Mathematics is part of our daily life. Whether we calculate shopping budgets, get ready for a mortgage loan or plan our savings, we solve math operations such as multiplication and division, addition and subtraction all the time and if things get complicated, we sometimes even measure and scale.
What better way to practice math than using it in daily activity? Whether you are a parent looking to involve your child in a fun educational activity or you are a student cooking a surprise for your loved ones, these exercises will enable you to train your mathematical skills:
Practice Math in the Kitchen
Measure Quantity
Getting the right quantity is crucial for a successful recipe. Most chefs trick amateurs by not telling them the correct quantities for a recipe, so knowing how to measure the right quantities and understanding the value of the right volumes of ingredients is imperative for a delicious meal.
There are two measurement systems used worldwide, one is the US system and the other is the European or metric system. Let’s learn how to convert the two systems:
US Standard Volumes
“fl oz” – it stands for fluid ounces used for volume; the quantity differs according to the liquid measures. They represent small liquid quantities.
1 fl oz = 2 tablespoons.
“cup”
1 cup = 8 fl oz
“pint”
1 pint = 2 cups = 16 fl oz
“qt” – it stands for quarts and it is used to measure larger volumes.
1 qt = 2 pints = 4 cups = 32 fl oz
“gal “ – it stands for gallons, which is the largest unit of measurement for the US volume system.
1 gal = 4 qt = 8 pints = 16 cups = 128 fl oz
Answer The Following Questions For Better Understanding The US Colume System:
- The capacity of a tablespoon is about:
a.0.5 fluid ounce b. 5 fluid ounces c. 50 fluid ounces d. 500 fluid ounces
- Convert between teaspoons and tablespoons:
A.162 teaspoons = ………………………….. tablespoons
B. 28 tablespoons = ………………………….. teaspoons
C. 45 teaspoons = ………………………….. tablespoons
D. 307 tablespoons = ………………………….. teaspoons - Compare using <, >, or =. If you want to refresh your memory about comparison, check out our blog.
a.138 tablespoons ⃞ 410 teaspoons
b. 63 teaspoons ⃞ 21 tablespoons
c. 171 teaspoons ⃞ 58 tablespoons
d. 9 teaspoons ⃞ 5 tablespoons
Metric Volumes
“ml”
It indicates “millimeters”, the smallest measurement unit in the metric system.
1 mL = 20 drops of water
5 mL = 1 teaspoon
“L”
It indicates “liter”, the biggest measurement unit in the metric system for volume.
1000 mL = 1 L
Other Metric Volumes
Cubic millimeter – A cube that is 1 millimeter on each side. We need 1 000 cubic millimeters to make 1 mili-liter and one million liters.
Cubic centimeter – noted as “cc” or “cm3”, represents a cube that is 1 cm on each side and is equal to 1 ml.
Deciliter – noted as “dl” represents 100 ml.
Cubic meter – noted as “m3“. A cube that has 1 m on each side. It is equal to 1 000 liters.
Megalitres – noted with “ML”, not to be confused with “ml”, it is used to measure large quantities of water such as lakes.
1 ML = 1,000 m3 = 1,000,000 litres
Cubic kilometer – noted as “km3“ possibly the largest measuring unit, it is a cube of 1 km on each side.
1 km3 = 1,000,000,000 m3
Did you know that the Pacific Ocean holds 707.5 million km3of water?
Solve The Following Mathematical Challenges:
- Convert liters to milliliters
A. 15 L = ? mL B. 54 L =? mL C. 3 L = ? mL D. 2 L = ? mL E. 5 L = ? mL
F. 0.83 L = ? mL G. 0.7 L = ? mL H. 4 L = ? mL I. 92 L = ? mL J. 0.46 L = ? mL
- Convert metric system to US standard system:
A. 11 liters = ? cups
B. 26 liters = ? cups
C. 10 mL = ? teaspoons
D. 25 mL = ? tablespoons
Get The Right Proportions For A Successful Recipe
A proportion is a set of 2 fractions that equal each other. Proportions are necessary for cooking because most recipes contain ingredients for a certain number of servings, like 2 servings or 4 servings. In order to find out how many ingredients we need for a number of servings, we are going to use fractions.
We Have The Following Recipe:
3 servings of cooked rice
Ingredients: 2 cups of water; 1 cup of dry rice.
How many cups of water and how many cups of dry rice would we need for 25 servings of cooked rice?
Solution: we need to find the x in the following fraction.
Therefore, we need 16.66 cups of water in order to obtain 25 servings of cooked rice.
Knowing how proportions work can save the day when additional guests or friends can surprise you at dinner.
Conclusion
You can help your child understand the benefits of using math in day-to-day life by practicing food recipes with fractions.
At the Online Math Center, we integrate challenges in order to teach students how to apply math operations in everyday life.
Our math tutors are offering teaching programs for middle to high school students.
If you are a student interested in individual math learning, reach out to us and we will create a personalized math schedule to improve your skills.
