Re: Math at the Movies

Lou Lobosco (lobosco@UDel.Edu)
Wed, 25 Sep 1996 08:55:30 -0400 (EDT)


Hi Judy,

I appreciate all the info on web sites.
I was doing a problem in my Algebra class where a person had to pails, one
was able to hold 9 qts. and the other 4 qts. The person had to go to the
river and get exactly 6 qts. of water in one trip. When I posed that
problem to my students I was amazed that about 1/3 to 1/2 of the class
said that they saw a problem like this in Die Hard II. I was impressed
that our students do in fact make connections with the outside world and
what goes on in the classroom. I guess we better make sure we know what
we are saying.

Keep up all that good info.

Lou Lo Bosco Phone: 302-798-6633x730
Mathematics & Computer Chairman
Archmere Academy
Claymont, DE 19703

On Tue, 24 Sep 1996, Judy Ann Brown wrote:

> Hi
>
> Thought some of you might enjoy my lastest web sight find...
>
> Math at the Movies
> http://world.std.com/~reinhold/mathmovies.html
>
> By no means is this a complete list of scenes in movies that depict mathematics,
> but it's a start and you might find it interesting. Who would have ever thought
> to watch Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995) for the math content. But according
> to this site:
>
> "Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are given a five gallon jug and a
> three gallon jug, and must put exactly four gallons of water on a scale to keep
> a bomb from exploding."
>
> So I ran right out and rented the video just to find out how they managed to
> solve the problem! I haven't watched it yet so don't tell me how it ends.
>
> enjoy
> Judy
>
> ________________________________________________________________________________
>
> visit the PCTM web site at: http://home.ptd.net/~pctm/
>
> Judy Ann Brown
> Pleasant Valley Middle School
> Brodheadsville, Pa 18322
> judyann@dimacs.rutgers.edu
> http://dimacs.rutgers.edu:80/~judyann/
>