Beginning Algebra 7th Edition, (Ebook

PDF)
Visit to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebookmass.com/product/beginning-algebra-7th-edition-ebook-pdf/
 This book is dedicated to students everywhere—and we
should all be students. After all, is there anyone among us
who really knows too much? Take that hint and continue
to learn something new every day of your life.

Best of wishes from a fellow student: Elayn Martin-Gay

 Preface
Beginning Algebra, Seventh Edition was written to provide a solid foundation in
algebra for students who might not have previous experience in algebra. Specific care
was taken to make sure students have the most up-to-date, relevant text preparation
for their next mathematics course or for nonmathematical courses that require an
understanding of algebraic fundamentals. I have tried to achieve this by writing a
user-friendly text that is keyed to objectives and contains many worked-out exam-
ples. As suggested by AMATYC and the NCTM Standards (plus Addenda), real-life
and real-data applications, data interpretation, conceptual understanding, problem
solving, writing, cooperative learning, appropriate use of technology, number sense,
estimation, critical thinking, and geometric concepts are emphasized and integrated
throughout the book.
The many factors that contributed to the success of the previous editions have
been retained. In preparing the Seventh Edition, I considered comments and sug-
gestions of colleagues, students, and many users of the prior edition throughout the
country.

what’s New in the seventh edition?

• New Getting Ready for the Chapter Test can be found before each Chapter
Test. These exercises help increase student success by helping students prepare
for their chapter test. The purpose of these exercises is to check students’ con-
ceptual understanding of the topics in the chapter as well as common student
errors. It is suggested that students complete and check these exercises before
taking a practice Chapter Test. All Getting Ready for the Test exercises are ei-
ther Multiple Choice or Matching, and all answers can be found in the answer
section of this text.
Video Solutions of all exercises can be found in MyMathLab and on the Inter-
active DVD Lecture Series. These video solutions contain brief explanations
and reminders of material in the chapter. Where applicable, incorrect choices
contain explanations.
Getting Ready for the Test exercise numbers marked in blue indicate that the
question is available in Learning Catalytics.

• New Learning Catalytics is an interactive student response tool that uses stu-
dents’ smartphones, tablets, or laptops to engage them in more sophisticated
tasks and thinking. Generate class discussion, guide your lecture, and promote
peer-to-peer learning with real-time analytics. Accessible through MyMathLab,
instructors can use Learning Catalytics to:
– Pose a variety of open-ended questions that help your students develop
critical thinking skills.
– Monitor responses to find out where students are struggling.
– Use real-time data to adjust your instructional strategy and try other ways
of engaging your students during class.
– Manage student interactions by automatically grouping students for discus-
sion, teamwork, and peer-to-peer learning.
For Beginning Algebra, Seventh Edition, new Getting Ready for the Test
exercises marked in blue are available in Learning Catalytics. To search for the
questions in Learning Catalytics, select Discipline: Developmental Math, and
Book: Martin-Gay, Beginning Algebra, 7e; or search the question library for
MGBA7e Ch and the chapter number. For example, search MGBA7e Ch4 for
questions from Chapter 4.

vii
viii Preface

• New Student Success Tips Videos are 3- to 5-minute video segments designed
to be daily reminders to students to continue practicing and maintaining good
organizational and study habits. They are organized in three categories and are
available in MyMathLab and the Interactive Lecture Series. The categories are:
1. Success Tips that apply to any course in college in general, such as Time
Management.
2. Success Tips that apply to any mathematics course. One example is based on
understanding that mathematics is a course that requires homework to be
completed in a timely fashion.
3. Section- or Content-specific Success Tips to help students avoid common
mistakes or to better understand concepts that often prove challenging. One
example of this type of tip is how to apply the order of operations to sim-
plify an expression.
• New Key Concept Activity Lab Workbook includes Extension Exercises,
Exploration Activities, Conceptual Exercises, and Group Activities. These ac-
tivities are a great way to engage students in conceptual projects and explora-
tion as well as group work.
• The Martin-Gay MyMathLab course has been updated and revised to pro-
vide more exercise coverage, including assignable video check questions and
an expanded video program. There are section lectures videos for every sec-
tion, which students can also access at the specific objective level; new Getting
Ready for the Test video solutions; new Student Success Tips videos; and an
increased number of watch clips at the exercise level to help students while do-
ing homework in MathXL.
Vocabulary, Readiness & Video Check Questions continue to be available in
the text and for assignment in MyMathLab. The Readiness exercises center on
a student’s understanding of a concept that is necessary in order to continue
to the exercise set. The video check questions are included in every section for
every learning objective. These exercises are a great way to assess whether stu-
dents have viewed and understood the key concepts presented in the videos.
• Exercise Sets Revised and Updated The text exercise sets have been carefully
examined and revised. Special focus was placed on making sure that even- and
odd-numbered exercises are paired and that real-life applications are updated.

Key Continuing Resources and Pedagogical features

• Interactive DVD Lecture Series, featuring your text author Elayn Martin-Gay,
provides students with active learning at their own pace. The videos offer the
following resources and more:
A complete lecture for each section of the text highlights key examples and
exercises from the text. Pop-ups reinforce key terms, definitions, and concepts.
An interface with menu navigation features allows students to quickly find
and focus on the examples and exercises they need to review.
Interactive Concept Check exercises measure students’ understanding of
key concepts and common trouble spots.
New Student Success Tips Videos.
• The Interactive DVD Lecture Series also includes the following resources for
test prep:
New Getting Ready for the Chapter Test Videos
The Chapter Test Prep Videos help students during their most teachable
moment—when they are preparing for a test. This innovation provides step-
by-step solutions for the exercises found in each Chapter Test. For the Sev-
enth Edition, the chapter test prep videos are also available on YouTube™.
The videos are captioned in English and Spanish.
 Preface ix

The Practice Final Exam Videos help students prepare for an end-of-course
final. Students can watch full video solutions to each exercise in the Practice
Final Exam at the end of this text.
• The Video Organizer is designed to help students take notes and work practice
exercises while watching the Interactive Lecture Series videos (available in
MyMathLab and on DVD). All content in the Video Organizer is presented in
the same order as it is presented in the videos, making it easy for students to
create a course notebook and build good study habits.
– Covers all of the video examples in order.
– Provides ample space for students to write down key definitions and properties.
– Includes Play and Pause button icons to prompt students to follow along
with the author for some exercises while they try others on their own.
The Video Organizer is available in a loose-leaf, notebook-ready format. It is
also available for download in MyMathLab.

Key Pedagogical features

The following key features have been retained and/or updated for the Seventh Edition
of the text:

Problem-Solving Process This is formally introduced in Chapter 2 with a four-step

process that is integrated throughout the text. The four steps are Understand, Translate,
Solve, and Interpret. The repeated use of these steps in a variety of examples shows
their wide applicability. Reinforcing the steps can increase students’ comfort level and
confidence in tackling problems.

Exercise Sets Revised and Updated The exercise sets have been carefully examined
and extensively revised. Special focus was placed on making sure that even- and odd-
numbered exercises are paired.

Examples Detailed, step-by-step examples were added, deleted, replaced, or updated

as needed. Many examples reflect real life. Additional instructional support is provided
in the annotated examples.

Practice Exercises Throughout the text, each worked-out example has a parallel
Practice Exercise. These invite students to be actively involved in the learning process.
Students should try each Practice Exercise after finishing the corresponding example.
Learning by doing will help students grasp ideas before moving on to other concepts.
Answers to the Practice Exercises are provided in the back of the text.

Helpful Hints Helpful Hints contain practical advice on applying mathematical con-
cepts. Strategically placed where students are most likely to need immediate reinforce-
ment, Helpful Hints help students avoid common trouble areas and mistakes.

Concept Checks This feature allows students to gauge their grasp of an idea as it is be-
ing presented in the text. Concept Checks stress conceptual understanding at the point
of use and help suppress misconceived notions before they start. Answers appear at the
bottom of the page. Exercises related to Concept Checks are included in the exercise sets.

Mixed Practice Exercises Found in the section exercise sets, these require students to
determine the problem type and strategy needed to solve it just as they would need to
do on a test.

Integrated Reviews A unique, mid-chapter exercise set that helps students assimilate
new skills and concepts that they have learned separately over several sections. These
reviews provide yet another opportunity for students to work with mixed exercises as
they master the topics.
x Preface

Vocabulary Check Provides an opportunity for students to become more familiar

with the use of mathematical terms as they strengthen their verbal skills. These appear
at the end of each chapter before the Chapter Highlights. Vocabulary, Readiness &
Video exercises provide practice at the section level.

Chapter Highlights Found at the end of every chapter, these contain key definitions
and concepts with examples to help students understand and retain what they have
learned and help them organize their notes and study for tests.

Chapter Review The end of every chapter contains a comprehensive review of topics
introduced in the chapter. The Chapter Review offers exercises keyed to every section
in the chapter, as well as Mixed Review exercises that are not keyed to sections.

Chapter Test and Chapter Test Prep Video The Chapter Test is structured to include
those problems that involve common student errors. The Chapter Test Prep Videos
give students instant author access to a step-by-step video solution of each exercise in
the Chapter Test.

Cumulative Review Follows every chapter in the text (except Chapter 1). Each odd-
numbered exercise contained in the Cumulative Review is an earlier worked example
in the text that is referenced in the back of the book along with the answer.

Writing Exercises These exercises occur in almost every exercise set and require
students to provide a written response to explain concepts or justify their thinking.

Applications Real-world and real-data applications have been thoroughly updated,

and many new applications are included. These exercises occur in almost every exercise
set, show the relevance of mathematics, and help students gradually and continuously
develop their problem-solving skills.

Review Exercises These exercises occur in each exercise set (except in Chapter 1) and
are keyed to earlier sections. They review concepts learned earlier in the text that will
be needed in the next section or chapter.

Exercise Set Resource Icons Located at the opening of each exercise set, these icons
remind students of the resources available for extra practice and support:

See Student Resource descriptions page xi for details on the individual resources
available.

Exercise Icons These icons facilitate the assignment of specialized exercises and let
students know what resources can support them.
Video icon: exercise worked on the Interactive DVD Lecture Series
and in MyMathLab.
Triangle icon: identifies exercises involving geometric concepts.
Pencil icon: indicates a written response is needed.
Calculator icon: optional exercises intended to be solved using a scientific or
graphing calculator.

Optional: Calculator Exploration Boxes and Calculator Exercises The optional

Calculator Explorations provide keystrokes and exercises at appropriate points to give
an opportunity for students to become familiar with these tools. Section exercises that
are best completed by using a calculator are identified by for ease of assignment.
 Preface xi

student and instructor Resources

Student ReSouRceS

Interactive DVD Lecture Series Video Organizer Student Solutions Manual

Videos
Provides students with active learning
at their pace. The videos offer:
• A complete lecture for each
text section. The interface
allows easy navigation to
examples and exercises
students need to review.
• Interactive Concept Check
exercises
• Student Success Tips Videos
• Practice Final Exam
• Getting Ready for the Chapter
Test Videos
• Chapter Test Prep Videos
Designed to help students take notes Provides completely worked-out
and work practice exercises while solutions to the odd-numbered section
watching the Interactive Lecture exercises; all exercises in the Integrated
Series videos. Reviews, Chapter Reviews, Chapter
Tests, and Cumulative Reviews.
• Covers all of the video examples
in order. Key Concept Activity Lab Workbook
• Provides ample space for students includes Extension Exercises,
to write down key definitions and Exploration Activities, Conceptual
rules. Exercises, and Group Activities.
• Includes Play and Pause button
icons to prompt students to
follow along with the author for
some exercises while they try
others on their own.
Available in loose-leaf, notebook-
ready format and in MyMathLab.

InStRuctoR ReSouRceS

Annotated Instructor’s Edition Instructor’s Resource Manual with Tests and

Contains all the content found in the student edition,
plus the following:
• Classroom example paired to each example
• Answers to exercises on the same text page
• Teaching Tips throughout the text, placed at key
points
• Video Answer Section
Instructor-to-Instructor Videos—available in the Instructor Online Resources
Resources section of the MyMathLab course.
Mini-Lectures
• Mini-lectures for each text section
• Additional Practice worksheets for each section
• Several forms of test per chapter—free response
and multiple choice
• Answers to all items
Instructor’s Solutions Manual
TestGen® (Available for download from the IRC)
MyMathLab® (access code required)

MathXL® (access code required)

 Get the most out of
MyMathLab
®

MyMathLab is the world’s leading online resource for teaching and learning
mathematics. MyMathLab helps students and instructors improve results and provides engaging
experiences and personalized learning for each student so learning can happen in any
environment. Plus, it offers flexible and time-saving course-management features to allow
instructors to easily manage their classes while remaining in complete control, regardless of
course format.

