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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?
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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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