Mental arithmetic - do you do it?

BubbySoup

BubbySoup

BubbySoup

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Caught myself reaching for my calculator earlier to add up 649.75 and 70.02 and realised not only could I do it quicker in my head than the whole process of prodding the buttons and pressing equals, but that how little mental arithmetic I do anymore - I guess it's just habit or lazyness, but now I have seen how often I do it, it's quite shocking how little work I give my brain to do anymore. I've even got a calculator addon for my browser in case my calculator is out of reach :o

Have decided to give my brain more exercise from now on.
 
I have to admit that my mental arithmetic has gone down hill since I left uni... I find it a struggle and prefer to use calcs which are very easily accessible these days.

Stelly
 
I used to be really fast and accurate at it, but the less you use it, the more rusty you get.

Now days a calculator is faster, yes I used to beat it, at schools my friends who "tease" me about it by giving me 2 random numbers to multiply or divide (something like 39x244) and I would get it right before the other kid put it in the calculator. It really impressed my maths teacher !
 
I tend to do most equations myself when working, but sometimes it's just quicker to Start > calc > Enter
 
I do a lot of mental arithmetics especially when I'm calculating on the fly whilst in the factory (need special calculators to use in food factory). Multiples of what I use at work for the last couple of years, I'm quicker than a calculator. Ask me a completely different set of numbers that I'm used to working in and I'm slow - old school pen and paper to confirm if it's key figures.
 
In short - no I use a calculator in daily work life as the equations I have to work to are difficult to do in your head.

IE (listed in easy calculator format) 3.5 x 1000 x 22.3 x 22.3 / 504 / 200 / 100 / 100

But I admit I am also pretty lazy at basic arithmetic too. I use my phone calculator, or windows calculator, much to my discrace! :o
 
I do a lot of mental arithmetic in my work; but then I work with numbers all the time...

One of the most useful practical skills for everyday use is an ability to do approximate mental arithmetic (even to the extent of simply getting orders of magnitude right). Very useful for fisking newspaper articles (especially in the Guardian, which seems to be king of the innumerates these days).
 
i'm into board games, miniatures games and stuff so i have to add up tonnes of dice to get a total, so i tend to use my head more often than a calculator, when dealing with lots decimals then i use a calculator
 
It's pretty hard to get something wrong on the calculator unless you have sausagefingers. On the flip side, it's very easy to get something wrong with mental maths, even if you're good at it.
 
Not anymore mine wasn't that great whilst I was at school but these days I find myself pressing winkey+r then calc.
 
Still use the brain and occasionally a pen/scrap of paper for a quick calculation. If you want to show off then use log tables or a slide rule....
 
I'm to used to a calculator now but it's very easy to get back into mental arithmetic if you can be bothered it's almost like riding a bike

649.75 and 70.02


40+70
+
9.77
+600
=win

look how simple it is most people are just to lazy to bother and reach for the calculator

I bet my 8year old could answer it without me even breaking it down for him and I'd imagine my child is nothing special
 
Last edited:
arknor said:
I'm to used to a calculator now but it's very easy to get back into mental arithmetic if you can be bothered it's almost like riding a bike

649.75 and 70.02


40+70
+
9.77
+600
=win

look how simple it is most people are just to lazy to bother and reach for the calculator

I bet my 8year old could answer it without me even breaking it down for him and I'd imagine my child is nothing special
Click to expand...

I personally would have done it as:

-30
+100.02
 
I would have crunched the numbers in my head to be honest, but with my day job I usually have to do this anyway. Calculators make you lazy, takes practice and discipline but it can be done easily with practice
 
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