Personalized Support for Students

• MyMathLab comes with many learning resources–eText, animations, videos, and more–all
designed to support your students as they progress through their course.

• The Adaptive Study Plan acts as a personal tutor, updating in real time based on student
performance to provide personalized recommendations on what to work on next.
With the new Companion Study Plan assignments, instructors can now assign the
Study Plan as a prerequisite to a test or quiz, helping to guide students through concepts
they need to master.

• Personalized Homework allows instructors to create homework assignments tailored

to each student’s specific needs by focusing on just the topics they have not yet
mastered.

Used by nearly 4 million students each year, the MyMathLab and MyStatLab family of
products delivers consistent, measurable gains in student learning outcomes, retention,
and subsequent course success.

www.mymathlab.com
 Preface xiii

acknowledgments
Many people helped me develop this text, and I will attempt to thank some of them
here. Cindy Trimble was invaluable for contributing to the overall accuracy of the text.
Dawn Nuttall, Emily Keaton and Suellen Robinson were invaluable for their many
suggestions and contributions during the development and writing of this Seventh Edi-
tion. Chakira Lane, Patty Bergin, and Lauren Morse provided guidance throughout the
production process.
A very special thank you goes to my editor, Mary Beckwith, for being there
24/7/365, as my students say. Last, my thanks to the staff at Pearson for all their support:
Michael Hirsch, Rachel Ross, Heather Scott, Michelle Renda, Chris Hoag, and Paul
Corey.
I would like to thank the following reviewers for their input and suggestions:
Sheila Anderson, Housatonic Community College
Tom Blackburn, Northeastern Illinois University
Gail Burkett, Palm Beach State College
James Butterbach, Joliet Junior College
Laura Dyer, Southwestern Illinois College
Sharon Edgemon, Bakersfield College
Hope Essien, Olive-Harvey College
Randa Kress, Idaho State University
Ted Lai, Hudson Community College
Nicole Lang, North Hennepin Community College
Lee LaRue, Paris Junior College
Jeri Lee, Des Moines Area Community College
Jean McArthur, Joliet Junior College
Michael Montano, Riverside Community College
Lisa J. Music, Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Linda Padilla, Joliet Junior College
Scott Perkins, Lake Sumter Community College
Marilyn Platt, Gaston College
Sandy Spears, Jefferson Community College
Ping Charlene Tintera, Texas A & M University
Jane Wampler, Housatonic Community College
Peter Zimmer, West Chester University
I would also like to thank the following dedicated group of instructors who par-
ticipated in our focus groups, Martin-Gay Summits, and our design review for the series.
Their feedback and insights have helped to strengthen this edition of the text. These
instructors include:
Billie Anderson, Tyler Junior College
Cedric Atkins, Mott Community College
Andrea Barnett, Tri-County Technical College
Lois Beardon, Schoolcraft College
Michelle Beerman, Pasco Hernando Community College
Laurel Berry, Bryant & Stratton College
John Beyers, University of Maryland
Bob Brown, Community College of Baltimore County–Essex
Lisa Brown, Community College of Baltimore County–Essex
NeKeith Brown, Richland College
Sue Brown, Guilford Technical Community College
Gail Burkett, Palm Beach State College
Cheryl Cantwell, Seminole Community College
Jackie Cohen, Augusta State College
Julie Dewan, Mohawk Valley Community College
Janice Ervin, Central Piedmont Community College
Richard Fielding, Southwestern College
xiv Preface

Cindy Gaddis, Tyler Junior College

Nita Graham, St. Louis Community College
Pauline Hall, Iowa State College
Elizabeth Hamman, Cypress College
Pat Hussey, Triton College
Dorothy Johnson, Lorain County Community College
Sonya Johnson, Central Piedmont Community College
Irene Jones, Fullerton College
Paul Jones, University of Cincinnati
Kathy Kopelousos, Lewis and Clark Community College
Nancy Lange, Inver Hills Community College
Judy Langer, Westchester Community College
Lisa Lindloff, McLinnan Community College
Sandy Lofstock, St. Petersburg College
Kathy Lovelle, Westchester Community College
Jamie Malek, Florida State College
Jean McArthur, Joliet Junior College
Kevin McCandless, Evergreen Valley College
Daniel Miller, Niagara County Community College
Marica Molle, Metropolitan Community College
Carol Murphy, San Diego Miramar College
Greg Nguyen, Fullerton College
Eric Ollila, Jackson Community College
Linda Padilla, Joliet Junior College
Davidson Pierre, State College of Florida
Marilyn Platt, Gaston College
Susan Poss, Spartanburg Community College
Natalie Rivera, Estrella Mountain Community College
Judy Roane, Pearl River Community College
Claudinna Rowley, Montgomery Community College, Rockville
Ena Salter, Manatee Community College
Carole Shapero, Oakton Community College
Janet Sibol, Hillsborough Community College
Anne Smallen, Mohawk Valley Community College
Barbara Stoner, Reading Area Community College
Jennifer Strehler, Oakton Community College
Ellen Stutes, Louisiana State University Eunice
Tanomo Taguchi, Fullerton College
MaryAnn Tuerk, Elsin Community College
Gwen Turbeville, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Walter Wang, Baruch College
Leigh Ann Wheeler, Greenville Technical Community College
Valerie Wright, Central Piedmont Community College
A special thank you to those students who participated in our design review:
Katherine Browne, Mike Bulfin, Nancy Canipe, Ashley Carpenter, Jeff Chojnachi,
Roxanne Davis, Mike Dieter, Amy Dombrowski, Kay Herring, Todd Jaycox, Kaleena
Levan, Matt Montgomery, Tony Plese, Abigail Polkinghorn, Harley Price, Eli Robinson,
Avery Rosen, Robyn Schott, Cynthia Thomas, and Sherry Ward.

Elayn Martin-Gay
 Preface xv

about the author

Elayn Martin-Gay has taught mathematics at the University of New Orleans for more
than 25 years. Her numerous teaching awards include the local University Alumni
Association’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Outstanding Developmental
Educator at University of New Orleans, presented by the Louisiana Association of
Developmental Educators.
Prior to writing textbooks, Elayn Martin-Gay developed an acclaimed series of
lecture videos to support developmental mathematics students in their quest for suc-
cess. These highly successful videos originally served as the foundation material for her
texts. Today, the videos are specific to each book in the Martin-Gay series. The author
has also created Chapter Test Prep videos to help students during their most “teach-
able moment”—as they prepare for a test—along with Instructor-to-Instructor videos
that provide teaching tips, hints, and suggestions for each developmental mathematics
course, including basic mathematics, prealgebra, beginning algebra, and intermediate
algebra. Her most recent innovations are the Algebra Prep Apps for the iPhone and
iPod Touch. These Apps embrace the different learning styles, schedules, and paces of
students and provide them with quality math tutoring.
Elayn is the author of 12 published textbooks as well as multimedia interac-
tive mathematics, all specializing in developmental mathematics courses. She has
participated as an author across the broadest range of educational materials: textbooks,
videos, tutorial software, and courseware. This offers an opportunity of various combi-
nations for an integrated teaching and learning package offering great consistency for
the student.
This page intentionally left blank
Applications index
A book store closures, 233
Academics. See Education break-even point, 152
Agriculture car rental fees, 288, 298
bug spray mixtures, 489 Coca-Cola production, 142
cranberry-producing states, 16, 142 Coca-Cola sign dimensions, 129
farm sizes in U.S., 189 consulting fees, 513
farmland prices, 224 defective products, 515
farms, number of, 143, 308 delivery service daily operating costs, 533
weed killer mixtures, 489 diamond production, 119
Animals & Insects discounts, 136, 141, 171
beetle species, 119 downsizing, 143, 170, 173
bug spray mixtures, 489 Dunkin’ Donuts stores, 233
cheetah running speeds, 453 employee age, 279
cricket chirps, 121, 131, 132 employee production numbers and hourly wages, 190
dog medicine dosages, 245 employment growth, 172, 233
dog run width, 124 food manufacturing plants, 142
flying fish speeds, 133 gross profit margin, 446
goldfish numbers in tanks, 131 group/bulk pricing, 282–284, 287
grasshopper species, 119 Home Depot revenue, 200
hyenas overtaking giraffes, 491 hourly minimum wage, 243–244
mosquitos, 627 labor estimates, 483–484, 486, 488, 489, 490, 491, 513
pen dimensions, 132 laundromat prices, 218
pet types owned in U.S., 135 manufacturing costs, 187, 250, 427, 446, 500, 513, 515
pet-related expenditures, 188 manufacturing volumes, 209, 353
piranha fish tank dimensions, 131 markup and new price, 171
Astronomy & Space NASDAQ sign dimensions, 129
alignment of planets, 463 net income, 43, 77
Borg spaceship, 533 net sales, 181
comet distance from Earth, 353 occupations predicted to increase, 280
gamma ray conversion by Sun, 354 original price after discount, 171
Julian day numbers, 507 part-time earnings, 491–492
Jupiter, 366 percent increase/decrease, 141, 171, 172
light travel time/distance, 132–133, 354 postage for large envelopes, 244
magnitude of stars, 16–17 price decrease and new price, 143
meteorite weights, 93, 119 price per items purchased, 287, 288
Milky Way, 366 pricing and sales relationship, 233, 289
moon’s light reaching Earth, 355 profits, 233
planet temperatures, 61 proofreading rates, 489
Sun’s light reaching Earth, 355 quantity pricing, 189, 250
telescope elevation above sea level, 353 restaurant employees, 628
weight of body on and above surface of Earth, 497–498, 500 restaurant sales, 218
weights on Earth vs. other planets, 487 restaurants in U.S., 233
Automobiles retail sales from online shopping and mail orders, 581
age of, 223 revenue, 200, 446
air bags, 627 salary after pay raise, 141
bus speeds, 150, 486, 489, 490 sale prices, 142–143, 229
car speeds, 150, 485–486, 488, 489, 490, 513, 556 sales volume, predicting, 229–230
compact cars, cost of operating, 223 self-tanning lotion, 627
dealership discounts, 141 taxi costs per mile, 298
driver’s licenses, 200 volume of items sold at original vs. reduced prices, 289
fuel economy, 223 Walmart stores, 191
motorcycle speeds, 490 word processor charges per hour, 298
registered vehicles on road, 143 work rates, 483–484, 486, 488, 489, 490, 491, 513
sales, 233 years on market and profit relationship, 233
traffic tickets, 151, 489
used car values, 143, 186 C
Aviation Cars. See Automobiles
airplane speed in still air, 288, 489, 490 Chemistry
airport elevations, 50 Avogadro’s number, 354
hang glider flight rate, 133 eyewash stations, 139
hypersonic flight time around Earth, 133 freezing and boiling points of water, 15
jet vs. car distances, 489 lotion mixtures, 144
jet vs. propeller plane speeds, 150, 489 solution mixtures, 138–139, 141, 143, 167, 171, 256, 285–286, 287, 289, 290, 306,
runway length, 132 308, 489, 569, 627, 650
SpaceShipOne rocket plane speed, 455 Communications & Technology
vertical elevation changes, 50 area codes, 116, 173, 650
wind speeds, 288, 488, 489, 490 cell phone discounts, 136
cell phone use, 78, 171
B computers, value of, 185–186
Business & Industry country codes, 119
advertising revenue, 225 Dish Network subscribers, 255
balancing company books, 490 engineers, 198
xvii
xviii Applications index

