4 Tips for using a formula

The following tips for using any formula you come across will be useful, both in next week’s study and any further study at university level you may undertake, particularly if you are interested in maths, science or technology. You might find it useful to make a note of these now, or bookmark them to refer to later:

• Check that the formula can be applied to your particular problem.
• Check what values you need to substitute and also what units these should be measured in. Convert the measurements if necessary before substituting.
• Make a rough estimate for the answer.Substitute the values into the formula carefully.
• Use BEDMAS to work out the resulting calculation, step by step. Explain your steps carefully using words like ‘substituting’ and ‘converting’.
• Check that your answer seems reasonable, both practically and from the estimate. Round your answer appropriately.

Remember your concluding sentence should both answer the question and include units.