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I want to be a scientist, but Maths is hard for me. Is there any science not using complex Maths like Algebra and Geometry?
Question Date: 2014-04-10
Answer 1:

It's very exciting to hear that you are interested in pursuing a career in the sciences! While there are branches of science such as certain fields of biology and chemistry that do not require extensive amounts of algebra or geometry, math is still an important part of being a scientist. Even in the fields of science that do may not require algebra or geometry, there are often large amounts of data that need to be analyzed and understood. Such activities usually require a solid grasp of statistical methods and tools.

However, please do not be discouraged by the fact that math is challenging for you! Science is a challenging field, and scientists work very hard at what they do; they are not born "just knowing" math and science, but rather spend years developing the skills necessary to study what they are passionate about. However, some of the most rewarding things in life are those that are the most challenging!

If you are passionate about learning and science is exciting to you, I highly encourage you to seek help in the form of tutoring, or online tutorials such as the Khan Academy, or Youtube videos. Often, people who struggle with math just need material to be explained to them in a different way. Everyone learns differently, and at different speeds, but it certainly doesn't mean that a subject is insurmountable without hard work and some guidance from others! I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

Answer 2:

Math is important for many reasons, so be sure to try hard in it - you might find later that you get better at it, and may even like it! With that being said, not all science requires complicated math. Some types of chemistry to do not require complicated math, and neither do most aspects of biology. Those might be good.


Answer 3:

Math is hard for almost everyone, but math is an extremely important part of science, which is why you need to work hard and practice to get better at it. Most scientists find that math is difficult, because most scientists are just normal people. That said, after you spend a lot of time practicing and working, you get better at math. In particular, the concepts behind algebra are fundamental and used in nearly every scientific discipline. Geometry is very important, and many concepts transfer to other subjects, but strict geometry isn't the most important thing in many scientific fields.


Answer 4:

Well, this is a hard one to answer, because although there are several sciences that are not algebra-heavy, they dip instead into another branch of mathematics that you are probably less familiar with, namely, statistics, which becomes hard in its own way.

This said, difficulty with math is something that a lot of people had because the way that math is usually taught disagrees with them. For you, I'd recommend volunteering with a local outfit that does scientific research and asking them to try to involve you in the mathematical side of what they do (and tell them it's because you need the practice). A marine biological laboratory or a plant-monitoring group would probably be best. My hope is that you will find that the math really isn't all that hard when the problems you're solving are fun.

For reference, biology and psychology involve fairly little algebra but a great deal of statistics.


Answer 5:

There are fields which use less math than others, namely biology, chemistry, and their related subfields. However, even in these fields it is not uncommon for applications of algebra to be used; for instance in chemistry it would be good to know algebra for purposes of understanding chemical reactions in terms of chemical stoichiometry. Moreover, many specialized fields of science require knowledge of math much more complex than algebra or geometry—topics like trigonometry or calculus regularly make their appearances. For instance, to understand the rates at which a chemical reaction occurs, we would need a basic understanding of differential equations and calculus. Despite the increase usage of computational resources to aid our understanding of the sciences, it is still essential to be fluent in the language of mathematics. And besides, colleges and graduate schools generally don’t allow you to use a computer to solve most questions!


Answer 6:

Math is the language that is capable of quantitatively describing the physical world around us and it is impossible to avoid math entirely in science because you sometimes need more than words.

Some fields of study will involve more or less math than others. And different sub-specialties within a field can involve more or less math. The life sciences, including biology probably have the least emphasis in math, though statistics is very useful. If you get a college degree in a science field, including life science fields, you will probably need to take a certain amount of advanced math including calculus.


Answer 7:

I would say there is math around us every day. Sometimes we use simple math, and other times we use complex math. If you want to be a scientist, don't let the math stop you. You will have to work hard, and try new strategies to understand the new math concepts you learn. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you ask for help, you will get it. Here is a secret: all scientists have to work hard. They aren't just born smart. We encounter new problems every day that we have to think of new solutions, and this can be really hard. So we work through various solutions using the tools we have learned (through lots of hard work).

Follow your passion for science, and work through the math. You'll master the subjects over time.



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