Essay Sample on Real-Life Uses of Algebra: Shopping, Cooking & More

Introduction

Algebra is applicable in various aspects of everyday life, such as in schools, business, science, shopping, and cooking, among other fields. While most people have the perception and belief that algebra might not be applicable in real-life and that its use is only confined in a classroom and school setting, most people tend to use algebra either consciously or subconsciously in their real-life more often than they think.

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One of the algebraic formulas that could be applied in real-life teaching and learning in schools is the (a+b) ^2=a^2+ b^2 +2ab formula (Wilkinson, Bauer, & Reinsch, 2013). This formula can be used to calculate the square of two-digit numbers with ease. For instance, to calculate the square of 27, one would need to equate 27 to 20+7 then apply the algebraic formula, i.e. (20+7) ^2= 20^2 +7^2+2(20*7) = 400+49+280=729.

The application of linear equations such as x + y= c is significant in the real life in various ways, such as while shopping for several items in different quantities (Farin & Hansford, 2013). For instance, suppose one is shopping for three pieces of item x and five pieces of item y, to get the total an amount that one would need to spend, the linear equation 3x + 5y = c would be applied. For instance, if item x costs 10 dollars per piece and item y costs 20 dollars per item, then the total amount would be 3(10) + 5(20) = 30 + 100 = 130 dollars in total. Additionally, linear equations can be applied by marketing and sales companies who often pay their employees on the basis of a basic salary and a commission based on the sales each individual makes. Supposing that a company pays a basic salary of 10,000 dollars and gives a 5% commission per the sales made, to get the total amount that an employee takes home, the linear equation y= 0.05 x + c would be applied. Where y= the total earnings, x= the sales made, and c=10,000. If x=100,000, then, y= 10,000 + 0.05(100,000) =15,000 dollars. Therefore, the employee's total earnings are 15,000 dollars if they make a sale of 100,000 dollars.

Algebra is also applicable in the field of business, especially when business owners have to decide on the most appropriate price to set for their products and services (Barnett, Ziegler, & Byleen, 2015). For instance, supposing a business person in the taxi business wants to formulate the best way to charge for their services, they would need the algebraic equation y= mx + c, where y is the total payment they would receive, x is the cost per a kilometer and c is a constant which is applicable only when the taxi driver has to go to the client. If the business person charges 100 dollars per a kilometer and the total distance covered is 5 km, and supposing that the client came to the taxi rather than the taxi going to the client, then y= mx=5(100)=500 dollars. Alternatively, assuming that the taxi driver charges a constant amount of 50 dollars if they go to pick the client, then the total amount that they would receive can be expressed as y= 5(100) + 50=550 dollars.

Arithmetic sequences, where the difference between consecutive numbers is constant, frequently appears in the real world, especially in the banking and savings industry (Andrade-Londono, Lotero-Botero, & Andrade-Lotero, 2016). For instance, supposing that there are 10 group members, each member contributing 50 dollars per week and assuming that the members intend to bank their deposits for a period of two years, then their savings pattern per week will appear in a sequence as follows; 500 dollars, 1000 dollars, 1500 dollars, 2000 dollars, etc., with a constant difference of 500 dollars every week for the next two years.

Conclusion

This paper on the applications of algebra in real life has really impacted my attitude towards algebra and the study of it in general. I am surprised to learn that I use algebra in various aspects of my life on a daily basis, contrary to my earlier belief that algebra cannot be applied in real life except at school. The application of algebra in basic activities such as shopping and in business as discussed in this paper further discredits my earlier belief about algebra.

References

Andrade-Londono, E., Lotero-Botero, A., & Andrade-Lotero, L. A. (2016). From understanding arithmetic operations as actions to word-problem solving. In Submitted at the international workshop: From basic cognition to mathematical practice.

Seville, Spain (pp. 19-21). Retrieved from http://alandradifuciencia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Arithmetic-operations-and-word-problem-solving.-FULL-VERSION.pdf

Barnett, R. A., Ziegler, M. R., & Byleen, K. E. (2015). College mathematics for business, economics, life sciences, and social sciences. Retrieved from http://41.33.248.151/bitstream/handle/123456789/2918/10574.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Farin, G., & Hansford, D. (2013). Practical linear algebra: A geometry toolbox. AK Peters/CRC Press.Retrieved from https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2012-0-09241-0&isbn=9780429167072&format=googlePreviewPdf

Wilkinson, J. H., Bauer, F. L., & Reinsch, C. (2013). Linear algebra (Vol. 2). Springer. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=f2jyCAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=algebra&ots=OU__URJM7l&sig=BPstnX2kmeYNxmC4ZAmmp1MSOko