Communications & Technology (continued ) investment amounts, 148–149, 150, 151, 171, 173, 287, 516
fax machines, 446 loans, money needed to pay off, 321
Google searches, 366 money problems, 147–148
households with computers, 200–201, 222 national debts, 354
Internet advertising, 225 platinum prices, 608
Internet crime complaints, 141 shares of stock owned, 288
Internet usage, 171, 177, 310, 332 silver prices, 608
mobile devices, time spent on, 142 simple interest, 150, 151
music streaming, 380 stamp denominations, 288, 306
network news viewers, 290 stock market gains and losses, 61, 73, 75, 77
newspaper circulation figures, 233 stock prices, 288
radio stations in U.S., 273 Education
social media, 395 ACT Assessment scores, 171
switchboard connections, 427 admission rates, 15
wireless subscribers, 577 associate degrees, 251, 371
Construction & Home Improvement bachelor’s degrees, 272–273, 371
balsa wood stick lengths, 436 book page numbers, 119
baseboard and carpeting measurements, 129 classrooms, 101, 119, 488
beam lengths, 118, 331 college budgeting, 160
blueprint measurements, 487 combination lock codes, 119
board lengths, 91, 93, 109, 113, 118, 120, 170, 469 computer labs, 627
board pricing, 189 desired employment benefits, 143
bridge length, 553 graduate and undergraduate student enrollment, 15, 93
conference table dimensions, 589 high school graduates, 380
deck dimensions, 173, 435, 489 hours spent studying, 189
diagonal brace length, 556 Internet access in classrooms, 143
fencing, 130, 256, 290 students per teacher, 188
fertilizer needs, 131 test scores, 163
gardens, 121, 124, 130, 256, 290, 428, 484 tuition and fees, 137, 252
grass seed, 130 Entertainment & Recreation
ladders, 426, 564–565 card game scores, 50
lawn care, 130, 131 casino gaming, 453
measurement conversions, 452–453, 455 diving, 15, 61, 574–575, 576, 608, 610
molding lengths, 75, 331 DVD sale prices, 171
painting houses, 514 Easter eggs, 163
picture frames, 130 fund-raiser attendance, 289
pipe length, 556 group rate admissions to events, 282–284
roof area, 525 hang gliders, 133, 422
roof pitch, 217, 222, 223 iTunes expenditures, 191
rope lengths, 91, 117 jogging, 200, 306
sewer pipe slope, 222 kites, 556
siding section lengths, 120 movie admission prices, 190, 209
steel section lengths, 117 movie industry revenue, 188
storage bins, 537 movie theater screens, 26, 118, 138, 209
string/wire lengths, 93, 119, 120, 172, 426, 556 movie ticket sales, 255
swimming pools, 170, 321, 361, 428, 489 museums and art galleries, 73
wall border, 130 music CDs, 141, 446
washer circumference, 163 music streaming, 380
water troughs, 537 national park visits, 250, 330, 427
ping-pong tables, 361
d Redbox rentals, 480–481
Demographics sail dimensions, 131, 421–422, 433, 489, 517
age groups predicted to increase on workforce, 279 swimming, 170
birth rate in U.S., 143 tickets sold by type, 150, 282–284, 306
child care centers, 76 tourism expenditures, 222
driver’s licenses, 200 tourist destinations, 176, 187
engineers, 198 video games, 121
Internet usage, 171, 177, 310, 332
joggers, 200 f
male to female ratios, 628 Finance. See Economics & Finance; Personal Finances
occupations predicted to increase, 280 Food & Nutrition
octuplet birth weights, 74 barbecues, 463
pet types owned in U.S., 135 breakfast item prices, 306
population growth, 562 brown sugar, 628
population per square mile of land, 233 calories burned while walking/bicycling, 162
registered nurses, 197–198 calories in food items, 487, 489, 627
water use per person, 255 candy mixtures, 290
world population, 354 chocolate bar dimensions, 589
Distance. See Time & Distance cholesterol in food items, 628
coffee blends, 142, 286, 289
e cook preparation time, 490
Economics & Finance. See also Personal Finances dinner cost with tip, 141
coin/bill denominations, 147–148, 150, 151, 171, 287, 288, drink machines, coin denominations in, 86
306, 612 fishery products, domestic and imported, 257, 265
gold prices, 571, 582 fruit companies, 233
interest rates, 36, 427 liter-bottles of Pepsi, 481
 Applications index xix

nut mixtures, 142, 289, 489 h

nutrition labels, 144 Health & Medicine
pancakes, 627 artificial heart revenue, 589
pepper hotness (Scoville units), 144 blinking rate of human eye, 121
percent decrease/increase of consumption, 143 body mass index, 446
pizza sizes, 131 body surface area of humans, 533
restaurant sales, 218 breast cancer pink ribbons, 132
trail mix ingredients, 144 cephalic index, 446
yogurt production, 253 emergency room visits, 628
fluid consumption, 94
heart transplants, 224
g kidney transplants, 251, 589
Geography
medication administration, 102, 446, 469
continent/regional percentage of Earth’s land, 141
octuplet birth weights, 74
desert areas, 93, 119
organ transplants, 224, 251, 589
elevation, 10, 15, 42, 47, 50, 61
oxygen supply, 627
ponds, 486, 513, 555
pediatric dosages, 446, 469
rope needed to wrap around Earth, 131
registered nurses, 197–198
state counties, 120
smoking and pulse rate, 178
tornado classification, 173
treadmills, 136
volcano heights, 166
woman’s height given femur bone length, 245
wildfires, 182
Home Improvement. See Construction & Home Improvement
Geology
diamond production, 119
glacier flow rates, 122–123, 133
i
Industry. See Business & Industry
lava flow rates, 123, 132
Insects. See Animals & Insects
mixtures, 143
silver prices, 608
stalactites and stalagmites, 133 m
Geometry Medicine. See Health & Medicine
angle measurements, 15, 50, 74, 93, 94, 114–115, 118, 119, 120, 121, 289,
470, 477, 621 N
area, 24, 35–36, 74, 132, 141, 143, 320, 331, 337, 344, 345, 354, 361, 366, 367, Nutrition. See Food & Nutrition
369, 380, 395, 425, 426, 433, 456, 469, 512, 525, 537, 545, 577
billboard dimensions, 132, 170 P
boxes/cubes, 36, 127, 132, 320, 321, 337, 354, 497, 526, 532, 545, 567 Personal Finances
circles, 24–25, 74, 163, 320, 425, 545, 577 bank account balances, 47, 287
circumference, 163 bankruptcy, 516
complementary angle measurements, 50, 93, 120, 289, 470, 477 car rental budget, 298
cylinders, 320, 551, 626 charge account balances, 50
diagonal brace length, 556 interest rates, 36
flag dimensions, 118 loans, money needed to pay off, 321
fraction representations in, 24–25, 74 money problems, 147–148
geodesic dome measurements, 120 part-time earnings, 491–492
golden rectangles, 121 paycheck before deductions, 500
hang glider dimensions, 422 retirement party budgeting, 162
Hoberman Sphere volume, 132 salary after pay raise, 141
parallelograms, 118, 132, 143, 320, 361, 425, 517 sales needed to ensure monthly salary, 171
Pentagon floor space dimensions, 120, 455 savings accounts, 15, 287, 562
pentagons, 110, 131 wedding budget, 160, 162, 298
percent decrease/increase problems, 141, 143 Physics
perimeter, 25, 35–36, 74, 85–86, 109, 110, 127–128, 131–132, 162, 170, 201, Earth’s interior temperature, 353
331, 361, 367, 386, 395, 400, 425, 433, 434, 463, 469, 512, 537 gas volume, 498
polygons, 610 Hoberman Sphere volume, 132
pyramids, 551, 556, 625 pendulum period, 501, 525
Pythagorean theorem, 423–424, 552–554, 566, 567, 622 resistors connected in parallel, 507
quadrilaterals, 94, 101, 119, 425, 433 spring stretching distances, 500, 513
radius, 425, 545, 551, 557, 566, 577 velocity, 555, 557, 604
rectangles, 24, 35–36, 85, 121, 127–128, 141, 162, 170, 201, 320, wind power generated, 490
331, 337, 366, 367, 386, 425, 426, 427, 433, 434, 456, 469, 545, Politics & Government
566, 588, 589 Democrats vs. Republicans, 114
Rubik’s cube side length, 532 governors, 114
sail dimensions, 131, 421–422, 433, 489, 517 national debts, 354
sign dimensions, 125–126, 129, 130, 290 representatives, 114, 256
sphere, 566 Supreme Court decisions, 143
squares, 141, 320, 331, 337, 361, 366, 395, 425, 433, 463, 525, 576
Statue of Liberty height, 628 R
supplementary angle measurements, 50, 93, 120, 289, 470, 477 Real Estate
surface area, 321, 332, 365, 497, 532, 566, 624–626 condominium sales and price relationships, 230
trapezoids, 425, 463 depreciation, 234
triangles, 24, 36, 109, 110, 118, 119, 120, 121, 132, 143, 162, 290, 337, 354, 367, plot perimeter, 109
423–424, 425, 427, 433, 434, 435, 456, 482, 487, 490, 513, 514, 516, 557, 568, Recreation. See Entertainment & Recreation
570, 588, 610, 621–622
Vietnam Veterans Memorial angle measurements, 114–115 s
volume, 36, 127, 132, 320, 321, 337, 354, 361, 545, 624–626 Safety. See Transportation & Safety
Washington Monument height and base, 170, 576 School. See Education
Government. See Politics & Government Space. See Astronomy & Space
xx Applications index
Sports
baseball diamond distances, 525
baseball game admissions, 283–284
baseball game attendance, 265
baseball Hall of Fame admittance, 16
baseball runs batted in, 287
baseball slugging percentage, 446
basketball player heights, 162
basketball points scored, 288
bowling average, 162
disc throwing records, 144
football yards lost/gained, 61, 77
golf flags, 433
golf scores, 43, 58, 172
ice hockey penalty killing percentage, 469
Olympics, 119, 453, 576
quarterback rating, 446
soccer balls, 546
soccer World Cup stadium capacity, 518
stock cars, 455
Super Bowl attendance, 187
tennis prize money, 506
Tour de France, 171
t swimming distance across river current, 532
Technology. See Communications & Technology
Temperature & Weather
average temperatures, 43, 51, 132, 239, 255
changes in, 40, 42, 50, 61, 77
Earth’s interior temperature, 353
highest and lowest temperatures, 40, 42, 50, 132, 171
inequality statements regarding, 15
of planets, 61
snowfall at distances from Equator, 189
sunrise times, 238
sunset times, 243
temperature conversions, 124–125, 126, 128, 130, 132, 171
thermometer readings, 38
tornado classification, 173
Time & Distance
airplane and car traveling same distance, 510–511
airplane speed in still air, 288, 489, 490
baseball diamond distances, 525
bicycling speeds, 488
bicycling travel time, 145, 288
boat speed in still water, 306, 488, 489, 513, 516
boats traveling apart at right angles, 428
bus speeds, 150, 486, 489, 490
car speeds, 150, 485–486, 488, 489, 490, 513, 556
catamaran auto ferry speed, 130
comet distance from Earth, 353
conveyor belt speeds, 488
current speeds, 288, 306
distance apart of vehicles, 557
distance from heightened point, 566
distance traveled over time, 171
dive time, 574–575, 576, 608, 610
driving distance, 150
driving speeds, 36, 151, 485–486, 488, 489, 490
driving time, 130, 132
dropped/falling objects, 35, 233, 325, 330, 365, 368–369, 406–407, 426, 427,
433, 434, 435, 556, 576–577, 589
free-fall time, 420, 500, 575, 576, 608
hiking trails, 25, 146, 308
hyenas overtaking giraffes, 491
hypersonic flight time around Earth, 133
jet vs. car distances, 489
lakes/ponds, distance across, 553, 555, 612
light travel time/distance, 132–133, 354
moon’s light to reach Earth, 355
motorcycle speeds, 490
objects traveling in opposite directions, 151, 173, 284–285, 289, 308, 489, 569,
650
of images and objects to focal length, 437
rate and, 122–123, 494–495
return trip travel time, 500
rope needed to wrap around Earth, 131
rowing against current, 488
rowing distance, 151
rowing rate in still water, 288
sight distance from a height, 557
spring stretching distances, 500, 513
stopping distance of car, 500
Sun’s light to reach Earth, 355
test track time, 501
thrown/launched objects, 386, 419, 426, 433, 589, 604
traffic tickets, 151, 489
train travel speeds, 91, 120, 133, 146–147, 171, 173, 488, 650
travel time, 145–146
walking/running speeds, 284–285, 306, 488, 611–612
walking/running time, 171, 288, 306
wind speeds, 288, 488, 489, 490
Transportation & Safety
air bags, 627
bridges, 91, 225, 553, 577
bus speeds, 150, 486, 489, 490
car speeds, 150, 485–486, 488, 489, 490, 513, 556
catamaran auto ferry speed, 130
cell phone use while driving, 171
cloverleaf exits, 557
grade of roads/railroad tracks, 218, 222, 370
interstate highway length, 93
motorcycle speeds, 490
parking lot dimensions, 130, 525
railroad tracks, 218, 222, 370, 557
road sign dimensions, 125–126, 130, 290, 369
suspension bridge length, 91
taxi costs per mile, 298
traffic tickets, 151, 489
train fares for children and adults, 288
wheelchair ramps, 222
yield signs, 130
v
Vehicles. See Automobiles
w
Weather. See Temperature & Weather
 Chapter

1 Review of Real Numbers

A Selection of Resources for Success in this Mathematics Course

1.1 Study Skill Tips for Success in
Mathematics

1.2 Symbols and Sets of Numbers

1.3 Fractions and Mixed Numbers
1.4 Exponents, Order of Operations,
Variable Expressions, and
Equations

1.5 Adding Real Numbers

1.6 Subtracting Real Numbers
Integrated Review–Operations
on Real Numbers

1.7 Multiplying and Dividing Real

Numbers
Textbook Instructor
1.8 Properties of Real Numbers

CheCk YouR PRogRess

Vocabulary Check
Chapter Highlights
Chapter Review
Getting Ready for the Test
Chapter Test

In this chapter, we review the basic symbols

and words—the language—of arithmetic MyMathLab and MathXL Video Organizer
and introduce using variables in place of
numbers. this is our starting place in the
study of algebra.

