Mealtime Math: Conversation Starters

Good meals require planning and preparation ~ the same goes for good mealtime conversations. Here are a few ideas to help you serve up a discussion as tasteful as the meal. 

How long would it take for the USA to adopt the metric system?

Which changes would have most impact on you? What would it cost?

What do The US, Liberia, and Myanmar have in common? According to Statisita.com, these three are the only countries still using the imperial system of measurement. 

• What are the pros and cons of switching?
• How many liters of gas would it take to fill your tank?
• In what units would produce be sold?
• Would driving 40 kilometers an hour get you a speeding ticket in town?
• Could you go swimming or ice skating in 28C weather?
• Which units of measurement would be used for 
  • telling time? 
  • Clothing sizes?
  • Weight?
  • Prescription reading glasses?
  • ?

Are there more numbers between zero and infinity than there are between zero and one?

At first glance, this may seem like a simple question, however when you start to think about it, you may find an endless series of questions:

• How many fractions can fit between zero and one?
• Can one infinity be larger or smaller than another?
• How could we find an answer to this question?

What does it mean to understand multiplication facts? 

• IF kids haven’t memorized the facts, how could they still understand them?
• Once they understand multiplication facts does that mean they automatically understand division facts, too?
• What is the best way for kids to learn their multiplication facts? If you are lucky enough to have people from different generations at the table, this topic could get interesting!
• What is an example of a story problem that includes multiplying (or dividing) fractions?

 Are These Math Facts or Math Fakes?

What do you think? Could these be true?

• Are percents reversible? 20% of 50 is the same as 50% of 20. This is because the word ‘of’ indicates multiplication, and in multiplication, the factors can be reordered without changing the product. In English, the sentence sounds like this: twenty divided by 100 times 50 is the same as 50 divided by 100 times 20.
• Do ALL multiples of nine have a digit sum of nine? Add the digits in any multiple of nine ~ keep adding until you get one number; it will be nine. 1+8=9, 2+7=9, 3+6=9, and so on. Is 135 divisible by nine? Let’s see: 1+3+5=9 so yes. How about 288? 2+8+8=18=1+8=9 so yes again.
• Is 0.999999… equal to one? 
• Can All even numbers greater than 2 be written as the sum of two prime numbers? Known as Goldbach’s Conjecture, this idea isn’t exactly proven, but as far as a dinnertime chat is concerned, you won’t find an even number greater than two which cannot be written this way.
• Is it more expensive for the US government to make and circulate pennies  and nickels than they are worth? The state of Illinois, the ‘Land of Lincoln” (whose face is on the penny) has outlined the pros and cons. 

Composing a list of interesting topics will complement the dinner menu and ensure an enjoyable meal for everyone. Here are some more tips for preparing some ‘food for thought.’

• Use open-ended questions: “What is the weather like?” will generate more responses than, “Is it snowing?”
• Have some follow up questions ready.
• Be ready to listen, really listen to what others are saying. 

Regardless of what you are serving for dinner, these tips help make sure the conversation isn’t too spicy, or too bland, but just right.