Basic Maths

Session 1: Basic Arithmetic

 Intended learning objectives
▪ At the end of this session you should be able to:
⮚ add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions
⮚ convert fractions to decimals and decimals to
fractions, multiply and divide decimals by
multiples of 10
⮚ change a fraction to a percentage, find a
percentage of a number, increase/decrease a
number by a percentage
⮚ round whole numbers and decimals
⮚ use ratio and dividing in proportion
⮚ understand the order of arithmetic operations
and use some basic calculator functions
1. Fractions
1. Fractions
 1. Fractions (simplifying and
expanding)

RULE: If we multiply (or divide) BOTH numerator and denominator by

the same number we don’t change the value of the expression.

So

Simplifying/Cancelling

Expanding
 1. Fractions
(multiplying and dividing)
Multiplying fractions Dividing fractions

▪ multiply numerators ▪ Flip the second

▪ multiply denominators upside down ‘invert’
▪ simplify ▪ Multiply instead of
divide
 1. Fractions
(adding and subtracting)

▪ Find ‘common denominator’

▪ Expand both fractions
▪ Add or subtract numerators
 1. Fractions
(mixed)

Uses both fractions and whole numbers

Note that whole numbers can be written as

fractions easily
 1. Fractions
(improper)

The numerator is bigger than the

denominator
 1. Fractions (rewriting)
▪ You may need to rewrite any mixed fractions as improper
fractions BEFORE performing these operations
▪ ‘mixed fraction’ to ‘improper fraction’

▪ ‘improper fraction’ to ‘mixed fraction’

 2. Decimals
236

2 Hundreds
3 Tens
6 Ones
 2. Decimals
236.723

2 Hundreds
3 Tens
6 Ones

7 Tenths
2 Hundredths
3 Thousandths
 2. Decimals
▪ Converting decimals to fractions:
 2. Decimals
▪ Converting decimals to fractions:

▪ Convert fractions to decimals by dividing

numerator by denominator:
 2. Decimals
▪ Converting decimals to fractions:

▪ Convert fractions to decimals by dividing

numerator by denominator:

▪ Multiplying a decimal by a multiple of 10:

3.27x10 = 32.7, 3.27x100 = 327, 3.27x1000 = 3270
 2. Decimals
▪ Converting decimals to fractions:

▪ Convert fractions to decimals by dividing

numerator by denominator:

▪ Multiplying a decimal by a multiple of 10:

3.27x10 = 32.7, 3.27x100 = 327, 3.27x1000 = 3270

▪ Dividing a decimal by a multiple of 10:

43.1÷10 = 4.31, 43.1÷100 = 0.431, 43.1÷1000 = 0.0431
 2. Fractions/Decimals in Pictures

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

1
1/2 1/2
1/3 1/3 1/3
1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4
1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10 1/10
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
 3. Percentages
▪ Percentages are fractions out of 100 and can be written as
decimals

▪ Converting a fraction to a percentage:

▪ Percentage of a number:

▪ Increase/decrease a number by a percentage:

e.g. To increase 5 by 60%
 4. Rounding
Rounding is increasing or decreasing a
number, this can be done to simplify your
results.

Tens: 0,10, 20, 30, 40,...

Round 17 to the nearest 10 is 20
7 more that 10, 3 less than 20
 4. Rounding
Rounding is increasing or decreasing a
number, this can be done to simplify your
results.
For example,

7284
rounded to the nearest Thousand (1000)
=
7000
 4. Rounding
Rounding is increasing or decreasing a
number, this can be done to simplify your
results.
For example,

7284
rounded to the nearest Hundred (100)
=
7300
 4. Rounding
Rounding is increasing or decreasing a
number, this can be done to simplify your
results.
For example,

7284
rounded to the nearest Ten (10)
=
7280
 4. Rounding
Rounding is increasing or decreasing a
number, this can be done to simplify your
results.
For example,

7284
rounded to the nearest Five (5)
=
7285
 4. Rounding
Rounding is increasing or decreasing a
number, this can be done to simplify your
results.
For example,

7284
rounded to the nearest One (1)
=
7284
 4. Rounding
Rounding decimals is similar

For example,

12.75
rounded to the nearest One (1)
=
13
 4. Rounding
If a number is EXACTLY in the middle,
round up by convention.

For example,

15
rounded to the nearest Ten (10)
=
20
 5. Ratios/Proportions
Ratios are used to compare the size of
things.
A ratio 2:3 says that for for every 2 things
on the left, there is 3 of the things on the
right
For example,
Yellow:Red = 2:3
 5. Ratios/Proportions
Ratios are used to compare the size of
things.
Yellow:Red = 2:3

Ratios can be converted to proportions,

fractions, decimals etc.
2+3=5
 5. Ratios/Proportions
Ratios are used to compare the size of
things.
Yellow:Red = 2:3

These can also be expanded/simplified

2:3 is 4:6 (2x2:2x3)
 6. Order of operations
▪ Do calculation from left to right obeying ordering:
❑Brackets (innermost 1st)
❑Exponents
❑Multiplication and Division
❑Addition and Subtraction
 7. Applied problems
▪ 30ml of drug solution consists of two thirds drug A
(costing 10p per ml), a sixth of drug B (costing 50p per
ml) and rest of volume made up with water (no cost)
▪ How much does the whole solution cost?

Process:
Visualise and understand the problem
Calculate mls of A
Calculate cost of A
Calculate mls of B
Calculate cost of B
Calculate mls and cost of water
Calculate full cost
 7. Applied problems
▪ 30ml of drug solution consists of two thirds drug A
(costing 10p per ml), a sixth of drug B (costing 50p per
ml) and rest of volume made up with water (no cost)
▪ How much does the whole solution cost?

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

1
1/3 1/3
1/6

1/3 1/3 1/6 Water

 7. Applied problems
▪ 30ml of drug solution consists of two thirds drug A
(costing 10p per ml), a sixth of drug B (costing 50p per
ml) and rest of volume made up with water (no cost)
▪ How much does the whole solution cost?
⮚ A

⮚ B

⮚ Total cost =

▪ How much water is required?

 8. Topics in Term 1 modules using
basic maths skills

STATISTICS: EPIDEMIOLOGY:
▪ Frequency ▪ Incidence
▪ Relative (percentage) ▪ Point prevalence
frequency (proportion)
▪ Arithmetic mean ▪ Risk ratio
▪ Standard deviation ▪ Rate ratio
▪ Confidence intervals ▪ Odds ratio
▪ p-values ▪ Mortality rates
▪ …etc ▪ …etc
 Intended learning objectives
(achieved?)
▪ You should be able to:
⮚ add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions
⮚ convert fractions to decimals and decimals to
fractions, multiply and divide decimals by
multiples of 10
⮚ change a fraction to a percentage, find a
percentage of a number, increase/decrease a
number by a percentage
⮚ round whole numbers and decimals
⮚ use ratio and dividing in proportion
⮚ understand the order of arithmetic operations
and use some basic calculator functions
 Key messages
▪ If we multiply or divide BOTH numerator and
denominator by the same number then the value of the
fraction stays the same
▪ To multiply fractions together we multiply the top
numbers together and _______
multiply the bottom numbers
together
▪ To divide one fraction by another we invert the one we
multiply by it
are dividing by and then _______
▪ To add and subtract fractions we first need to rewrite
the fractions so that they have the same denominator
▪ Percentages are fractions out of 100
▪ Fractions, proportions, decimals, and ratios can be
converted between.