Interactive Lecture Series

For more information about the resources illustrated above, read Section 1.1.

1
2 Chapter 1 review of real Numbers
1.1 study skill Tips for success in Mathematics
Objectives
1 Get ready for this Course.
2 Understand Some General
tips for Success.
3 Know how to Use this text.
4 Know how to Use text
resources.
5 Get help as Soon as You
Need It.
6 Learn how to prepare for
and take an exam.
7 Develop Good time
Management.
helpful hint
MyMathLab® and MathXL®
When assignments are turned
in online, keep a hard copy of
your complete written work.
You will need to refer to your
written work to be able to ask
questions and to study for tests
later.
helpful hint
MyMathLab® and MathXL®
If you are doing your home-
work online, you can work
and re-work those exercises
that you struggle with until
you master them. Try working
through all the assigned exer-
cises twice before the due date.
Before reading Section 1.1, you might want to ask yourself a few questions.
1. When you took your last math course, were you organized? Were your notes and
materials from that course easy to find, or were they disorganized and hard to
find—if you saved them at all?
2. Were you satisfied—really satisfied—with your performance in that course? In
other words, do you feel that your outcome represented your best effort?
If the answer is “no” to these questions, then it is time to make a change. Changing to
or resuming good study skill habits is not a process you can start and stop as you please.
It is something that you must remember and practice each and every day. To begin,
continue reading this section.
Objective
1 getting Ready for This Course
Now that you have decided to take this course, remember that a positive attitude will
make all the difference in the world. Your belief that you can succeed is just as impor-
tant as your commitment to this course. Make sure you are ready for this course by
having the time and positive attitude that it takes to succeed.
Make sure that you are familiar with the way that this course is being taught. Is it
a traditional course, in which you have a printed textbook and meet with an instructor?
Is it taught totally online, and your textbook is electronic and you e-mail your instruc-
tor? Or is your course structured somewhere in between these two methods? (Not all
of the tips that follow will apply to all forms of instruction.)
Also make sure that you have scheduled your math course for a time that will
give you the best chance for success. For example, if you are also working, you may
want to check with your employer to make sure that your work hours will not conflict
with your course schedule.
On the day of your first class period, double-check your schedule and allow your-
self extra time to arrive on time in case of traffic problems or difficulty locating your
classroom. Make sure that you are aware of and bring all necessary class materials.
Objective
2 general Tips for success
Below are some general tips that will increase your chance for success in a mathemat-
ics class. Many of these tips will also help you in other courses you may be taking.
Most important! Organize your class materials. In the next couple pages, many ideas
will be presented to help you organize your class materials—notes, any handouts, completed
homework, previous tests, etc. In general, you MUST have these materials organized. All of
them will be valuable references throughout your course and when studying for upcoming
tests and the final exam. One way to make sure you can locate these materials when you
need them is to use a three-ring binder. This binder should be used solely for your math-
ematics class and should be brought to each and every class or lab. This way, any material
can be immediately inserted in a section of this binder and will be there when you need it.
Form study groups and/or exchange names and e-mail addresses. Depending on
how your course is taught, you may want to keep in contact with your fellow students.
Some ways of doing this are to form a study group—whether in person or through
the Internet. Also, you may want to ask if anyone is interested in exchanging e-mail
addresses or any other form of contact.
Choose to attend all class periods. If possible, sit near the front of the classroom.
This way, you will see and hear the presentation better. It may also be easier for you to
participate in classroom activities.
Do your homework. You’ve probably heard the phrase “practice makes perfect”
in relation to music and sports. It also applies to mathematics. You will find that the
more time you spend solving mathematics exercises, the easier the process becomes.
Be sure to schedule enough time to complete your assignments before the due date
assigned by your instructor.

helpful hint
MyMathLab® and MathXL®
If you are completing your
homework online, it’s important
to work each exercise on paper
before submitting the answer.
That way, you can check your
work and follow your steps to
find and correct any mistakes.
helpful hint
MyMathLab® and MathXL®
Be aware of assignments and
due dates set by your instructor.
Don’t wait until the last minute
to submit work online.
Section 1.1 Study Skill tips for Success in Mathematics 3
Check your work. Review the steps you took while working a problem. Learn to
check your answers in the original exercises. You may also compare your answers with
the “Answers to Selected Exercises” section in the back of the book. If you have made
a mistake, try to figure out what went wrong. Then correct your mistake. If you can’t
find what went wrong, don’t erase your work or throw it away. Show your work to your
instructor, a tutor in a math lab, or a classmate. It is easier for someone to find where
you had trouble if he or she looks at your original work.
Learn from your mistakes and be patient with yourself. Everyone, even your in-
structor, makes mistakes. (That definitely includes me—Elayn Martin-Gay.) Use your
errors to learn and to become a better math student. The key is finding and under-
standing your errors.
Was your mistake a careless one, or did you make it because you can’t read your
own math writing? If so, try to work more slowly or write more neatly and make a con-
scious effort to carefully check your work.
Did you make a mistake because you don’t understand a concept? Take the time
to review the concept or ask questions to better understand it.
Did you skip too many steps? Skipping steps or trying to do too many steps men-
tally may lead to preventable mistakes.
Know how to get help if you need it. It’s all right to ask for help. In fact, it’s a good
idea to ask for help whenever there is something that you don’t understand. Make sure
you know when your instructor has office hours and how to find his or her office. Find
out whether math tutoring services are available on your campus. Check on the hours,
location, and requirements of the tutoring service.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You are not the only person in class with ques-
tions. Other students are normally grateful that someone has spoken up.
Turn in assignments on time. This way, you can be sure that you will not lose
points for being late. Show every step of a problem and be neat and organized. Also be
sure that you understand which problems are assigned for homework. If allowed, you
can always double-check the assignment with another student in your class.
Objective
3 knowing and using Your Text
Flip through the pages of this text or view the e-text pages on a computer screen.
Start noticing examples, exercise sets, end-of-chapter material, and so on. Every
text is organized in some manner. Learn the way this text is organized by reading
about and then finding an example in your text of each type of resource listed below.
Finding and using these resources throughout your course will increase your chance
of success.
• Practice Exercises. Each example in every section has a parallel Practice exercise.
As you read a section, try each Practice exercise after you’ve finished the corre-
sponding example. This “learn-by-doing” approach will help you grasp ideas before
you move on to other concepts. Answers are at the back of the text.
• Symbols at the Beginning of an Exercise Set. If you need help with a particular sec-
tion, the symbols listed at the beginning of each exercise set will remind you of the
numerous resources available.
• Objectives. The main section of exercises in each exercise set is referenced by an
example(s). There is also often a section of exercises entitled “Mixed Practice,”
which is referenced by two or more examples or sections. These are mixed exer-
cises written to prepare you for your next exam. Use all of this referencing if you
have trouble completing an assignment from the exercise set.
• Icons (Symbols). Make sure that you understand the meaning of the icons that are
beside many exercises. tells you that the corresponding exercise may be viewed
on the video segment that corresponds to that section. tells you that this exercise
is a writing exercise in which you should answer in complete sentences. tells you
that the exercise involves geometry. tells you that this exercise is worked more
efficiently with the aid of a calculator. Also, a feature called Graphing Calculator
Explorations may be found before select exercise sets.
4 Chapter 1 review of real Numbers
helpful hint
MyMathLab®
In MyMathLab, you have access
to the following video resources:
• Lecture Videos for each
section
• Chapter Test Prep Videos
Use these videos provided by
the author to prepare for class,
review, and study for tests.
• Integrated Reviews. Found in the middle of each chapter, these reviews offer you a
chance to practice—in one place—the many concepts that you have learned sepa-
rately over several sections.
• End-of-Chapter Opportunities. There are many opportunities at the end of each
chapter to help you understand the concepts of the chapter.
Vocabulary Checks contain key vocabulary terms introduced in the chapter.
Chapter Highlights contain chapter summaries and examples.
Chapter Reviews contain review exercises. The first part is organized section by
section and the second part contains a set of mixed exercises.
Getting Ready for the Tests contain conceptual exercises written to prepare stu-
dents for chapter test directions as well as mixed sections of exercises.
Chapter Tests are sample tests to help you prepare for an exam. The Chapter Test
Prep Videos found in the Interactive Lecture Series, MyMathLab, and YouTube
provide the video solution to each question on each Chapter Test.
Cumulative Reviews start at Chapter 2 and are reviews consisting of material from
the beginning of the book to the end of that particular chapter.
• Student Resources in Your Textbook. You will find a Student Resources section at the
back of this textbook. It contains the following to help you study and prepare for tests:
Study Skills Builders contain study skills advice. To increase your chance for suc-
cess in the course, read these study tips and answer the questions.
Bigger Picture—Study Guide Outline provides you with a study guide outline of
the course, with examples.
Practice Final provides you with a Practice Final Exam to help you prepare for a
final. The video solutions to each question are provided in the Interactive DVD
Lecture Series and within MyMathLab®.
• Resources to Check Your Work. The Answers to Selected Exercises section pro-
vides answers to all odd-numbered section exercises and all integrated review and
chapter test exercises.
Objective
4 knowing and using Video and Notebook organizer Resources
Video Resources
Below is a list of video resources that are all made by me—the author of your text,
Elayn Martin-Gay. By making these videos, I can be sure that the methods presented
are consistent with those in the text.
• Interactive DVD Lecture Series. Exercises marked with a are fully worked out
by the author on the DVDs and within MyMathLab. The lecture series provides
approximately 20 minutes of instruction per section and is organized by Objective.
• Chapter Test Prep Videos. These videos provide solutions to all of the Chapter Test
exercises worked out by the author. They can be found in MyMathLab, the Interactive
Lecture series, and YouTube. This supplement is very helpful before a test or exam.
• Student Success Tips. These video segments are about 3 minutes long and are daily
reminders to help you continue practicing and maintaining good organizational
and study habits.
• Final Exam Videos. These video segments provide solutions to each question.
These videos can be found within MyMathLab and the Interactive Lecture Series.
Notebook organizer Resource
This resource is in three-ring notebook ready form. It is to be inserted in a three-ring
binder and completed. This resource is numbered according to the sections in your text
to which they refer.
• Video Organizer. This organizer is closely tied to the Interactive Lecture (Video)
Series. Each section should be completed while watching a lecture video on the
same section. Once completed, you will have a set of notes to accompany the Lec-
ture (Video) Series section by section.

