Real-Life Math -- Solution
1. You were on 5 magazine covers this month, each for a different
sponsor. All logos were visible. How much will you receive from your sponsors?
Income
= [(3 x 500) + (2 x 400)] x 5
Income = 2,300 x 5
Income = $11,500
You'll
receive $11,500 from your sponsors.
2. This month, 358 people each
bought one of your skateboards. How much will you make off them? How much
will the charity receive?
$358 x 4 = $1,432
You'll
receive $1,432 from the skateboard company.
$358 x
1 = $358
The charity will receive $358.
3.
How much in total did you earn this month?
$11,500
+ $1,432 = $12,932
This month, you earned $12,932.
You're raking it in!
Skateboarders use math to figure out how much
they'll make. Contracts with sponsors can be confusing if your math skills
are weak.
"I'm terrible at math, but at the same time now, running
my own company, math is always in place," says pro skateboarder Kristian Svitak
when asked how important math is for the pro skater.
"I don't think
you really have to be that good at math, but you do have to be smart enough
to figure out your contracts, to figure out how much you need to live, all
that kind of stuff -- figuring out your royalties, figuring out what's right
and what's wrong."
"Math helps with managing your money, such as travel
expenses," says skater Rachel Reinhard. "If the travel expenses are too high
for a particular event, then it may not be feasible to go to the event."
Math
can come into play when you're on your board, too. After all, skateboarding
involves quite a bit of geometry.
"I've noticed there are two types
of skaters," says skateboarder Tamara Drybrough. "There's the type who, when
rolling up to a trick, takes a second to think about exactly how they are
going to do it, from the angles to the speed limit to balancing their body
weight a certain way. The other type of skater just has the feel for the board,
consciously they just huck themselves down rails or stairs with complete board
control, not having to worry so much about the mathematical stuff."
Math
is also used for designing ramps. If the measurements aren't
right, a ramp might not let you do all the tricks you want to. It might also
be unsafe. Being familiar with measurements helps you visualize ramps and
different tricks.