Comments on: Musical Quadratic equation

By: Wilfred

Wilfred — Tue, 27 Jul 2004 22:27:01 +0000

pbikuqbu wzaumomaa.

By: PJ

PJ — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 20:59:12 +0000

OK, thanks for getting me thinking and writing, especially since I have to teach this for the first time next week.

ON WISCONSIN

X is equal
Negative B
Plus or minus the
Square root of B squared
Minus 4 A C (al-most-done!)
All over the determinant
That is 2 times A
Now that you’ve solved your quadratic
LET’S DO IT AGAIN (yeah yeah yeah!)

And since I’m here in Southern California, two UCLA fight songs, and one USC fight song…

LOYAL SONS OF WESTWOOD

X equals negative B plus
Or minus the square root
of B minus 4 A C
all over 2 A (fight, fight, fight)

WE ARE THE MIGHTY BRUINS

X equals negative B
Plus or minus the
Square root of B minus
4 times A times C
Divide it all by 2 A
That’s the determinant!
And you will have
the roots of
a formula quadratic!

FIGHT ON

X is
Negative B
Plus or Minus
The square root of
B minus 4
A C
All over
2 A!

(Mind you, as a UCLA alum, I HATE that last one!)
)

By: byrd

byrd — Sun, 02 May 2004 06:27:45 +0000

O.k….so this isn’t the only thing you can do to song…it just happens to work out really well. I just went to a math teacher conference, and they had songs and music workshops all over the place. Surprisingly to some (I am sure), I never stopped in any of those rooms to find out more. Maybe I will next time. However, when I teach graphing to my extended kids, if I tried to sing it to them and get them to sing it back, they’d kick my ass. And if you don’t believe me, consider that they have a hard enough time not kicking each other’s ass (3 kids suspended for fighting in my class – 1 kid suspended twice). Not that I don’t love them…:-)

By: morgan

morgan — Sat, 24 Apr 2004 22:51:57 +0000

Whoa, I thought EVERYONE learned it to the tune of “Gilligans Island.” I can’t even try to sing it to any other tune, because it just goes so well with the GI theme…
Negative B plus or minus
The square root of
B-squared minus 4ac
All over 2a
All over 2a

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 13 Apr 2004 04:15:32 +0000

Huh, I was taught the quadratic equation to the tune of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.”

The roots of an equation quadratically defined,
are easy to determine if you keep this tune in mind.
It’s minus b then plus or minus in a square root sign
b squared minus four ca, hear what I say.
Don’t forget to divide the whole thing by 2a.

By: Zach N.

Zach N. — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 23:21:45 +0000

My sister and I were just talking about this the other day. We started singing it together and found that her version ends differently.

“All divided by 2 times A.”

Weird. I don’t know which teacher taught her that. I had Mrs. Berry, just like you Adam.

And in my family, we sing this second verse to it…

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 09:02:19 +0000

I took an informal survey of seven people tonight (three from Wisconsin, and one each from Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Massachusetts) and NONE of them had ever been taught the quadratic formula by song. Aren’t other states weird?

Also, if I were a trig teacher, SOHCAHTOA! would be an instant classic that we would sing EVERY DAY.

By: Andy M.

Andy M. — Wed, 07 Apr 2004 08:38:56 +0000

I also learned the quadratic equation to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel. This is particularly odd, because I haven’t even been able to remember the words of Pop Goes the Weasel to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel.

By: joe.cwik

joe.cwik — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 22:12:22 +0000

Adam, this is off-subject, but you might want to try making the links in the comment section open in a new window.

By: greg

greg — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 19:36:09 +0000

i know this isn;t the same but…

twinkle twinkle little star,
circumference equals two pie are.

By: Chris Sheppard

Chris Sheppard — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 15:31:46 +0000

Here is something I pieced together for a little extra credit in high school.

“The Even Answers Aren’t in the Back”, to the tune of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”

Matricies, aren’t they a hoot?
Factoring and finding the root
It’s got me down on my knees:
algebra and trigonometry,
when the even answers aren’t in the back.

Problem 42 is a function,
so a random number I’ll select,
I pray y is defined with my assumption,
but alas I can not find the f of x

After while, I give up hope,
The stupid line, it’s got no slope,
Then it goes up and down!
Now I’m dancing around,
and I didn’t have to look in the back!

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 22:55:43 +0000

Just thinking of random songs, it seems to go real well to Last Caress by the Misfits

By: Valette

Valette — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 22:18:30 +0000

i learned it to the tune of Pop! Goes the Weasel.

x e-quals neg-a-tive b
plus or minus the squaaaare root
of b squared minus fouuur a c
all over twooo a

By: groverloaf

groverloaf — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 19:41:08 +0000

We did it to the Michigan fight song…

X e-quals neg-a-tive b, plus or minus the square root of…b squared minus four a, c all over two a!!!!

By: joe.cwik

joe.cwik — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 17:57:23 +0000

Byrd better use this.