Hands-On Math

University of Massachusetts > STEM > August 2008 Hands-On Math

HANDS-ON MATH | The Shape of Phones

Is 1.2 millimeters a huge number?  It is if you're designing a cell phone.

As cell phones continue to shrink and the demand for additional features like better texting, music and games continues to grow, every millimeter counts.  Take your students behind the scenes at Motorola where a designer, an engineer and a human factors specialist work together and rely on math to make everything fit.

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CHANGING SHAPES | Inventing with Polygons

Chuck Hoberman's inventions are more than just technological marvels; they're works of art.  See how basic principles of geometry help him create extraordinarily strong, expandable structures.

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HANDS-ON MATH | In the Chef's Kitchen

At Element's Kitchen in Pasadena, CA, these skilled and creative chefs are inventing delectable new dishes and bringing new life to familiar ones.  Whether they're planning bulk orders for next week's menu, measuring the correct amounts of ingredients or figuring out how to scale up a recipe for a catered event, it's clear that math is almost as important a tool as their pots and pans.

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HANDS-ON MATH | Recycling Computers

Only 18% of all discarded computers, monitors and television sets are recycled, and only 10% of cell phones are recycled-everything else goes into landfills. Electronic waste is a big problem that's getting bigger every year, but there are solutions.  Take your students inside the largest electronics recycling facility in California to see how they separate, crush, shred and recycle over 5 millions pounds of electronics a month. This place is like a factory in reverse!

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PROBLEM SOLVING | Horses in the Movies

A Western wouldn't be a Western without stampedes and shoot-outs on horseback or simply cowboys riding into town. So, who does the producer call when he needs stagecoaches, buckboards and horses to make the script come alive? And how much will it cost to bring those horses and wagons to a movie set? Give your students the back-story and show them how math plays a role in keeping a movie from going over budget.

Watch this behind-the-scenes movie 

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