Chapter 24

Ten Little Math Demons That Trip People Up

In This Chapter

arrow Knowing the multiplication table once and for all

arrow Understanding negative numbers

arrow Distinguishing factors and multiples

arrow Working confidently with fractions

arrow Seeing what algebra is really all about

The ten little math demons I cover in this chapter plague all sorts of otherwise smart, capable folks like you. The good news is that they're not as big and scary as you may think, and they can be dispelled more easily than you may have dared believe. Here, I present ten common math demons, with a short explanation to set them on a path away from you.

Knowing the Multiplication Table

A sketchy knowledge of multiplication can really hold back an otherwise good math student. Here's a quick quiz: the ten toughest problems from the multiplication table.

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Can you do this, 10 for 10, in 20 seconds? If so, you're a multiplication ...

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