Digital Commons Network^™

Criteria Pollutant Concentration, Victor Neese

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

With the assistance of Assistant Professor Jeff Cunningham (Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, USF) a study was carried out pertaining to the amount of CO and NOx pollutants emitted from a highway having two lanes in each direction. The receptor of the pollutants is a hypothetical housing development located near the highway. The concentrations were found by utilizing information regarding meteorological conditions, estimated emissions rates, and distances from the highway less than or equaling 2 km.

Collection Of Nitrate In A Denuder, Hannah Feig

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Data are given for aerosol nitrate (NO_3-) size distributions in the atmosphere as recorded by a cascade impactor and by an annular denuder. Using this data, our goal is to find the percent of nitrate in the atmosphere that the denuder is able to detect. This requires that we find the size distribution of nitrate that enters the denuder. From these data and calculations, we find that 32.8% of nitrate in the atmosphere can be detected by the denuder. Nitrate was measured to study its affects on seagrass in the Tampa Bay and to compare nitrate levels with …

Algae Bloom In A Lake, David Sanabria

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

The objective of this paper is to determine the likelihood of an algae bloom in a particular lake located in upstate New York. The growth of algae in this lake is caused by a high concentration of phosphorous that diffuses to the surface of the lake. Our calculations, based on Fick's Law, are used to create a mathematical model of the driving force of diffusion for phosphorous. Empirical observations are also used to predict whether the concentration of phosphorous will diffuse to the surface of this lake within a specified time and under specified conditions.

Critical Axial Load, Walt Wells

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

Our objective in this paper is to solve a second order differential equation for a long, simply supported column member subjected to a lateral axial load using Heun's numerical method. We will use the solution to find the critical load at which the column member will fail due to buckling. We will calculate this load using Euler's derived analytical approach for an exact solution, as well as Euler's Numerical Method. We will then compare the three calculated values to see how much they deviate from one another. During the critical load calculation, it will be necessary to calculate the moment …

Review Of The Triumph Of Numbers By I. B. Cohen, H L. Vacher

Numeracy

I. Bernard Cohen, The Triumph of Numbers: How Counting Shaped Modern Life. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005). 209 pp. $24.95 (USA). ISBN 0-393-05769-0.

The premier historian of science ends his career telling how the world has become awash in numbers—“how numbers entered the conduct of life and of government, the understanding of nature, and the analysis of societies.” The stories begin with Kepler and end with Florence Nightingale. In between, major players include Galileo, Harvey, Leeuwenhoek, and Halley; Graunt and Petty; Jefferson and Franklin; Lavoisier, Sinclair, Pinel and Louis; Guerry and Quetelet. The book tells of the spread …

Birds–Dead And Deadly: Why Numeracy Needs To Address Social Construction, Joel Best

Numeracy

Sociologists use the term social construction to refer to the processes by which people assign meaning to their world. This paper argues that numeracy education needs to address social construction. In particular, thinking critically about the statistics the news media report regarding social issues requires understanding the competitive nature of the social problems marketplace, and the social forces that allow questionable numbers to receive widespread public attention. Such critiques must incorporate more than assessing how the numbers were calculated; they must consider the social construction of particular statistics. Two recent examples—claims about the number of birds killed flying into windows, …

Development Of Case Stories By Interviewing Students About Their Critical Moments In Science, Math, And Engineering Classes, Vicki V. May, Thomas H. Luxon, Kathy Weaver, Rachel Esselstein, Cynthia Char

Numeracy

Dartmouth’s Critical Moments project is designed to promote discussions among faculty and graduate students about the retention of students, particularly women and minorities, in science, math, and engineering (SME) disciplines. The first phase of the ongoing project has been the development of four case stories, which are fictionalized composites drawn from surveys and interviews of real Dartmouth students. The surveyed population was 125 students in general chemistry. Of the 77 who agreed to be interviewed, 61 reported having experienced a critical moment – i.e., a positive or negative event or time that had a significant impact on the student’s academic …

Teachers Talk: Pressure Points In The K-8 Mathematics Curriculum, Kim Rheinlander, Dorothy Wallace, Wells Morrison, Daniel Ansari, Donna Coch, B. Venus Williams

Numeracy

Forty K-8 teachers participated in small, in-depth, facilitated discussions about "pressure points" in the curriculum. We define a pressure point as a topic, skill, or concept that is crucial to future mathematics learning but which many or most students do not master to the extent expected at a given grade level. They are issues that persist from one grade level to the next; eventually they impair the ability of students to succeed in technical disciplines. The teachers identified a number of pressure points; we focus on an understanding of place value and "reasonableness" of answer as two examples that were …

Scientifically Based Research In Quantitative Literacy: Guidelines For Building A Knowledge Base, Richard L. Scheaffer

Numeracy

Research in quantitative literacy (QL) is in its infancy, so now is the time to begin a regimen for healthy growth into adulthood. As a new discipline still defining itself, QL has the opportunity to build a sound infrastructure for accumulating a solid body of interconnected research that will serve the discipline well in years to come. To that end, much can be learned from recent studies of the weaknesses of mathematics education research and recommendations on how to overcome them. Mathematics education lacks a strong research foundation, one that is scientific, cumulative, interconnected, and intertwined with teaching practice. These …

Evolution Of Numeracy And The National Numeracy Network, Bernard L. Madison, Lynn Arthur Steen

Numeracy

The National Numeracy Network grew from heightened awareness of the complex and sophisticated nature of quantitative literacy and the resulting need for interdisciplinary attention to education for quantitative literacy in schools and colleges. This complexity and sophistication applies especially to the US where it is fueled by an agile economy and the needs of a democratic society. This paper describes the environment surrounding the National Numeracy Network’s establishment, some of its activities, and some complementary and synergistic actions by other professional societies. The paper concludes with a sample of quantitative literacy programs in colleges and universities

The Scope Of Numeracy, H L. Vacher, Dorothy Wallace

Numeracy

No abstract provided.