Math Is Fun Forum

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Animated Explanations

I have been working on a way to have an "animated" way of explaining mathematics. Have a look at the two "videos" on this (incomplete) page: Algebra - Expanding

How does it look to you?

Do you think it is an effective tool?

Any ideas for improvement?

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

justlookingforthemoment

Moderator

Registered: 2005-05-26

Posts: 2,161

Re: Animated Explanations

It might just be me, but your 3·6 looks too much like 3.6.

JaneFairfax

Member

Registered: 2007-02-23

Posts: 6,868

Re: Animated Explanations

Parentheses are called brackets in the UK.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Animated Explanations

Correct, another language thing to worry about. I may need to make two pages, or just drop the word altogether.

How about we run a campaign to stick to this standard:

() Parentheses
[] Brackets
{} Braces
<> Chevrons

And then we don't need "square brackets", "curly brackets" etc ...

But ... what do you think about this method of "show me how to do it on paper" teaching?

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

mikau

Member

Registered: 2005-08-22

Posts: 1,504

Re: Animated Explanations

i like it!

sometimes i wish my mathbooks were animated this way. Sometimes you go from step B to step C and you think 'wait, how did we get from this to that?'

That should be pretty much impossible with this teaching tool.

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A logarithm is just a misspelled algorithm.

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Animated Explanations

Thanks mikau. That is what I was hoping for.

I now have 5 "movie clips" on that page.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Devantè

Real Member

Registered: 2006-07-14

Posts: 6,400

Re: Animated Explanations

That's brilliant!

That kind of thing would also be useful for step-by-step origami. That would be interesting to see ...

luca-deltodesco

Member

Registered: 2006-05-05

Posts: 1,470

Re: Animated Explanations

you need some examples of two brackets multiplied together like:

(a+b)(c+d) = ac + ad + bc + bd

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MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Animated Explanations

Thanks, D and luca.

(a+b)(c+d) = ac + ad + bc + bd

Yes, that would sit nicely on another page of more complicated examples.  I can also look at squaring etc

But I didn't want to make any new pages unless you guys liked this first one ... and once I start having a few pages it makes it harder to go back and alter the original program, so I want to make sure this page looks and works right first

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Zach

Member

Registered: 2005-03-23

Posts: 2,075

Re: Animated Explanations

Square Brackets is a superior name.

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I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too.
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John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Re: Animated Explanations

Nice drawing technology.  Works great in old internet explorer 6.
Also doesn't even show up in a funny browser called "off by one" browser I got off net.
I only get text and bitmaps I think in that browser.

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igloo myrtilles fourmis

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,713

Re: Animated Explanations

Basically just needs Flash Player 8.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman