Something I learned

Something I learned

       This week, I have learned a lot of knowledge from my classes, such as: Science class, ELL class and History class. In the Science class, I learned how to build a trebuchet as a teamwork. In my ELL class, I learned how to find facts or opinions in a passage. In my history class, I learned the time period of Renaissance. But in this Blog, I will tell you what I learned in my Algebra class.

       During Monday’s class, Mr. Mitchell gave us a very interesting question: 1⁸⁸⁸, 2⁷⁷⁷, 3⁶⁶⁶, 4⁵⁵⁵, 6⁴⁴⁴. Which number is the greatest one? When I saw this question, I tried to use my calculator to calculate each of these numbers and then compare which one is the greatest, but these numbers are all very big numbers except 1⁸⁸⁸ equal to1.The calculator had trouble to calculate this type of numbers, so I couldn’t find any ways to solve this question.

       After we tried this question, some of my classmates guessed the greatest number is 2⁷⁷⁷, some of them guessed 6⁴⁴⁴. Next, Mr. Mitchell said that we need to find a way to solve it, but not guess it. So he wrote three rules of math that could help us to solve this question. First is the common-base principle of multiplication: b^m•bⁿ=b^m+n; Second one is the common-base principle of division: b^m/bⁿ=b^m-n; Third is to rewrite a number as b^mn= (b^m) ⁿ.

       After he wrote these three rules on the board, I knew how to do that question. I just used the third rule to rewrite each number to 1⁸⁸⁸= (1⁸)¹¹¹, 2⁷⁷⁷= (2⁷)¹¹¹, 3⁶⁶⁶= (3⁶)¹¹¹, 4⁵⁵⁵= (4⁵)¹¹¹, 6⁴⁴⁴= (6⁴)¹¹¹. If we did this, we just needed to compare 1⁸, 2⁷, 3⁶, 4⁵, 6⁴, and find which number is the greatest. Finally, I found 6⁴=1296 is the greatest, it means 6⁴⁴⁴ is the greatest.

       If my Algebra teacher Mr. Mitchell did not teach us three rules of this type of question, I would never know how to solve it, but luckily he did. That was what I learned this week.

(I feel like I am writing my math journal, but this is really my English Blog.) -haha-