helpful hint
MyMathLab® and MathXL®
• Use the Help Me Solve This
button to get step-by-step
help for the exercise you
are working. You will need
to work an additional exer-
cise of the same type before
you can get credit for having
worked it correctly.
• Use the Video button to view
a video clip of the author
working a similar exercise.
helpful hint
MyMathLab® and MathXL®
Review your written work for
previous assignments. Then,
go back and re-work previous
assignments. Open a previous
assignment, and click Similar
Exercise to generate new ex-
ercises. Re-work the exercises
until you fully understand them
and can work them without
help features.
Section 1.1 Study Skill tips for Success in Mathematics 5
Objective
5 getting help
If you have trouble completing assignments or understanding the mathematics, get
help as soon as you need it! This tip is presented as an objective on its own because it
is so important. In mathematics, usually the material presented in one section builds
on your understanding of the previous section. This means that if you don’t understand
the concepts covered during a class period, there is a good chance that you will not
understand the concepts covered during the next class period. If this happens to you,
get help as soon as you can.
Where can you get help? Many suggestions have been made in this section on
where to get help, and now it is up to you to get it. Try your instructor, a tutoring center,
or a math lab, or you may want to form a study group with fellow classmates. If you do
decide to see your instructor or go to a tutoring center, make sure that you have a neat
notebook and are ready with your questions.
Objective
6 Preparing for and Taking an exam
Make sure that you allow yourself plenty of time to prepare for a test. If you think that
you are a little “math anxious,” it may be that you are not preparing for a test in a way
that will ensure success. The way that you prepare for a test in mathematics is impor-
tant. To prepare for a test:
1. Review your previous homework assignments.
2. Review any notes from class and section-level quizzes you have taken. (If this is a
final exam, also review chapter tests you have taken.)
3. Review concepts and definitions by reading the Chapter Highlights at the end of
each chapter.
4. Practice working out exercises by completing the Chapter Review found at the end
of each chapter. (If this is a final exam, go through a Cumulative Review. There is
one found at the end of each chapter except Chapter 1. Choose the review found
at the end of the latest chapter that you have covered in your course.) Don’t stop
here!
5. It is important that you place yourself in conditions similar to test conditions to
find out how you will perform. In other words, as soon as you feel that you know
the material, get a few blank sheets of paper and take a sample test. There is a
Chapter Test available at the end of each chapter, or you can work selected prob-
lems from the Chapter Review. Your instructor may also provide you with a review
sheet. During this sample test, do not use your notes or your textbook. Then check
your sample test. If your sample test is the Chapter Test in the text, don’t forget
that the video solutions are in MyMathLab, the Interactive Lecture Series, and
YouTube. If you are not satisfied with the results, study the areas that you are weak
in and try again.
6. On the day of the test, allow yourself plenty of time to arrive where you will be
taking your exam.
When taking your test:
1. Read the directions on the test carefully.
2. Read each problem carefully as you take the test. Make sure that you answer the
question asked.
3. Watch your time and pace yourself so that you can attempt each problem on your test.
4. If you have time, check your work and answers.
5. Do not turn your test in early. If you have extra time, spend it double-checking
your work.
6 Chapter 1 review of real Numbers

Objective

7 Managing Your Time

As a college student, you know the demands that classes, homework, work, and family
place on your time. Some days you probably wonder how you’ll ever get everything
done. One key to managing your time is developing a schedule. Here are some hints for
making a schedule:
1. Make a list of all your weekly commitments for the term. Include classes, work,
regular meetings, extracurricular activities, etc. You may also find it helpful to list
such things as laundry, regular workouts, grocery shopping, etc.
2. Next, estimate the time needed for each item on the list. Also make a note of how
often you will need to do each item. Don’t forget to include time estimates for the
reading, studying, and homework you do outside of your classes. You may want to
ask your instructor for help estimating the time needed.
3. In the exercise set that follows, you are asked to block out a typical week on the
schedule grid given. Start with items with fixed time slots like classes and work.
4. Next, include the items on your list with flexible time slots. Think carefully about
how best to schedule items such as study time.
5. Don’t fill up every time slot on the schedule. Remember that you need to allow
time for eating, sleeping, and relaxing! You should also allow a little extra time in
case some items take longer than planned.
6. If you find that your weekly schedule is too full for you to handle, you may need
to make some changes in your workload, classload, or other areas of your life. You
may want to talk to your advisor, manager or supervisor at work, or someone in
your college’s academic counseling center for help with such decisions.

1.1 exercise set MyMathLab ®

1. What is your instructor’s name?
2. What are your instructor’s office location and office hours?
3. What is the best way to contact your instructor?
4. Do you have the name and contact information of at least
one other student in class?
5. Will your instructor allow you to use a calculator in this
class?
6. Why is it important that you write step-by-step solutions
to homework exercises and keep a hard copy of all work
submitted?
7. Is there a tutoring service available on campus? If so, what
are its hours? What services are available?
8. Have you attempted this course before? If so, write down
ways that you might improve your chances of success during
this next attempt.
9. List some steps that you can take if you begin having trouble
understanding the material or completing an assignment. If
you are completing your homework in MyMathLab® and
MathXL®, list the resources you can use for help.
10. How many hours of studying does your instructor advise for
each hour of instruction?
11. What does the icon in this text mean?
12. What does the icon in this text mean?
13. What does the icon in this text mean?
14. What are Practice exercises?
15. When might be the best time to work a Practice exercise?
16. Where are the answers to Practice exercises?
17. What answers are contained in this text and where are they?
18. What are Study Skills Builders and where are they?
19. What and where are Integrated Reviews?
20. How many times is it suggested that you work through the
homework exercises in MathXL® before the submission
deadline?
21. How far in advance of the assigned due date is it suggested
that homework be submitted online? Why?
22. Chapter Highlights are found at the end of each chapter.
Find the Chapter 1 Highlights and explain how you might
use it and how it might be helpful.
 Section 1.1 Study Skill tips for Success in Mathematics 7

23. Chapter Reviews are found at the end of each chapter. Find
the Chapter 1 Review and explain how you might use it and
how it might be useful.
24. Chapter Tests are at the end of each chapter. Find the
Chapter 1 Test and explain how you might use it and how it
might be helpful when preparing for an exam on Chapter 1.
Include how the Chapter Test Prep Videos may help. If you
are working in MyMathLab® and MathXL®, how can you
use previous homework assignments to study?
25. What is the Video Organizer? Explain the contents and how
it might be used.
26. Explain how the Video Organizer can help you when watch-
ing a lecture video.
27. Read or reread Objective 7 and fill out the schedule grid
below.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1:00 a.m.

2:00 a.m.

3:00 a.m.

4:00 a.m.

5:00 a.m.

6:00 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

11:00 a.m.

Noon

1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

4:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

8:00 p.m.

9:00 p.m.

10:00 p.m.

11:00 p.m.

Midnight
8 Chapter 1 review of real Numbers

1.2 symbols and sets of Numbers

Objective

Objectives 1 using a Number Line to order Numbers

1 Use a Number Line to Order
Numbers.
2 translate Sentences into
Mathematical Statements.
3 Identify Natural Numbers,
Whole Numbers, Integers,
rational Numbers, Irrational
Numbers, and real
Numbers.
4 Find the absolute Value
of a real Number.
We begin with a review of the set of natural numbers and the set of whole numbers and
how we use symbols to compare these numbers. A set is a collection of objects, each of
which is called a member or element of the set. A pair of brace symbols 5 6 encloses
the list of elements and is translated as “the set of” or “the set containing.”
helpful hint
Natural Numbers
The three dots (an
The set of natural numbers is 51, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, c6. ellipsis) means that
the list continues in
Whole Numbers the same manner
indefinitely.
The set of whole numbers is 50, 1, 2, 3, 4, c6.

These numbers can be pictured on a number line. We will use number lines often
to help us visualize distance and relationships between numbers.
To draw a number line, first draw a line. Choose a point on the line and label it 0.
To the right of 0, label any other point 1. Being careful to use the same distance as from
0 to 1, mark off equally spaced distances. Label these points 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. Since
e
0 1 2 3 4 5 the whole numbers continue indefinitely, it is not possible to show every whole number
on this number line. The arrow at the right end of the line indicates that the pattern
A Number Line
continues indefinitely.
Picturing whole numbers on a number line helps us see the order of the numbers.
Symbols can be used to describe concisely in writing the order that we see.
The equal symbol = means “is equal to.”
The symbol ≠ means “is not equal to.”
These symbols may be used to form a mathematical statement. The statement might be
true or it might be false. The two statements below are both true.
2 = 2 states that “two is equal to two.”
2 ≠ 6 states that “two is not equal to six.”
If two numbers are not equal, one number is larger than the other.
The symbol 7 means “is greater than.”
The symbol 6 means “is less than.” For example,
3 6 5 states that “three is less than five.”
0 1 2 3 4 5
2 7 0 states that “two is greater than zero.”
35
On a number line, we see that a number to the right of another number is larger.
0 1 2 3 4 5
Similarly, a number to the left of another number is smaller. For example, 3 is to the left
of 5 on a number line, which means that 3 is less than 5, or 3 6 5. Similarly, 2 is to the
2  0 or 0  2 right of 0 on a number line, which means 2 is greater than 0, or 2 7 0. Since 0 is to the
left of 2, we can also say that 0 is less than 2, or 0 6 2.
The symbols ≠, 6 , and 7 are called inequality symbols.

helpful hint
Notice that 2 7 0 has exactly the same meaning as 0 6 2. Switching the order of the num-
bers and reversing the direction of the inequality symbol does not change the meaning of
the statement.
3 6 5 has the same meaning as 5 7 3.
Also notice that, when the statement is true, the inequality arrow points to the smaller
number.
 Section 1.2 Symbols and Sets of Numbers 9

ExamplE 1 Insert 6 , 7 , or = in the space between each pair of numbers to make

each statement true
a. 2 3 b. 7 4 c. 72 27
Solution
a. 2 6 3 since 2 is to the left of 3 on a number line.
b. 7 7 4 since 7 is to the right of 4 on a number line.
c. 72 7 27 since 72 is to the right of 27 on a number line.
Practice
1 Insert 6 , 7 , or = in the space between each pair of numbers to make each
statement true.
a. 5 8 b. 6 4 c. 16 82

Two other symbols are used to compare numbers.

The symbol … means “is less than or equal to.”
The symbol Ú means “is greater than or equal to.” For example,
7 … 10 states that “seven is less than or equal to ten.”
This statement is true since 7 6 10 is true. If either 7 6 10 or 7 = 10 is true, then
7 … 10 is true.
3 Ú 3 states that “three is greater than or equal to three.”
This statement is true since 3 = 3 is true. If either 3 7 3 or 3 = 3 is true, then 3 Ú 3
is true.
The statement 6 Ú 10 is false since neither 6 7 10 nor 6 = 10 is true. The symbols
… and Ú are also called inequality symbols.

ExamplE 2 tell whether each statement is true or false.

a. 8 Ú 8 b. 8 … 8 c. 23 … 0 d. 23 Ú 0
Solution
a. True. Since 8 = 8 is true, then 8 Ú 8 is true.
b. True. Since 8 = 8 is true, then 8 … 8 is true.
c. False. Since neither 23 6 0 nor 23 = 0 is true, then 23 … 0 is false.
d. True. Since 23 7 0 is true, then 23 Ú 0 is true.
Practice
2 Tell whether each statement is true or false.
a. 9 Ú 3 b. 3 Ú 8 c. 25 … 25 d. 4 … 14

Objective

2 Translating sentences
Now, let’s use the symbols discussed to translate sentences into mathematical statements.

ExamplE 3 translate each sentence into a mathematical statement.

a. Nine is less than or equal to eleven.
b. Eight is greater than one.
c. Three is not equal to four.
10 Chapter 1 review of real Numbers

Solution
is less than is greater
a. nine eleven b. eight one
or equal to than
T T T T T T
9 … 11 8 7 1
is not
c. three four
equal to
T T T
3 ≠ 4
Practice
3 Translate each sentence into a mathematical statement.
a. Three is less than eight.
b. Fifteen is greater than or equal to nine.
c. Six is not equal to seven.

Objective

3 Identifying Common sets of Numbers

Whole numbers are not sufficient to describe many situations in the real world. For
example, quantities less than zero must sometimes be represented, such as tempera-
tures less than 0 degrees.
Numbers Less Than Zero on a Number Line

Zero

5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5

Numbers less than 0 are to the left of 0 and are labeled -1, -2, -3, and so on.
A - sign, such as the one in -1, tells us that the number is to the left of 0 on a number
line. In words, -1 is read “negative one.” A + sign or no sign tells us that a number lies
to the right of 0 on a number line. For example, 3 and +3 both mean positive three.
The numbers we have pictured are called the set of integers. Integers to the left of
0 are called negative integers; integers to the right of 0 are called positive integers. The
integer 0 is neither positive nor negative.

negative integers positive integers

5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5

The ellipses (three

dots) to the left and to
integers the right indicate that
the positive integers
The set of integers is 5 c , -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, c6. and the negative
integers continue
indefinitely.

