The Power of Zero!!

Anything raised to the zero power is 1.


Here is a way to remember this:


2^3 divided by 2^3 = 8/8 = 1
If you write this as (2)(2)(2)
                                (2)(2)(2)
All of the 2's will cancel and you will be left with no 2s
therefore 2 to the zero power :)

September 2011 Brain Teaser Solution

Q: A chicken farmer has figured out that a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many hens does the farmer need to produce one dozen eggs in six days? A: 3 hens

If a hen and a half can lay an egg and a half in a day and a half, then  in three days (twice the amount of time), the same hen and a half can lay three eggs and in six days (doubling again), the same hen and a half can lay six eggs. We want twelve eggs in six days so we need to double the number of hens from 1.5 to 3. Another solution comes from Tim at Riverdale City Grill Bronx, NY:

You need 3 hens b/c each hen lays an egg every 36 hours. There are 144 hours in 6 days. That means each hen lays 4 eggs every 6 days. 3x4=12. 

New York Times Letter to the Editor re:Improving SAT Scores

Published on 9/26/11 in print and online
To the Editor:

Early childhood education can certainly be improved, but there are additional measures that will increase verbal scores on the SAT:

¶Subscribe to and complete daily the free SAT Question of the Day.

¶Take the 10 timed exams in The College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide.

Even adults should consider studying for and taking the SAT as a cognitive challenge. When I studied to retake the SAT in 2009, 29 years after I first took it, I filled in gaps in my education.

My verbal score increased over 200 points from high school — partly from living a few more decades but mostly from cracking the books. Jack LaLanne got us to exercise our bodies; now it is time to exercise our minds.

ROBIN SCHWARTZ
Bronx, Sept. 20, 2011

The writer is a math educator and author of the Build Math Confidence newsletter.