Biggest science or math pet peeve

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on the frustrations surrounding the teaching of mathematical order of operations, specifically the BODMAS and PEMDAS rules. Participants express concern over the ambiguity these conventions create, particularly in complex equations like "7 - 1 x 0 + 3 ÷ 3," where only 26% of respondents provided the correct answer. The discussion highlights the need for clarity in mathematical notation and the importance of using brackets to avoid confusion. Educators are urged to focus on teaching foundational concepts rather than rigid rules that may mislead students.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of BODMAS and PEMDAS rules
  • Familiarity with basic algebraic operations
  • Knowledge of mathematical notation and symbols
  • Awareness of common misconceptions in mathematics education
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of using brackets in mathematical expressions
  • Explore the differences between pure and applied mathematics
  • Study the historical context and evolution of mathematical notation
  • Investigate effective teaching strategies for order of operations in mathematics
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Mathematics educators, students learning algebra and pre-calculus, and anyone interested in improving clarity in mathematical communication.

  • #241
My biggest math pet peeve is when people try to explain complicated math in plain text. It ends up as a completely unreadable set of nested parenthesis. I prefer people use a whiteboard and take a picture (most forums don't have advanced maths symbols like this one does)

This is not specific to mathematics with numbers, any logical language should have structure. I hate seeing MySQL queries all on one line too.
 
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  • #242
My pet peeve is the lack of units and dimensional analysis in math. Similarly, I would prefer that Physics would use radians more often than degrees.

I think I just revived this thread.
 

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