E xa mplE 4 Use an integer to express the number in the following. “pole of Inaccessibil-
ity, antarctica, is the coldest location in the world, with an average annual temperature of 72 degrees
below zero.” (Source: The Guinness Book of Records )
Solution The integer -72 represents 72 degrees below zero.
Practice
4 Use an integer to express the number in the following. The elevation of
Laguna Salada in Mexico is 10 meters below sea level. (Source: The World
Almanac)
 Section 1.2 Symbols and Sets of Numbers 11

A problem with integers in real-life settings arises when quantities are smaller
than some integer but greater than the next smallest integer. On a number line, these
quantities may be visualized by points between integers. Some of these quantities be-
tween integers can be represented as a quotient of integers. For example,
1
The point on a number line halfway between 0 and 1 can be represented by ,
h q q # t 2
a quotient of integers.
e 1
3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 The point on a number line halfway between 0 and -1 can be represented by - .
2
Other quotients of integers and their graphs are shown to the left.
These numbers, each of which can be represented as a quotient of integers, are ex-
amples of rational numbers. It’s not possible to list the set of rational numbers using
the notation that we have been using. For this reason, we will use a different notation.

Rational Numbers
a
e ` a and b are integers and b ≠ 0 f
b

a
We read this set as “the set of all numbers such that a and b are integers and b is
b
not equal to 0.” Notice that every integer is also a rational number since each integer
can be expressed as a quotient of integers. For example, the integer 5 is also a rational
5
number since 5 = .
1
1 unit The number line also contains points that cannot be expressed as quotients of
irrational
integers. These numbers are called irrational numbers because they cannot be repre-
number sented by rational numbers. For example, 12 and p are irrational numbers.

2 units
irrational Numbers
The set of irrational numbers is
5Nonrational numbers that correspond to points on a number line6.
That is, an irrational number is a number that cannot be expressed as a quotient
of integers.

Both rational numbers and irrational numbers can be written as decimal numbers. The
decimal equivalent of a rational number will either terminate or repeat in a pattern.
For example, upon dividing we find that
3
= 0.75 1decimal number terminates or ends2
Rational 4
d
Numbers 2
= 0.66666 c1decimal number repeats in a pattern2
3
The decimal representation of an irrational number will neither terminate nor repeat.
For example, the decimal representations of irrational numbers 12 and p are
Irrational 12 = 1.414213562 c1decimal number does not terminate or repeat in a pattern2
e
Numbers p = 3.141592653 c 1decimal number does not terminate or repeat in a pattern2
(For further review of decimals, see the Appendix.)
Combining the rational numbers with the irrational numbers gives the set of real
numbers. One and only one point on a number line corresponds to each real number.

Real Numbers
The set of real numbers is
5All numbers that correspond to points on a number line6
12 Chapter 1 review of real Numbers

helpful hint
From our previous definitions, we have that
Every real number is either

a rational number or an irrational number

On the following number line, we see that real numbers can be positive, negative,
or 0. Numbers to the left of 0 are called negative numbers; numbers to the right of 0 are
called positive numbers. Positive and negative numbers are also called signed numbers.
Zero
Negative numbers Positive numbers

5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5

Several different sets of numbers have been discussed in this section. The follow-
ing diagram shows the relationships among these sets of real numbers.

Common Sets of Numbers

Real Numbers
47
18, q, 0, 2, p, 10

Irrational Numbers Rational Numbers

27
p, 7 35, √, 0, 5, 11

Noninteger Rational Integers

Numbers 10, 0, 8
30
}, Ï, 13

Negative Integers Whole Numbers

20, 13, 1 0, 2, 56, 198

Zero Natural Numbers or

0 Positive Integers
1, 16, 170

1
ExamplE 5 Given the set e -2, 0, , -1.5, 112, -3, 11, 22f, list the numbers in
4
this set that belong to the set of:
a. Natural numbers b. Whole numbers
c. Integers d. Rational numbers
e. Irrational numbers f. Real numbers
Solution
a. The natural numbers are 11 and 112.
b. The whole numbers are 0, 11, and 112.
c. The integers are -3, -2, 0, 11, and 112.
d. Recall that integers are rational numbers also. The rational numbers are
1
-3, -2, -1.5, 0, , 11, and 112.
4
e. The irrational number is 12.
f. The real numbers are all numbers in the given set.
 Section 1.2 Symbols and Sets of Numbers 13

Practice
7 3
5 Given the set e 25, , -15, - , 25, -3.7, 8.8, -99 f , list the numbers in this
3 4
set that belong to the set of:
a. Natural numbers b. Whole numbers
c. Integers d. Rational numbers
e. Irrational numbers f. Real numbers

We now extend the meaning and use of inequality symbols such as 6 and 7 to
all real numbers.

Order Property for Real Numbers

For any two real numbers a and b, a is less than b if a is to the left of b on a
number line.
a b
a  b or also b  a

Ex ampl E 6 Insert 6 , 7 , or = in the appropriate space to make each statement true.

14
a. -1 0 b. 7 c. -5 -6
2
Solution
a. -1 6 0 since -1 is to the left of 0 on a number line.

2 1 0 1 2

1  0
14 14
b. 7 = since simplifies to 7.
2 2
c. -5 7 -6 since -5 is to the right of -6 on a number line.

7 6 5 4 3

5  6

Practice
6 Insert 6 , 7 , or = in the appropriate space to make each statement true.
12
a. 0 3 b. 15 -5 c. 3
4

Objective
4 Finding the Absolute Value of a Real Number
A number line also helps us visualize the distance between numbers. The distance be-
tween a real number a and 0 is given a special name called the absolute value of a. “The
absolute value of a” is written in symbols as 0 a 0 .

Absolute value
The absolute value of a real number a, denoted by 0 a 0 , is the distance between a
and 0 on a number line.

3 units 3 units
For example, 0 3 0 = 3 and 0 -3 0 = 3 since both 3 and -3 are a distance of 3 units
3 2 1 0 1 2 3 from 0 on a number line.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI

Newala, too, suffers from the distance of its water-supply—at least

the Newala of to-day does; there was once another Newala in a lovely
valley at the foot of the plateau. I visited it and found scarcely a trace
of houses, only a Christian cemetery, with the graves of several
missionaries and their converts, remaining as a monument of its
former glories. But the surroundings are wonderfully beautiful. A
thick grove of splendid mango-trees closes in the weather-worn
crosses and headstones; behind them, combining the useful and the
agreeable, is a whole plantation of lemon-trees covered with ripe
fruit; not the small African kind, but a much larger and also juicier
imported variety, which drops into the hands of the passing traveller,
without calling for any exertion on his part. Old Newala is now under
the jurisdiction of the native pastor, Daudi, at Chingulungulu, who,
as I am on very friendly terms with him, allows me, as a matter of
course, the use of this lemon-grove during my stay at Newala.
 FEET MUTILATED BY THE RAVAGES OF THE “JIGGER”
(Sarcopsylla penetrans)

The water-supply of New Newala is in the bottom of the valley,

some 1,600 feet lower down. The way is not only long and fatiguing,
but the water, when we get it, is thoroughly bad. We are suffering not
only from this, but from the fact that the arrangements at Newala are
nothing short of luxurious. We have a separate kitchen—a hut built
against the boma palisade on the right of the baraza, the interior of
which is not visible from our usual position. Our two cooks were not
long in finding this out, and they consequently do—or rather neglect
to do—what they please. In any case they do not seem to be very
particular about the boiling of our drinking-water—at least I can
attribute to no other cause certain attacks of a dysenteric nature,
from which both Knudsen and I have suffered for some time. If a
man like Omari has to be left unwatched for a moment, he is capable
of anything. Besides this complaint, we are inconvenienced by the
state of our nails, which have become as hard as glass, and crack on
the slightest provocation, and I have the additional infliction of
pimples all over me. As if all this were not enough, we have also, for
the last week been waging war against the jigger, who has found his
Eldorado in the hot sand of the Makonde plateau. Our men are seen
all day long—whenever their chronic colds and the dysentery likewise
raging among them permit—occupied in removing this scourge of
Africa from their feet and trying to prevent the disastrous
consequences of its presence. It is quite common to see natives of
this place with one or two toes missing; many have lost all their toes,
or even the whole front part of the foot, so that a well-formed leg
ends in a shapeless stump. These ravages are caused by the female of
Sarcopsylla penetrans, which bores its way under the skin and there
develops an egg-sac the size of a pea. In all books on the subject, it is
stated that one’s attention is called to the presence of this parasite by
an intolerable itching. This agrees very well with my experience, so
far as the softer parts of the sole, the spaces between and under the
toes, and the side of the foot are concerned, but if the creature
penetrates through the harder parts of the heel or ball of the foot, it
may escape even the most careful search till it has reached maturity.
Then there is no time to be lost, if the horrible ulceration, of which
we see cases by the dozen every day, is to be prevented. It is much
easier, by the way, to discover the insect on the white skin of a
European than on that of a native, on which the dark speck scarcely
shows. The four or five jiggers which, in spite of the fact that I
constantly wore high laced boots, chose my feet to settle in, were
taken out for me by the all-accomplished Knudsen, after which I
thought it advisable to wash out the cavities with corrosive
sublimate. The natives have a different sort of disinfectant—they fill
the hole with scraped roots. In a tiny Makua village on the slope of
the plateau south of Newala, we saw an old woman who had filled all
the spaces under her toe-nails with powdered roots by way of
prophylactic treatment. What will be the result, if any, who can say?
The rest of the many trifling ills which trouble our existence are
really more comic than serious. In the absence of anything else to
smoke, Knudsen and I at last opened a box of cigars procured from
the Indian store-keeper at Lindi, and tried them, with the most
distressing results. Whether they contain opium or some other
narcotic, neither of us can say, but after the tenth puff we were both
“off,” three-quarters stupefied and unspeakably wretched. Slowly we
recovered—and what happened next? Half-an-hour later we were
once more smoking these poisonous concoctions—so insatiable is the
craving for tobacco in the tropics.
Even my present attacks of fever scarcely deserve to be taken
seriously. I have had no less than three here at Newala, all of which
have run their course in an incredibly short time. In the early
afternoon, I am busy with my old natives, asking questions and
making notes. The strong midday coffee has stimulated my spirits to
an extraordinary degree, the brain is active and vigorous, and work
progresses rapidly, while a pleasant warmth pervades the whole
body. Suddenly this gives place to a violent chill, forcing me to put on
my overcoat, though it is only half-past three and the afternoon sun
is at its hottest. Now the brain no longer works with such acuteness
and logical precision; more especially does it fail me in trying to
establish the syntax of the difficult Makua language on which I have
ventured, as if I had not enough to do without it. Under the
circumstances it seems advisable to take my temperature, and I do
so, to save trouble, without leaving my seat, and while going on with
my work. On examination, I find it to be 101·48°. My tutors are
abruptly dismissed and my bed set up in the baraza; a few minutes
later I am in it and treating myself internally with hot water and
lemon-juice.
Three hours later, the thermometer marks nearly 104°, and I make
them carry me back into the tent, bed and all, as I am now perspiring
heavily, and exposure to the cold wind just beginning to blow might
mean a fatal chill. I lie still for a little while, and then find, to my
great relief, that the temperature is not rising, but rather falling. This
is about 7.30 p.m. At 8 p.m. I find, to my unbounded astonishment,
that it has fallen below 98·6°, and I feel perfectly well. I read for an
hour or two, and could very well enjoy a smoke, if I had the
wherewithal—Indian cigars being out of the question.
Having no medical training, I am at a loss to account for this state
of things. It is impossible that these transitory attacks of high fever
should be malarial; it seems more probable that they are due to a
kind of sunstroke. On consulting my note-book, I become more and
more inclined to think this is the case, for these attacks regularly
follow extreme fatigue and long exposure to strong sunshine. They at
least have the advantage of being only short interruptions to my
work, as on the following morning I am always quite fresh and fit.
My treasure of a cook is suffering from an enormous hydrocele which
makes it difficult for him to get up, and Moritz is obliged to keep in
the dark on account of his inflamed eyes. Knudsen’s cook, a raw boy
from somewhere in the bush, knows still less of cooking than Omari;
consequently Nils Knudsen himself has been promoted to the vacant
post. Finding that we had come to the end of our supplies, he began
by sending to Chingulungulu for the four sucking-pigs which we had
bought from Matola and temporarily left in his charge; and when
they came up, neatly packed in a large crate, he callously slaughtered
the biggest of them. The first joint we were thoughtless enough to
entrust for roasting to Knudsen’s mshenzi cook, and it was
consequently uneatable; but we made the rest of the animal into a
jelly which we ate with great relish after weeks of underfeeding,
consuming incredible helpings of it at both midday and evening
meals. The only drawback is a certain want of variety in the tinned
vegetables. Dr. Jäger, to whom the Geographical Commission
entrusted the provisioning of the expeditions—mine as well as his
own—because he had more time on his hands than the rest of us,
seems to have laid in a huge stock of Teltow turnips,[46] an article of
food which is all very well for occasional use, but which quickly palls
when set before one every day; and we seem to have no other tins
left. There is no help for it—we must put up with the turnips; but I
am certain that, once I am home again, I shall not touch them for ten
years to come.
Amid all these minor evils, which, after all, go to make up the
genuine flavour of Africa, there is at least one cheering touch:
Knudsen has, with the dexterity of a skilled mechanic, repaired my 9
× 12 cm. camera, at least so far that I can use it with a little care.
How, in the absence of finger-nails, he was able to accomplish such a
ticklish piece of work, having no tool but a clumsy screw-driver for
taking to pieces and putting together again the complicated
mechanism of the instantaneous shutter, is still a mystery to me; but
he did it successfully. The loss of his finger-nails shows him in a light
contrasting curiously enough with the intelligence evinced by the
above operation; though, after all, it is scarcely surprising after his
ten years’ residence in the bush. One day, at Lindi, he had occasion
to wash a dog, which must have been in need of very thorough
cleansing, for the bottle handed to our friend for the purpose had an
extremely strong smell. Having performed his task in the most
conscientious manner, he perceived with some surprise that the dog
did not appear much the better for it, and was further surprised by
finding his own nails ulcerating away in the course of the next few
days. “How was I to know that carbolic acid has to be diluted?” he
mutters indignantly, from time to time, with a troubled gaze at his
mutilated finger-tips.
 Since we came to Newala we have been making excursions in all
directions through the surrounding country, in accordance with old
habit, and also because the akida Sefu did not get together the tribal
elders from whom I wanted information so speedily as he had
promised. There is, however, no harm done, as, even if seen only
from the outside, the country and people are interesting enough.
The Makonde plateau is like a large rectangular table rounded off
at the corners. Measured from the Indian Ocean to Newala, it is
about seventy-five miles long, and between the Rovuma and the
Lukuledi it averages fifty miles in breadth, so that its superficial area
is about two-thirds of that of the kingdom of Saxony. The surface,
however, is not level, but uniformly inclined from its south-western
edge to the ocean. From the upper edge, on which Newala lies, the
eye ranges for many miles east and north-east, without encountering
any obstacle, over the Makonde bush. It is a green sea, from which
here and there thick clouds of smoke rise, to show that it, too, is
inhabited by men who carry on their tillage like so many other
primitive peoples, by cutting down and burning the bush, and
manuring with the ashes. Even in the radiant light of a tropical day
such a fire is a grand sight.
Much less effective is the impression produced just now by the
great western plain as seen from the edge of the plateau. As often as
time permits, I stroll along this edge, sometimes in one direction,
sometimes in another, in the hope of finding the air clear enough to
let me enjoy the view; but I have always been disappointed.
Wherever one looks, clouds of smoke rise from the burning bush,
and the air is full of smoke and vapour. It is a pity, for under more
favourable circumstances the panorama of the whole country up to
the distant Majeje hills must be truly magnificent. It is of little use
taking photographs now, and an outline sketch gives a very poor idea
of the scenery. In one of these excursions I went out of my way to
make a personal attempt on the Makonde bush. The present edge of
the plateau is the result of a far-reaching process of destruction
through erosion and denudation. The Makonde strata are
everywhere cut into by ravines, which, though short, are hundreds of
yards in depth. In consequence of the loose stratification of these
beds, not only are the walls of these ravines nearly vertical, but their
upper end is closed by an equally steep escarpment, so that the
western edge of the Makonde plateau is hemmed in by a series of
deep, basin-like valleys. In order to get from one side of such a ravine
to the other, I cut my way through the bush with a dozen of my men.
It was a very open part, with more grass than scrub, but even so the
short stretch of less than two hundred yards was very hard work; at
the end of it the men’s calicoes were in rags and they themselves
bleeding from hundreds of scratches, while even our strong khaki
suits had not escaped scatheless.

