Hands-on learning

Useful ideas. Everyday discoveries.

From a shopping basket to a speaker, explore eight familiar situations with a few well-chosen numbers.

Everyday Lab · 01

You are comparing a shelf price with a sale offer. Enter the original price and the advertised percentage to work out what you save and pay.

Everyday Lab · 02

Imagine leaving a starting amount untouched. Compare adding interest only on the original amount with adding interest on the growing balance.

Everyday Lab · 03

You are painting the four walls of a rectangular room. Subtract doors and windows, choose a coat count, and estimate the paint volume.

Everyday Lab · 04

Separate energy usage from the daily supply charge. Enter illustrative charges to see how each contributes to the total.

Everyday Lab · 05

Record distance travelled and fuel used between comparable fill levels. Find litres per 100 kilometres and estimate the cost of that journey.

Everyday Lab · 06

Explore why stopping distance grows quickly with speed. Separate the distance travelled during reaction from the distance covered while braking.

Everyday Lab · 07

Compare a low bass tone and a higher tone by entering their frequency. The wavelength gives a useful scale for thinking about a room.

Everyday Lab · 08

A file size is measured in bytes, while connection speed is commonly advertised in bits per second. Convert carefully before estimating the wait.