Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Introduction
The key to learning math can be summed up in one word: Repetition! Repetition!
Repetition!
Anyone who has had the opportunity to work in waterworks and/or wastewater treat-
ment, even for a short time, quickly learns that water/wastewater treatment opera-
tions involve a large number of process control calculations. All of these calculations
are based on basic math principles. In this chapter, we introduce basic mathematical
terminology and definitions and calculator operations that water/wastewater opera-
tors are required to use, many of them on a daily basis.
THE 411 ON MATHEMATICS
What is mathematics? Good question. Mathematics is numbers and symbols. Math
uses combinations of numbers and symbols to solve practical problems. Every
day, you use numbers to count. Numbers may be considered as representing things
counted. The money in your pocket or the power consumed by an electric motor is
expressed in numbers. When operators make entries in daily operating logs, they
enter numbers in parameter columns, indicating the operational status of various unit
processes; many of these math entries are required by the plant's NPDES Permit.
Every day, we use numbers to count. Numbers can be considered as represent-
ing things counted. The money in our pocket or the power consumed by an electric
motor is expressed in numbers. Again, we use numbers every day. Because we use
numbers every day, we are all mathematicians—to a point.
In water/wastewater treatment, we need to take math beyond “to a point.” We
need to learn, understand, appreciate, and use mathematics. Probably the greatest
single cause of failure to understand and appreciate mathematics is in not knowing
the key definitions of the terms used. In mathematics, more than in any other subject,
each word used has a definite and fixed meaning.
The following basic definitions will aid in understanding the material that follows.
M
ath
t
erMinology
and
d
efinitions
•
An
integer
,
or an
integral number
,
is a whole number; thus, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are the first 12 positive integers.
•
A
factor
, or
divisor
, of a whole number is any other whole number that
exactly divides it; thus, 2 and 5 are factors of 10.
•
A
prime number
in math is a number that has no factors except itself and 1;
examples of prime numbers are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11.
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