Lost in Translation: translating from the written word to math
Have you ever wondered about languages? Is it possible to translate a written language to math?
What are common translations from the written word to math?
First, what math are we referring to? Many times, there are common words or phrases that can be translated to the 4 basic math operations, the equal sign, and the inequality signs.
So, we are going to focus on translating the written word to the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division operation, the equal sign, and the inequality signs.
What do you think when you hear the word:
Addition?
Subtraction?
Multiplication?
Division?
Equal?
Less Than?
Less Than or Equal To?
Greater Than?
Greater Than or Equal to?
Lost in Translation Table.pdfThink about this: A word problem is simply math without defined operations and symbols. To practice solving math word problems check out 'What's Next' at the bottom of this page.
Your goal when solving a word problem is to translate the words into the language of math. This will then allow you to use your math skills to solve the word problem.
If you need more help understanding the difference between an equation and an inequality, check out the fundamental Equations vs Inequalities!
What’s next? Having a good grasp on translating common written words to math will help with all types of word problems and general problem solving in math. Check out any of the problem-solving fundamentals to see this in action: Problem Solving: 1-Variable Equations; Problem Solving: 1-Variable Inequalities; Problem Solving: Linear Equations!
