By Ashley Dischinger

Many news stories include mathematical concepts such as directional, area or volume measurements, or measurements based on the metric system. It is imperative that reporters have a solid grasp on these concepts in order to report them in a clear manner.

Chapters Nine through Twelve of Math Tools for Journalists discuss these math skills and the most common ways the concepts can be applied to enhance a story. These tools certainly have the potential to add a great deal to the story, especially when explaining the basic math concepts in a manner that the general public will easily understand.

The metric system: a foreign concept to many

The metric system is a concept that is foreign to many Americans. Nevertheless, it is vital that journalists have a basic understanding of how to report and convert numbers in the metric system. The majority of countries adhere to the metric system, making it a staple of reporting stories involving international commerce and science.

As suggested by its name, the meter is the basic unit for length in the metric system. Similarly, mass is also derived from the meter. The international metric system is based on multiples of 10. Since it is based on the decimal system, users can easily change from one unit to another by either multiplying or dividing by units of 10.

Common unit names are the meter (measuring length), the gram (measuring mass) and the liter (measuring volume). Simple prefixes can be added to the unit names in order to create larger or smaller factors.

There are common formulas that can be used to convert American lengths to units in metric terms when finding the length, area, volume and temperature. For example, multiply miles by 1.6 in order to find kilometers. When finding the area, multiple square feet by 0.09 to find the equivalent in square meters.

The formulas for temperature conversion are as follows:

To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius:

Celsius = .56 x (Fahrenheit – 32)

To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit = (1.8 x Celsius) + 32

Following style rules

There are also many style rules that the National Institute of Standards and Technology suggest journalists follow. These style rules are similar to AP Style rules and list common ways to report units of measure. For instance, the names of all units of measurement should begin with a lower case. (The one exception is in “degree Celsius” where only the modifier “Celsius” is capitalized.)

A similar style rule is to use a single space between the numerical value and the symbol to which it refers. (For instance, 10 m, 81 degrees Fahrenheit, etc.) In names or symbols for units with prefixes, don’t leave a space between letters making up the symbol or name. (For example, milligram is abbreviated as mg, kilometer as km, etc.)

Want to give it a shot?

The following are examples of math problems involving directional, area and volume measurements, as well as the metric system.

Directional Measurement

1. A reporter is covering a bike race that extends between two cities. The distance from one city to another is 216 miles. Calculate how long it would take for the average biker to reach the other city if the biker pedals 4 hours a day at an average speed of 16 miles per hour.

Use the following formula:

Time = distance divided by rate

By plugging in the numbers, the amount of time it will take for the biker to reach his destination will equal 216 divided by 16, which is 13.5 hours. Then divide 13.5 by the rate (4 hours/day), which means it would take the biker approximately 3.4 days to reach his final destination.

Area Measurement

2. A company wants to purchase a small piece of land in order to expand its building. The piece of land will cost $10 per square foot, per year. The land is approximately 60 feet by 100 feet. At this rate, how much would the piece of land cost the company per year?

To solve this equation, first multiply 60 by 100 to find the total area in square feet (6,000). Next, multiply 6,000 by 1 in order to find the total cost, which is $60,000.

Volume Measurement

3. A company manufactures cars that weigh approximately 1.5 British tons, or long tons. How many pounds does this car weigh?

To solve this problem, use the conversions listed below:

1 long ton = 2,240 pounds

Since the car weighs 1.5 long tons, multiple 1.5 by 2,240. The car thus weighs approximately 1,493.3 pounds.

The Metric System

4. The international weather report says that tomorrow’s high temperature in Ecuador will be 36 degrees Celsius. How would you report this temperature in Fahrenheit for American readers?

For converting temperatures into Fahrenheit, use the following formula:

Fahrenheit = (1.8 x Celsius) + 32

By plugging in the temperature, the formula is (1.8 x 36) + 32. This means the temperature in Fahrenheit is 96.8 degrees.