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Answering the Question "Why?" 1. Why can't you divide by zero? Why does the calculator say "error" when you divide by 0? 2. Why is any number to the zero power equal to 1? Why isn't 0 to the 0 power possible? 3. Why do fractions have to have common denominators to add? How come you don't need common denominators to multiply? Why do you switch the second fraction and multiply when you divide fractions? 4. Why are there 360 degrees in a circle? 5. How come negative exponents don't give you negative answers? 6. Why can't you add 'x' to 'x^2' ? 7. Why are there 60 minutes in an hour? 8. Why do we have two ways of measuring angles: degrees and radians? 9. Why is 0! equal to 1? 10. Why is the formula for the area of a circle A = pi * r^2 ? 11. Why do you take the interquartile range times 1.5 to see if there are any outliers on a box and whiskers plot? 12. Why do you have to line up the decimal point when you are adding fractions but not when you are multiplying? 13. Why is the formula for finding the surface area of a sphere SA = 4 * pi * r^2 ? Why is the formula for finding the volume of a sphere V = 4/3 * pi * r^3? 14. Why is the formula for finding area of a rectangle length * width? 15. Why is 5C2 okay but 2C5 is not possible? (combinations) (last update February 19, 2007) |