As part of Maths Week Scotland 2020, we've been asking people from all over Scotland to show us how they use maths at work in #ShowYourWorking. We've seen so many interesting examples so far from many different jobs - it has been amazing to see how maths is used in so many disciplines.
In the world of museum curation, measurement and weight were highlighted by National Museums Scotland as two key areas of maths that ensure that objects will not only fit in their cases, but that larger, heavier items won't fall through the floor!
We all know how rainy Scotland can be. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) outlined how they prevent flooding by using maths to calculate volumes of water and allow them to plan storage of water in times of heavy rainfall. As well as this, ICE gave a brilliant example of how maths is used to assess just how big and strong helipads need to be for a helicopter to land on it safely.
Looking at transport down on the ground, the Trams to Newhaven project has been sharing with us the ways lots of different roles use maths.
In professional sport, Paralympian Jonny Paterson also gave us a rundown of how he uses maths in professional football - analysing individual performances and working out the correct weight, angle and distance of pass for example.
Team GB's Eilish McColgan got involved too and told us about the role that maths plays in her job as a professional sportsperson - quick calculations are crucial to determining just how fast she needs to run to beat her personal best. A millisecond can be the difference between winning a medal or not!
Maths isn't just for Maths Teachers! Mr Bewsey, Headteacher at Edenside Primary School, gave us an example of how he uses maths to monitor school attendance and keep everyone safe.
Glasgow CC have been sharing what a huge range of people do in office to kitchens.
And that's not all. Here are some examples of how maths is applied in some jobs that you might not have thought about:
Hairdressing Hairdressers use many aspects of maths in their day-to-day work. Precise measurement of products used in colour treatments avoids unexpected hair disasters, angles and lengths are used when cutting and styling, not forgetting all of the financial aspects that come with running your own business!
Art and design Patterns, ratios and symmetry are just some of the mathematical concepts that are adopted in the role of an artist or designer.
Healthcare Prescribing medication is usually based on a patient's vital signs, one of the most critical being heart rate, which is calculated in beats per minute. Ratios and proportions are then used when calculating how much medication should be prescribed to a patient.
Make sure your sector is represented, #ShowYourWorking today! Find out more about how to get involved.
To celebrate Book Week Scotland, we are delighted to announce the finalists and winners of our Maths Tales story-writing competition, run in partnership with Read Write Count with The First Minister.
