Math in the Workplace
Math Background:
My father has taken extensive math
classes that he kept learning from until his
Ph. D degree. In high school he took the
math courses of algebra, chemistry, and
geometry. In college, he has taken
advanced math classes, and permutation
and combinatory classes.
Henry Liu
Math Concepts or Skills
Used Regularly on the Job:
My dad uses a combination of
everyday skills. Some include
estimation, percentage, grouping,
ratios, probability, and simple
calculation.
People Skills Needed for
Job
Many skills needed for this job
include being positive, patient, careful,
being able to multitask, and being able
to troubleshoot and problem solve.
Yong Liu
Organic Chemist
Sample Math Problem
from this job:
During an experiment to make
a compound, starting materials,
A and B, are put together to
create a reaction to produce
material C. If all of A and B and
transferred to create C, then
the yield of the reaction is
100%. However, it is not
possible to get 100% of yield in
an experiment. The problem is
to solve how much of C was
actually created from A and B.
The closer the percentage is to
100%, the better reaction
conditions there are.
Advice to Students
about math classes:
Math is important to
your future, no matter what job
you get. If you don’t get take
the opportunity to learn now,
you won’t get far in life.
Would you want this job?
No, I would not want this job because it
involves a lot of science background. I like to
learn more about cause and effect science rather
than reaction and product science.