Dawn Willoughby - Numbers - B2+

Glossary

dataYou can refer to information as data, especially when it is in the form of facts or statistics that you can analyse. In American English, data is usually a plural noun. In technical or formal British English, data is sometimes a plural noun, but at other times, it is an uncountable noun.

This chapter begins by reminding us of the calculations and vocabulary that are used when we are working with money and taking measurements. It then provides an introduction to statistics, explaining where data is used in different subject areas and describing different categories of data. With a more technical focus, the chapter then describes how to use a computer program known as a spreadsheet which can help with storing and presenting data. Finally, an explanation is given of the use of graphics in academic writing, highlighting ways to refer to graphics in your text so that you can comment on your data and findings effectively.

In this section, we will explore some of the ways in which numbers are used in everyday situations. We will investigate taking measurements and working with money.

It is important to know how to work with money so that you can:

Recognize the value of amounts of money

Estimate your expenditure

Often money calculations will involve the use of percentages and fractions. You will learn about these in Chapter 6.

Glossary

estimateIf you estimate a quantity or value, you make an approximate judgement or calculation of it.

expenditureExpenditure is the spending of money on something, or the money that is spent on something.

valueIn mathematics, the value of a symbol or letter is the amount represented by it.

The value of a digit in a number depends on its position in the number. In the following amounts of money, the digit 4 has a different meaning:

A place value diagram may help to remind you how to recognize the value of amounts of money. The highest number in the group is the maximum and the lowest is the minimum.

Estimating can be a useful skill when you are calculating your monthly expenditure because you can work out approximately how much your total bill will be without adding up all of the individual values. Estimating involves rounding prices up or down to the nearest ten pounds, dollars or euros so that you can work out the total more easily.

This list shows the actual expenditure with the estimated value for each cost:

So, when we add up the actual prices the aggregate total price for our shopping is £835.85 and the estimated cost is £840.

Glossary

round up/downIf you round an amount up or down, you change it to the nearest whole number or the nearest multiple of 10, 100, 1,000, and so on.

aggregateAn aggregate amount or score is made up of several smaller amounts or scores added together.

Taking measurements is about finding a number that shows the amount or size of something. We are most often interested in measuring temperature, length, speed, time, capacity and mass. To make an accurate measurement, you would need to choose an appropriate measuring device and use the correct type of units on a scale. Here are some examples:

Glossary

capacityThe capacity of a container is its volume, or the amount of liquid it can hold, measured in units such as litres or gallons.

massIn physics, the mass of an object is the amount of physical matter that it has.

Exercise 1

Match the correct unit of measurement with each item to be measured.

There are a number of key terms that are useful to learn when working with numbers and data. Test your knowledge of these by completing the following exercises.

Exercise 2

Use the words in the box to complete these sentences. You might need to change the form of the word.

accurate calculation fraction measurement

aggregate / total capacity mass percentage

approximately estimated maximum / minimum round up / down

1The ________of 9, 10, 24, 6, 8, 5 is 62. It is also known as the ________.

2The ________of the lecture theatre is 200 people.

3Economic forecasters have ________that the economy will grow by 0.5% next year.

4There are ________300,000 international students studying in the UK.

5The spreadsheet automatically ________or ________to the nearest whole number.

6The ________loan available is £5,000 and the ________loan available is £500.

7The ________of a bowling ball is 7.25 kilograms.

8________measurements are essential in many scientific experiments.

Exercise 3

Use another word in the box in Exercise 2 to describe each item below.