NATIVE PATH THROUGH THE MAKONDE BUSH, NEAR

MAHUTA

I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
 The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.

MAKONDE LOCK AND KEY AT JUMBE CHAURO

 This is the general way of closing a house. The Makonde at Jumbe
Chauro, however, have a much more complicated, solid and original
one. Here, too, the door is as already described, except that there is
only one post on the inside, standing by itself about six inches from
one side of the doorway. Opposite this post is a hole in the wall just
large enough to admit a man’s arm. The door is closed inside by a
large wooden bolt passing through a hole in this post and pressing
with its free end against the door. The other end has three holes into
which fit three pegs running in vertical grooves inside the post. The
door is opened with a wooden key about a foot long, somewhat
curved and sloped off at the butt; the other end has three pegs
corresponding to the holes, in the bolt, so that, when it is thrust
through the hole in the wall and inserted into the rectangular
opening in the post, the pegs can be lifted and the bolt drawn out.[50]

MODE OF INSERTING THE KEY

With no small pride first one householder and then a second

showed me on the spot the action of this greatest invention of the
Makonde Highlands. To both with an admiring exclamation of
“Vizuri sana!” (“Very fine!”). I expressed the wish to take back these
marvels with me to Ulaya, to show the Wazungu what clever fellows
the Makonde are. Scarcely five minutes after my return to camp at
Newala, the two men came up sweating under the weight of two
heavy logs which they laid down at my feet, handing over at the same
time the keys of the fallen fortress. Arguing, logically enough, that if
the key was wanted, the lock would be wanted with it, they had taken
their axes and chopped down the posts—as it never occurred to them
to dig them out of the ground and so bring them intact. Thus I have
two badly damaged specimens, and the owners, instead of praise,
come in for a blowing-up.
The Makua huts in the environs of Newala are especially
miserable; their more than slovenly construction reminds one of the
temporary erections of the Makua at Hatia’s, though the people here
have not been concerned in a war. It must therefore be due to
congenital idleness, or else to the absence of a powerful chief. Even
the baraza at Mlipa’s, a short hour’s walk south-east of Newala,
shares in this general neglect. While public buildings in this country
are usually looked after more or less carefully, this is in evident
danger of being blown over by the first strong easterly gale. The only
attractive object in this whole district is the grave of the late chief
Mlipa. I visited it in the morning, while the sun was still trying with
partial success to break through the rolling mists, and the circular
grove of tall euphorbias, which, with a broken pot, is all that marks
the old king’s resting-place, impressed one with a touch of pathos.
Even my very materially-minded carriers seemed to feel something
of the sort, for instead of their usual ribald songs, they chanted
solemnly, as we marched on through the dense green of the Makonde
bush:—
 “We shall arrive with the great master; we stand in a row and have
no fear about getting our food and our money from the Serkali (the
Government). We are not afraid; we are going along with the great
master, the lion; we are going down to the coast and back.”
With regard to the characteristic features of the various tribes here
on the western edge of the plateau, I can arrive at no other
conclusion than the one already come to in the plain, viz., that it is
impossible for anyone but a trained anthropologist to assign any
given individual at once to his proper tribe. In fact, I think that even
an anthropological specialist, after the most careful examination,
might find it a difficult task to decide. The whole congeries of peoples
collected in the region bounded on the west by the great Central
African rift, Tanganyika and Nyasa, and on the east by the Indian
Ocean, are closely related to each other—some of their languages are
only distinguished from one another as dialects of the same speech,
and no doubt all the tribes present the same shape of skull and
structure of skeleton. Thus, surely, there can be no very striking
differences in outward appearance.
 Even did such exist, I should have no time
to concern myself with them, for day after day,
I have to see or hear, as the case may be—in
any case to grasp and record—an
extraordinary number of ethnographic
phenomena. I am almost disposed to think it
fortunate that some departments of inquiry, at
least, are barred by external circumstances.
Chief among these is the subject of iron-
working. We are apt to think of Africa as a
country where iron ore is everywhere, so to
speak, to be picked up by the roadside, and
where it would be quite surprising if the
inhabitants had not learnt to smelt the
material ready to their hand. In fact, the
knowledge of this art ranges all over the
continent, from the Kabyles in the north to the
Kafirs in the south. Here between the Rovuma
and the Lukuledi the conditions are not so
favourable. According to the statements of the
Makonde, neither ironstone nor any other
form of iron ore is known to them. They have
not therefore advanced to the art of smelting
the metal, but have hitherto bought all their
THE ANCESTRESS OF
THE MAKONDE
iron implements from neighbouring tribes.
Even in the plain the inhabitants are not much
better off. Only one man now living is said to
understand the art of smelting iron. This old fundi lives close to
Huwe, that isolated, steep-sided block of granite which rises out of
the green solitude between Masasi and Chingulungulu, and whose
jagged and splintered top meets the traveller’s eye everywhere. While
still at Masasi I wished to see this man at work, but was told that,
frightened by the rising, he had retired across the Rovuma, though
he would soon return. All subsequent inquiries as to whether the
fundi had come back met with the genuine African answer, “Bado”
(“Not yet”).
 BRAZIER

Some consolation was afforded me by a brassfounder, whom I

came across in the bush near Akundonde’s. This man is the favourite
of women, and therefore no doubt of the gods; he welds the glittering
brass rods purchased at the coast into those massive, heavy rings
which, on the wrists and ankles of the local fair ones, continually give
me fresh food for admiration. Like every decent master-craftsman he
had all his tools with him, consisting of a pair of bellows, three
crucibles and a hammer—nothing more, apparently. He was quite
willing to show his skill, and in a twinkling had fixed his bellows on
the ground. They are simply two goat-skins, taken off whole, the four
legs being closed by knots, while the upper opening, intended to
admit the air, is kept stretched by two pieces of wood. At the lower
end of the skin a smaller opening is left into which a wooden tube is
stuck. The fundi has quickly borrowed a heap of wood-embers from
the nearest hut; he then fixes the free ends of the two tubes into an
earthen pipe, and clamps them to the ground by means of a bent
piece of wood. Now he fills one of his small clay crucibles, the dross
on which shows that they have been long in use, with the yellow
material, places it in the midst of the embers, which, at present are
only faintly glimmering, and begins his work. In quick alternation
the smith’s two hands move up and down with the open ends of the
bellows; as he raises his hand he holds the slit wide open, so as to let
the air enter the skin bag unhindered. In pressing it down he closes
the bag, and the air puffs through the bamboo tube and clay pipe into
the fire, which quickly burns up. The smith, however, does not keep
on with this work, but beckons to another man, who relieves him at
the bellows, while he takes some more tools out of a large skin pouch
carried on his back. I look on in wonder as, with a smooth round
stick about the thickness of a finger, he bores a few vertical holes into
the clean sand of the soil. This should not be difficult, yet the man
seems to be taking great pains over it. Then he fastens down to the
ground, with a couple of wooden clamps, a neat little trough made by
splitting a joint of bamboo in half, so that the ends are closed by the
two knots. At last the yellow metal has attained the right consistency,
and the fundi lifts the crucible from the fire by means of two sticks
split at the end to serve as tongs. A short swift turn to the left—a
tilting of the crucible—and the molten brass, hissing and giving forth
clouds of smoke, flows first into the bamboo mould and then into the
holes in the ground.
The technique of this backwoods craftsman may not be very far
advanced, but it cannot be denied that he knows how to obtain an
adequate result by the simplest means. The ladies of highest rank in
this country—that is to say, those who can afford it, wear two kinds
of these massive brass rings, one cylindrical, the other semicircular
in section. The latter are cast in the most ingenious way in the
bamboo mould, the former in the circular hole in the sand. It is quite
a simple matter for the fundi to fit these bars to the limbs of his fair
customers; with a few light strokes of his hammer he bends the
pliable brass round arm or ankle without further inconvenience to
the wearer.
SHAPING THE POT

