, not square.
Sure, I'm on lunch. I will bite.
by pure math
13' x 10', less 4' x 4' section is 9' x 6' which converts to 3 yards x 2 yards which is 6 square yards at $12.50 which is is $72 + $3 forSo, $75 by pure math.
In real life,
The closest roll is 12' wide. Assuming they will allow you to cut off a 13' portion, you would be buying a 12' x 13' area and throwing away the scrap. That converts to 3 yards x 3 1/3 yard for a total of 10 square yards, which at 12.50 would be $125So, $125 in real life
There, see. i feel into the trap too. I don't know what 4 x 4 1/3 x 12.50 is in my head.
There, see. i feel into the trap too. I don't know what 4 x 4 1/3 x 12.50 is in my head.
I don't think that's "the trap." I think that's the point of the question, actually. (That and the "do you know what units you're working in?" part.)
yeah, because the other 82% pay a contractor to do it for them
the bright-eyed bushy-tailed people in the Home Depot commercials are the 18%
There, see. i feel into the trap too. I don't know what 4 x 4 1/3 x 12.50 is in my head.
I don't think that's "the trap." I think that's the point of the question, actually. (That and the "do you know what units you're working in?" part.)
actually that's a good point. I didn't know the carpet was L shaped.
... (mathematicians round down. Carpet dealers want every penny!)
.
If the next digit is 5 or higher round up, else round down <-- how mathematicians do it.
e.g. rounding to the penny
158.66666 ~ 158.67
158.55555 ~ 158.56
158.94411 ~ 158.94
158.94511 ~ 158.95
99.9999 ~ 100.00
99.9949 ~ 99.99
.
4x 4 1/3rd x $12.50 = $216.65.
i really am surprised the play-out in this tread is supporting the thesis.
.
What, so now I can't get carpet? Thanks Obama
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
i really am surprised the play-out in this tread is supporting the thesis.
I'm going to politely disagree.
I've seen two people actually answer the question. Big Norse Wolf has the "correct" answer, and raven1272 performs the *very* common error (sorry, Raven! Don't like singling you out here, but no one else was brave enough to try!) of assuming that a 13'x10' section minus a 4'x4' section is a 9'x6' section.
So so far the results are 50/50.
And I would believe that more than 50% of ALL adults (nationality notwithstanding) would make Raven's error. It's one of the most common ones I've seen in teaching geometry. Square footage is far more convoluted than most people think.
The other couple of dozen posts (give or take) are just general comments on the "unreality" of such questions. Would you really buy a square yard of carpet and cut it into teensy pieces just to save money, or would you spend a bit extra to minimize the number of separate pieces?
And now, a true story because it was one of my favorite teaching moments: I was teaching Statistics at a community college, which is NEVER a fun task. After a particularly nasty example, a student raised his hand and said, "You're not Dr. Good, you're Dr. Evil!"
So since it was four days before Halloween, I rolled with it. After class on October 30 I went to San Francisco, shaved my head, got professional-quality scar makeup and costume, and arrived on the 31st in full Dr. Evil regalia, complete with leather-clad beautiful female enforcer (courtesy of my wife). I got a standing ovation from the class.
And the rest of the semester was, "I am trying to take over the world using this device. It works only x% of the time, or on only y% of the people. I need to control this many people for my scheme to work. What are my chances of success?"
The students loved it. I even had one student who was failing horribly who wrote on an exam, "I refuse to help you in your nefarious schemes, so in good conscience I cannot answer this question."
I gave him partial credit.
EDIT: Honestly, take any non-engineering friend you have and say, "Without drawing any pictures, you have a 10'x10' area and you remove a 2'x2' area. How much area is left?"
Most people from most cultures will incorrectly answer "8'x8'", because it "feels" right. Only cultures that have strong social consequences against being wrong tend to do significantly better. And personally, I'd rather live in a culture where being wrong on occasion doesn't lead to social ostricization to the level I've seen in those cultures. You can't be great without taking risks, and sometimes you're just plain wrong. Incorrectness isn't something to be proud of, but it isn't something that should cause you massive shame, either.
Abstract visualization is your friend regarding this.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
i really am surprised the play-out in this tread is supporting the thesis.I'm going to politely disagree.
I've seen two people actually answer the question. Big Norse Wolf has the "correct" answer, and raven1272 performs the *very* common error (sorry, Raven! Don't like singling you out here, but no one else was brave enough to try!) of assuming that a 13'x10' section minus a 4'x4' section is a 9'x6' section.
So so far the results are 50/50.
And I would believe that more than 50% of ALL adults (nationality notwithstanding) would make Raven's error. It's one of the most common ones I've seen in teaching geometry. Square footage is far more convoluted than most people think.
Even if it's only 50/50, there are a lot of other areas where someone could have issues, most notably converting square yards to square feet or vice versa.
What makes this a "difficult" problem is that it's not a simple, one-step, remember-the-formula problem. In that regard, it requires critical thinking rather than rote memorization.
I also think that the artificiality of the problem adds somewhat to the difficulty [See Wason (1966)]. And, no, I don't think that there's anything particular to the US about this being a difficult task, except possibly for remembering there are 3 feet to the yard.
You are shown a set of four cards placed on a table, each of which has a number on one side and a colored patch on the other side. The visible faces of the cards show 3, 8, red and brown. Which card(s) must you turn over in order to test the truth of the proposition that if a card shows an even number on one face, then its opposite face is red?
Only 10% of people get this question right. This number is more or less culture-independent.
You are shown a set of four cards placed on a table, each of which has a number on one side and a colored patch on the other side. The visible faces of the cards show 3, 8, red and brown. Which card(s) must you turn over in order to test the truth of the proposition that if a card shows an even number on one face, then its opposite face is red?Only 10% of people get this question right. This number is more or less culture-independent.
Having called out Raven, I should at least put myself up for possible incorrectness: I believe the answer is the 8 and the brown.
My take is 8 and red.
It is no surprise that americans can't calculate costs. Just look at Obamacare. People were told that we could cover 30 million more people for less money than we were previously spending; and the fools believed it.
No one was a fool to believe it, because it's true. Take the non sequitur, bitter radical conservative derail attempt to another thread.
You are shown a set of four cards placed on a table, each of which has a number on one side and a colored patch on the other side. The visible faces of the cards show 3, 8, red and brown. Which card(s) must you turn over in order to test the truth of the proposition that if a card shows an even number on one face, then its opposite face is red?Only 10% of people get this question right. This number is more or less culture-independent.
Naturalists answer: All of them, because there's no guarantee that there is a consistent pattern in the cards.