If you take a look at the bigger picture then many students will choose to study science at university and the mathematics they learn at school will become fundamentally important to them. Here we give a comprehensive list of the important subjects in mathematics compiled from all of the NRICH maths content tags by a second-year undergraduate - NRICH has the capability to be searched according to these tags. This list will be relevant to KS3/4/5 science and should be made known to students who might consider studying biology or chemistry at university.
Maths content |
Applications |
Extremely important |
|
|
Processing and representing data |
Many various |
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Interpreting data |
Many various |
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Handling data |
Many various |
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Data logging |
Many various |
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Data collection |
Many various |
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Sampling |
Many various |
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Types of data |
Many various |
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Experimental design |
Many various |
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Working systematically |
A very important skill to have! |
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Calculating with ratio and proportion |
Generally very important |
|
Very important |
|
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Game theory |
Behaviour |
|
Speed |
Rate of reaction, physiology |
|
Volume and capacity |
Related to surface area |
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Surface and surface areas |
Uptake of nutrients etc |
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Angle properties of shapes |
Bond angles |
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Angles at a point or line |
Bond angles |
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Angles |
Bond angles |
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Laws of logs |
Various |
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Log functions |
Many various |
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Exponential function |
Many various |
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Exp growth and decay |
Cooling curves, modelling, |
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Sketching |
Many various |
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Gradients |
Many various |
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Graphs |
Data handling, modelling |
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Trial and improvement |
Modelling, experiment |
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Investigations |
Experiment |
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Selecting and using information |
Designing experiments |
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Recording mathematics |
Experiment |
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Making and testing hypotheses |
Experiment, investigation |
|
Some understanding needed |
|
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Cartesian equations of lines |
Modelling |
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Co ordinates |
Data handling |
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Cubic functions |
Modelling |
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Composition of functions |
Various |
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Inverses |
Various |
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Quadratic functions |
Modelling |
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Linear functions |
Modelling, data handling |
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Transformation of functions |
Modelling, linearisation |
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Asymptotes |
Modelling |
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Indices |
Modelling, data handling |
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Algebraic fractions |
Modelling, data handling |
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Solving equations graphically |
Modelling, data handling |
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Other equations |
Modelling, data handling |
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Quadratic |
Modelling, data handling |
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Simultaneous equations |
Modelling, data handling |
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Linear equations |
Modelling, data handling |
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Factorisation |
Modelling, data handling |
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Expanding brackets |
Modelling, data handling |
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Manipulation |
Modelling, data handling |
|
Creating expressions |
Modelling, data handling |
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Introducing algebra |
Modelling, data handling |
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Using symbols |
Modelling, data handling |
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Formulae |
Modelling, data handling |
|
Generally |
Modelling, data handling |
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Estimating and approximating |
Data handling |
|
Multiplication + division |
Data handling |
|
Addition + subtraction |
Data handling |
|
Approximate solution |
Useful when doing an experiment |
|
Direct and inverse proportion |
Data handling, modelling |
|
Ratio |
Data handling |
|
Equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages |
Data handling |
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Mixed fractions, decimals and percentages |
Data handling |
|
Calculating with percentages |
Data handling |
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Calculating with decimals |
Data handling |
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Calculating with fractions |
Data handling |
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Percentages |
Data handling |
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Decimals |
Data handling |
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Fractions |
Data handling |
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Standard index form |
Data handling |
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Powers and roots |
Data handling, experiment |
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Rounding |
Data handling |
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Used occasionally |
|
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Optimisation |
More advanced topics |
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Chi squared tests |
Usually population-related |
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Statistics generally |
ANOVA testing, understanding how reliable a result is |
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3D |
Chemistry - orbital geometry, shapes of molecules |
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Max/min/optimise |
Chemical reactions, optimisation |
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Curve fitting |
Data handling, modelling |
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Matrices |
Game theory: payoff matrices |
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Making and proving conjectures |
Experiment |
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Mathematical modelling |
Making predictions |
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Complex numbers |
Wave and diffusion equations |