SMOOTHING WITH MAIZE-COB

CUTTING THE EDGE

 FINISHING THE BOTTOM

LAST SMOOTHING BEFORE

BURNING

FIRING THE BRUSH-PILE

 LIGHTING THE FARTHER SIDE OF
THE PILE

TURNING THE RED-HOT VESSEL

NYASA WOMAN MAKING POTS AT MASASI

Pottery is an art which must always and everywhere excite the
interest of the student, just because it is so intimately connected with
the development of human culture, and because its relics are one of
the principal factors in the reconstruction of our own condition in
prehistoric times. I shall always remember with pleasure the two or
three afternoons at Masasi when Salim Matola’s mother, a slightly-
built, graceful, pleasant-looking woman, explained to me with
touching patience, by means of concrete illustrations, the ceramic art
of her people. The only implements for this primitive process were a
lump of clay in her left hand, and in the right a calabash containing
the following valuables: the fragment of a maize-cob stripped of all
its grains, a smooth, oval pebble, about the size of a pigeon’s egg, a
few chips of gourd-shell, a bamboo splinter about the length of one’s
hand, a small shell, and a bunch of some herb resembling spinach.
 Nothing more. The woman scraped with the
shell a round, shallow hole in the soft, fine
sand of the soil, and, when an active young
girl had filled the calabash with water for her,
she began to knead the clay. As if by magic it
gradually assumed the shape of a rough but
already well-shaped vessel, which only wanted
a little touching up with the instruments
before mentioned. I looked out with the
MAKUA WOMAN closest attention for any indication of the use
MAKING A POT. of the potter’s wheel, in however rudimentary
SHOWS THE a form, but no—hapana (there is none). The
BEGINNINGS OF THE embryo pot stood firmly in its little
POTTER’S WHEEL
depression, and the woman walked round it in
a stooping posture, whether she was removing
small stones or similar foreign bodies with the maize-cob, smoothing
the inner or outer surface with the splinter of bamboo, or later, after
letting it dry for a day, pricking in the ornamentation with a pointed
bit of gourd-shell, or working out the bottom, or cutting the edge
with a sharp bamboo knife, or giving the last touches to the finished
vessel. This occupation of the women is infinitely toilsome, but it is
without doubt an accurate reproduction of the process in use among
our ancestors of the Neolithic and Bronze ages.
There is no doubt that the invention of pottery, an item in human
progress whose importance cannot be over-estimated, is due to
women. Rough, coarse and unfeeling, the men of the horde range
over the countryside. When the united cunning of the hunters has
succeeded in killing the game; not one of them thinks of carrying
home the spoil. A bright fire, kindled by a vigorous wielding of the
drill, is crackling beside them; the animal has been cleaned and cut
up secundum artem, and, after a slight singeing, will soon disappear
under their sharp teeth; no one all this time giving a single thought
to wife or child.
To what shifts, on the other hand, the primitive wife, and still more
the primitive mother, was put! Not even prehistoric stomachs could
endure an unvarying diet of raw food. Something or other suggested
the beneficial effect of hot water on the majority of approved but
indigestible dishes. Perhaps a neighbour had tried holding the hard
roots or tubers over the fire in a calabash filled with water—or maybe
an ostrich-egg-shell, or a hastily improvised vessel of bark. They
became much softer and more palatable than they had previously
been; but, unfortunately, the vessel could not stand the fire and got
charred on the outside. That can be remedied, thought our
ancestress, and plastered a layer of wet clay round a similar vessel.
This is an improvement; the cooking utensil remains uninjured, but
the heat of the fire has shrunk it, so that it is loose in its shell. The
next step is to detach it, so, with a firm grip and a jerk, shell and
kernel are separated, and pottery is invented. Perhaps, however, the
discovery which led to an intelligent use of the burnt-clay shell, was
made in a slightly different way. Ostrich-eggs and calabashes are not
to be found in every part of the world, but everywhere mankind has
arrived at the art of making baskets out of pliant materials, such as
bark, bast, strips of palm-leaf, supple twigs, etc. Our inventor has no
water-tight vessel provided by nature. “Never mind, let us line the
basket with clay.” This answers the purpose, but alas! the basket gets
burnt over the blazing fire, the woman watches the process of
cooking with increasing uneasiness, fearing a leak, but no leak
appears. The food, done to a turn, is eaten with peculiar relish; and
the cooking-vessel is examined, half in curiosity, half in satisfaction
at the result. The plastic clay is now hard as stone, and at the same
time looks exceedingly well, for the neat plaiting of the burnt basket
is traced all over it in a pretty pattern. Thus, simultaneously with
pottery, its ornamentation was invented.
Primitive woman has another claim to respect. It was the man,
roving abroad, who invented the art of producing fire at will, but the
woman, unable to imitate him in this, has been a Vestal from the
earliest times. Nothing gives so much trouble as the keeping alight of
the smouldering brand, and, above all, when all the men are absent
from the camp. Heavy rain-clouds gather, already the first large
drops are falling, the first gusts of the storm rage over the plain. The
little flame, a greater anxiety to the woman than her own children,
flickers unsteadily in the blast. What is to be done? A sudden thought
occurs to her, and in an instant she has constructed a primitive hut
out of strips of bark, to protect the flame against rain and wind.
This, or something very like it, was the way in which the principle
of the house was discovered; and even the most hardened misogynist
cannot fairly refuse a woman the credit of it. The protection of the
hearth-fire from the weather is the germ from which the human
dwelling was evolved. Men had little, if any share, in this forward
step, and that only at a late stage. Even at the present day, the
plastering of the housewall with clay and the manufacture of pottery
are exclusively the women’s business. These are two very significant
survivals. Our European kitchen-garden, too, is originally a woman’s
invention, and the hoe, the primitive instrument of agriculture, is,
characteristically enough, still used in this department. But the
noblest achievement which we owe to the other sex is unquestionably
the art of cookery. Roasting alone—the oldest process—is one for
which men took the hint (a very obvious one) from nature. It must
have been suggested by the scorched carcase of some animal
overtaken by the destructive forest-fires. But boiling—the process of
improving organic substances by the help of water heated to boiling-
point—is a much later discovery. It is so recent that it has not even
yet penetrated to all parts of the world. The Polynesians understand
how to steam food, that is, to cook it, neatly wrapped in leaves, in a
hole in the earth between hot stones, the air being excluded, and
(sometimes) a few drops of water sprinkled on the stones; but they
do not understand boiling.
To come back from this digression, we find that the slender Nyasa
woman has, after once more carefully examining the finished pot,
put it aside in the shade to dry. On the following day she sends me
word by her son, Salim Matola, who is always on hand, that she is
going to do the burning, and, on coming out of my house, I find her
already hard at work. She has spread on the ground a layer of very
dry sticks, about as thick as one’s thumb, has laid the pot (now of a
yellowish-grey colour) on them, and is piling brushwood round it.
My faithful Pesa mbili, the mnyampara, who has been standing by,
most obligingly, with a lighted stick, now hands it to her. Both of
them, blowing steadily, light the pile on the lee side, and, when the
flame begins to catch, on the weather side also. Soon the whole is in a
blaze, but the dry fuel is quickly consumed and the fire dies down, so
that we see the red-hot vessel rising from the ashes. The woman
turns it continually with a long stick, sometimes one way and
sometimes another, so that it may be evenly heated all over. In
twenty minutes she rolls it out of the ash-heap, takes up the bundle
of spinach, which has been lying for two days in a jar of water, and
sprinkles the red-hot clay with it. The places where the drops fall are
marked by black spots on the uniform reddish-brown surface. With a
sigh of relief, and with visible satisfaction, the woman rises to an
erect position; she is standing just in a line between me and the fire,
from which a cloud of smoke is just rising: I press the ball of my
camera, the shutter clicks—the apotheosis is achieved! Like a
priestess, representative of her inventive sex, the graceful woman
stands: at her feet the hearth-fire she has given us beside her the
invention she has devised for us, in the background the home she has
built for us.
At Newala, also, I have had the manufacture of pottery carried on
in my presence. Technically the process is better than that already
described, for here we find the beginnings of the potter’s wheel,
which does not seem to exist in the plains; at least I have seen
nothing of the sort. The artist, a frightfully stupid Makua woman, did
not make a depression in the ground to receive the pot she was about
to shape, but used instead a large potsherd. Otherwise, she went to
work in much the same way as Salim’s mother, except that she saved
herself the trouble of walking round and round her work by squatting
at her ease and letting the pot and potsherd rotate round her; this is
surely the first step towards a machine. But it does not follow that
the pot was improved by the process. It is true that it was beautifully
rounded and presented a very creditable appearance when finished,
but the numerous large and small vessels which I have seen, and, in
part, collected, in the “less advanced” districts, are no less so. We
moderns imagine that instruments of precision are necessary to
produce excellent results. Go to the prehistoric collections of our
museums and look at the pots, urns and bowls of our ancestors in the
dim ages of the past, and you will at once perceive your error.
MAKING LONGITUDINAL CUT IN
BARK

DRAWING THE BARK OFF THE LOG

REMOVING THE OUTER BARK

 BEATING THE BARK

WORKING THE BARK-CLOTH AFTER BEATING, TO MAKE IT

SOFT

MANUFACTURE OF BARK-CLOTH AT NEWALA

To-day, nearly the whole population of German East Africa is
clothed in imported calico. This was not always the case; even now in
some parts of the north dressed skins are still the prevailing wear,
and in the north-western districts—east and north of Lake
Tanganyika—lies a zone where bark-cloth has not yet been
superseded. Probably not many generations have passed since such
bark fabrics and kilts of skins were the only clothing even in the
south. Even to-day, large quantities of this bright-red or drab
material are still to be found; but if we wish to see it, we must look in
the granaries and on the drying stages inside the native huts, where
it serves less ambitious uses as wrappings for those seeds and fruits
which require to be packed with special care. The salt produced at
Masasi, too, is packed for transport to a distance in large sheets of
bark-cloth. Wherever I found it in any degree possible, I studied the
process of making this cloth. The native requisitioned for the
purpose arrived, carrying a log between two and three yards long and
as thick as his thigh, and nothing else except a curiously-shaped
mallet and the usual long, sharp and pointed knife which all men and
boys wear in a belt at their backs without a sheath—horribile dictu!
[51]
Silently he squats down before me, and with two rapid cuts has
drawn a couple of circles round the log some two yards apart, and
slits the bark lengthwise between them with the point of his knife.
With evident care, he then scrapes off the outer rind all round the
log, so that in a quarter of an hour the inner red layer of the bark
shows up brightly-coloured between the two untouched ends. With
some trouble and much caution, he now loosens the bark at one end,
and opens the cylinder. He then stands up, takes hold of the free
edge with both hands, and turning it inside out, slowly but steadily
pulls it off in one piece. Now comes the troublesome work of
scraping all superfluous particles of outer bark from the outside of
the long, narrow piece of material, while the inner side is carefully
scrutinised for defective spots. At last it is ready for beating. Having
signalled to a friend, who immediately places a bowl of water beside
him, the artificer damps his sheet of bark all over, seizes his mallet,
lays one end of the stuff on the smoothest spot of the log, and
hammers away slowly but continuously. “Very simple!” I think to
myself. “Why, I could do that, too!”—but I am forced to change my
opinions a little later on; for the beating is quite an art, if the fabric is
not to be beaten to pieces. To prevent the breaking of the fibres, the
stuff is several times folded across, so as to interpose several
thicknesses between the mallet and the block. At last the required
state is reached, and the fundi seizes the sheet, still folded, by both
ends, and wrings it out, or calls an assistant to take one end while he
holds the other. The cloth produced in this way is not nearly so fine
and uniform in texture as the famous Uganda bark-cloth, but it is
quite soft, and, above all, cheap.
Now, too, I examine the mallet. My craftsman has been using the
simpler but better form of this implement, a conical block of some
hard wood, its base—the striking surface—being scored across and
across with more or less deeply-cut grooves, and the handle stuck
into a hole in the middle. The other and earlier form of mallet is
shaped in the same way, but the head is fastened by an ingenious
network of bark strips into the split bamboo serving as a handle. The
observation so often made, that ancient customs persist longest in
connection with religious ceremonies and in the life of children, here
finds confirmation. As we shall soon see, bark-cloth is still worn
during the unyago,[52] having been prepared with special solemn
ceremonies; and many a mother, if she has no other garment handy,
will still put her little one into a kilt of bark-cloth, which, after all,
looks better, besides being more in keeping with its African
surroundings, than the ridiculous bit of print from Ulaya.
MAKUA WOMEN