Real-Life Math -- Solution
"We use math on just about every single job we do -- like construction
and building, everything fits together," says sign maker Ron Stewart.
Although
computers are used for almost every job, a simple job such as this can be
figured out quickly by hand.
Height of sign:
3 lines
of letters, each 6 inches high
3 x 6 = 18 inches
75 percent
letter height spacing between lines (2 rows of space between words):
2
x 6 x 0.75 = 9 inches
Space at the top and bottom of the sign
equals the height of the letters:
2 x 6 = 12 inches
Total
height:
18 + 9 + 12 = 39 inches
The sign must be 39 inches
high.
Width of sign:
longest line
width = number of letters x height x 1.5
8 letters x 6 inches high x 1.5
= 72 inches wide
10 percent right and left (round off to nearest
number)
2 sides x 72 inches wide x 0.10 = 14 inches
Total
width:
72 + 14 = 86 inches wide
The sign must be 86 inches
wide.
The board you need is 39 inches high by 86 inches
wide.
Of course, the material you buy comes in different sizes. For
a sign like this, you might slightly reduce the space between the 3 lines
of text and the amount of space at the top and bottom. Why? Because much of
the wood you purchase comes in a standard width. By reducing the height, you
can use either the standard width or you can use the larger width and have
enough wood left for another sign.
Stewart says that signs like this
only use simple math. "Complicated signage requires more advanced math, including
geometry," he adds.
He says that sign makers can often make other things
in addition to signs.
Besides putting that Harley-Davidson logo on
the gold tooth, he has crafted one-of-a-kind dashboards. Here, precision counts.
And the math is more complicated. "Lots of time people build stuff and they
say it is a certain distance over, but when we get out our ruler and check,
it isn't. Our equipment measures to the 0.0001 inch in accuracy."