Real-Life Math -- Solution
You want to calculate the weight of your next sculpture.
1. What will be the total weight of the sculpture in pounds?
Total weight = (6 x 120) + (5 x 87) + (7 x 45)
Total weight = 720 + 435 + 315
Total weight = 1,470 kg
1 kg = 2.205 lbs.
Pounds = 1,470 x 2.205
Pounds = 3,241.35
The sculpture will weigh about 3,241 lbs. Yes, it will be light enough to hang above the entrance.
2. By what percentage is it over or under the maximum weight?
3,500 pounds allowed - 3,241 pounds actual weight = 259
259 / 3,500 x 100 = 7.4
The sculpture weighs 7.4 percent less than the maximum weight.
3. How many more of the smallest pieces could be added to the sculpture?
No more pieces could be added to the sculpture. The smallest pieces weigh 315 lbs. each, and the sculpture is only 259 lbs. below its maximum weight.
Sculptors need math skills for problems like the one above. They often create large works that can be dangerous if calculations are done improperly. Insurance companies expect you to prove to them on paper that your work will be safe.
Math is also used to ensure a sculpture will last a long time. If a sculpture is outside, you need to ensure it can withstand the ravages of time, weather, and vandals.
"It's a vandal's job to destroy what you make, and you have to outwit them. Design accordingly, and yet still make it work esthetically," says sculptor Rick Silas. "There's a lot of elements that come into it, and mathematics certainly resolves a lot of that."