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Unknown (math) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.
Unknown (math) facts for kids
In mathematics, an unknown is a number we do not know. In algebra, an unknown is represented by a letter. For example, in the equation E = m c2, the letter m represents an unknown mass, and the letter E represents an unknown amount of energy. Not all letters in algebra represent unknowns. In the example above, c represents a known quantity, the speed of light, which is about 186 thousand miles per second. Because c is so large, the formula E = m c2 tells a person who understands algebra that in an atomic reaction, a small amount of mass can produce a very large amount of energy.
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The first use of an equals sign, equivalent to 14x + 15 = 71 in modern notation. From The Whetstone of Witte by Robert Recorde of Wales (1557).
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The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art is an anonymous Chinese book proposing a method of resolution for linear equations.
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A conic section is the intersection of a plane and a cone of revolution.
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A strange attractor which arises when solving a certain differential equation.