WAEC & JAMB Math Study Guide
WAEC & JAMB Math Study Guide
Logarithms and exponents are inverse operations. Logarithms answer the question of how many times one number must be multiplied to obtain another number. For example, log10(1000) asks for the power to which 10 must be raised to get 1000. Since 10^3 = 1000, log10(1000) simplifies to 3 .
Factorization simplifies solving quadratic equations by expressing them as a product of linear factors. For x^2 - 9, factorizing as (x + 3)(x - 3) allows setting each factor to zero, solving x + 3 = 0 and x - 3 = 0 to find the roots x = -3 and x = 3. This technique reduces complex equations to simpler solvable forms .
Consider the equation 4x - 7 = 13. To solve, add 7 to both sides to get 4x = 20. Then, divide by 4 to find x = 5 .
The sum of angles in a triangle is always 180 degrees. This fundamental property is used to solve problems involving unknown angles or determining if a given set of angles can form a triangle .
The area of a triangle is given by the formula 1/2 × base × height. Applying this to a triangle with a base of 12 cm and a height of 7 cm, calculate as follows: (1/2) × 12 × 7 = 6 × 7 = 42 cm² .
The sine of a 30° angle is based on the trigonometric ratio that relates the opposite side to the hypotenuse in a right triangle. For a 30° angle, sin(30°) = 1/2, as commonly listed in basic trigonometric tables .
To convert a binary number like 10110 to decimal, you must evaluate each binary digit's value based on its position, as each position represents a power of two, starting from zero on the right. For 10110, calculate as follows: (1×2^4) + (0×2^3) + (1×2^2) + (1×2^1) + (0×2^0) = 16 + 0 + 4 + 2 + 0 = 22 .
Consider a triangle with a base of 15 cm and a height of 8 cm. Using the area formula, calculate as follows: (1/2) × 15 × 8 = 7.5 × 8 = 60 cm² .
To factorize the quadratic expression x^2 - 9, recognize it as a difference of squares, which can be expressed as (x + 3)(x - 3). This is because a^2 - b^2 = (a+b)(a-b), where a = x and b = 3 .
Understanding number bases is crucial because it forms the foundation for computing and digital systems. The binary system (base-2) is essential in computer science, while the decimal system (base-10) is commonly used in daily life calculations. It aids in conversions and understanding numeral representation in different contexts .