Do you think you’ll need to know how to multiply by 12 or 11 more? Think of it this way: how often do you need to figure out how many dozen you need of something? It comes up a lot…
How to Multiply by 12
Category: 6th Grade
Math from Left to Right
In school, you are trained to solve math problems on paper, at a desk. The problem with that is, for most people, math problems don’t usually come with a desk or a pencil. They pop up in the checkout line…
Möbius Strip
Although the Möbius strip is named for German mathematician August Möbius, it was co-discovered independently by Johann Benedict Listing, a completely different German mathematician, but at around the same time in 1858. Weird, right? But that’s not the only strange…
Divisibility
Can you look at a number and tell right away if it’s divisible by another number? Well, it’s pretty easy for 2 – if it’s an even number, it’s definitely divisible by two. Testing whether a number is divisible by…
What Day Were You Born On?
This is not only a neat trick but a very practical skill – you can figure out the day of the week of anyone’s birthday. If you were born in the 20th Century, (1900-1999), we can use math to find…
Logic Numbers
This is a neat logic trick which allows you to flip over a stack of cards numbered 1-10. When you flip the back upright, they are in numerical order. There is a special way to make it work, so pay…
Magic Squares
Magic squares have been traced through history as known to Chinese mathematicians, Arab mathematicians, India and Egypt cultures. The first magic squares Magic squares have fascinated people for centuries, and historians have found them engraved in stone or metal and…
Scytale
In this video I’ll show you how to use a actual cipher machine called a scytale. This was first used in ancient Greek and Roman times, most notably by the Spartans. To make a scytale, use a cylinder with a…
Factorials
If I said “3!“, would you think the 3 is really excited, or that you have to shout the number? In fact, it’s a mathematical operation called factorials, and boy are they fun! They may seem complicated at first, but…
Secret Math Code
If only you could keep better track of big numbers, adding and multiplying your head wouldn’t be such a problem! But fear not… I have a trick that might be just the ticket for your brain! Use this secret phonetic…