Scientific Notation. You need to be familiar with scientific notation, which is used for the expression of very large and very small numbers in a compact format. Scientific notation will be used throughout our courses.
Basic Math. You may need to refresh yourself on the basic manipulations of algebra. See the Algebra section of the help sheet from the Quantitative Skills Center for a good overview. Pay special attention to the examples of equation solution. If you do not understand how those equations were solved for the desired quantity, see me about this. It is essential that you be able to solve simple algebraic equations. In addition to the examples shown above, make sure you are comfortable with substitution of one equation into another as a method of solution.
Logarithms. If you are not sure of the definition of a
logarithm, study this link. Make sure that you can obtain both logarithms and antilogs
on your calculator.
Units Conversion. This can be difficult. Click here for a help
sheet.