Nice archiving, Brumby.
Anyway. GlennSprigg it took me a while to write and imagine my post on the last page. Could at least say something?
Dear Distelzombe you are SO right and deserve a reply !!!
(I apologize for being distracted by that "war of words"
)
I read your reply twice, and it is interesting to say the least. I'm pretty sure I get what you are saying mate,
with your analogy, however I don't think it relates to the point that I was trying to push forward......
I understand limits of 'scale' within known 'norms' and outside of those 'norms. (I was also an electronic
Instrument Technician). I can appreciate under/over off-scale readings in ways that you might not think
I can. (The technical term is 'burnout'). GIVEN, that if a relative reading went seemingly ridiculously high
etc, (as in your 'norm' from 0-7 now being say '18'... (would not be registered as such though), then we
would need to rethink all the parameters. However my friend, this does not change the basic maths I pose??
We are not talking about running out of 'Basic' numbers..... (digits 0-9), but the NEED to know the BASICS
off by heart, like 6x6, or 5x5, or 8x8.... (Ok... the 'typical' kids poster goes up to 12x12 !).
When a question/problem/step is say..... 7x7 you NEED to know that the answer is '49' (What is simpler?)
I'm left wondering what people have against 'knowing' except that they don't know/remember !!!!
Why do people fight it ?? Just re-learn, and pass it on to kids/grandkids if 'teachers/parents' won't/can't ??
Simple example.... 23 x 54... Not initially KNOWN, but easily calculated...
23
x 54
-----
'ASSUMING' the 1st step is 4 x 3, (= 12), HOW ARE YOU GOING TO KNOW THAT !! if not by logic/heart.
Do you see what I mean ?? There are no SUB steps to 'calculate' that, unless counting 'beans' etc ??
People have quoted other ways to say "Simplify Fractions" etc etc but that's not relevant... xx
FORGET all the dialog in this post, from the original question/statement through to HERE......
I'm now re-asking/stating a simple maths question, (no 2 digit numbers in the question)......
What is 6x9 !!!!!!! What is WRONG with simply KNOWING that it is '54' ?? in the middle of a
complex multi-stage calculation you are working on? Someone else here might say......
"Oh.... well that's the same as 6x10 = 60, -6 = 54..." (at every step in your 'sumation'?)....
Maybe I would be 'knit-picking' if I then said/asked... "how do you know automatically that 6x10 = 60"...
(well, that's obvious ??)..... no it is not to the uneducated. So is '8x8' or '6x6'..........
What 'confuses' me, is why people 'fight' it ?? Just 'RE'-Learn it !!!