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Mathematics Goes to the Movies

by Burkard Polster and Marty Ross

 

To Sir With Love (1967)

From minute 13 on to the time when Mark decides to throw away the textbooks we encounter some blackboards with maths on them.

2/7 +3/8 = 1/2 –1/16 = 3/8 x1/10 = 2x2-1/2
He asks some of the students to read aloud some passage from their textbook. One reads a maths problem: If 14 hens lay an egg a day for 30 days how much of the eggs (are dozen?) and how many have you to sell?
left side of previous blackboard visible here.

In a third scene he is actually trying to teach some arithmetic but never gets around to doing anything.
Mark: Now, most of you girls help your mothers with the shopping (interruption) About multiplying, there are a few valuable tricks to know … Say you are offered roast beef at 10 shillings a pound (interruption, gives up) Do exercises 4, 5, and 6.
(1) Shopkeeper takes to the bank 8 (Pound sign) 1 notes, (Pound sign) 3 17s 61 in silver, 13/8 in copper. How much does he take altogether?
(2) A line which measures 7.2’’ is divided into 4 equal parts. How long is each part?