Geometry is recognised as a classical discipline in mathematics with many real-life applications. It is chiefly concerned with the properties of figures and space. Common topics under geometry includes volume and area. Your child can benefit hugely from learning geometry as it is applicable to a wide range of related subjects and careers.

Uses of Geometry

In this article, we will cover several unsuspecting areas which geometry is applied in. We hope that it will inspire your child to enjoy learning geometry and to apply it in the future.

Art

It may seem strange to start our list with art, which many consider the polar opposite of math and science. Yet, geometry is actually hidden in every painting, drawing or sculpture that an artist creates.

In fact, every line or curve is part of geometry, making it essential in any piece of art. Faces, buildings, food, movement and more are fundamentally shapes when depicted in art. If you were to look through the eyes of an artists, everything would be geometry and its respective relationships.

If your child is aspiring to be an artist, understanding geometry would help them to determine the type of strokes or depth that an object should be depicted with. The relationship in proportions between each object helps to create a sense of realism or any other style that your child may wish to create.

Architecture

A closely related discipline to art, architecture uses geometry for both functional and aesthetic building plans. On the side of functionality, architects rely on geometric principles to create safe structures. Meanwhile, designers apply geometry when creating aesthetically pleasing spaces.

A good example of this is architects who based their designs on natural geometry. Many buildings are inspired by natural patterns, these include:

• Symmetry – reflection of a pattern element
• Spirals – patterns that are continuous and also gradually widening/tightening around a centre point
• Fractals – similar patterns that are recurring at a progressively smaller scale

These geometric patterns are applied in areas such as:

• Hallway designs
• Fabrics, carpets & wallpapers
• Structural system arrangement
• Space shapes and furniture arrangement
• Ensuring proper ventilation for an area

In short, every aspect of architecture involves geometry.

Astronomy

If your child is aspiring to be an astronaut or an astronomer then geometry would be a fundamental discipline in these areas. The galaxy is populated by many celestial objects such as stars and planets. In order to study these celestial bodies, geometry is needed to understand their relative position, their orbital speed and characteristics of the planet.

For example, if you were to find a new star in a distant galaxy, how would you describe it? You could start by determining the galaxy which it resides in and its distance from earth. Furthermore, you may want to describe its orbiting cycle and intra-planet rotation. All of these parameters would require the use of geometry in order to be determined.

Culinary

After covering two areas of study that are perceived to be highly complex – architecture and astronomy, we would like to offer one that is seldom associated with geometry – culinary arts.

Similar to that of art, professionally prepared cuisine also utilises geometry in its presentation. When you dine at a high-end restaurant, not only do you expect good tasting food, but you also want it to be attractive looking. As such, geometry is used by chefs when deciding how to lay and present dishes.

Beyond presentation, even the cooking aspect of a chef’s job is not exempted from geometry. For example, knowing the volume of a baking tray would inform you of the amount of mix that is needed before you begin baking.

Pilot & Flight

Pilots also require a significant amount of knowledge of geometry. This is best applied in two areas: (1) staying on course and (2) taking off/descent.

Pilots need to apply geometry to plan their flight routes and to keep their aircraft on course. Be it adjusting their direction based on compass readings or avoiding hazards through ascent or descent.

Secondly, geometry is used to calculate the required angles for taking off and landing of planes. All planes have a recommended angle for these two situations and would be in danger if they deviated too far from it.

Geometry at Primary School Level

At primary school level, your child be learning to identify, describe and calculate the properties of various shapes. These shapes include those of rectangles, triangles, cubes and quadrilaterals, thus forming the basis for more advance geometry topics to be taught in the future.

Unfortunately, like other challenging topics in mathematics, many primary school students tend to adopt a negative attitude towards geometry. This attitude stems from the restrictive concept of geometry that is covered in textbooks.

In order to stimulate a joy for learning geometry, teachers are pressed to relate textbook chapters to real life situations. Yet, due to time and resource constrains, this is not always possible.

Furthermore, real life application of a topic does require a minimum viable level of understanding prior to application. In a class of forty students, understanding of a topic will definitely vary from student to student. Given the large class size, many students may be left out if the teacher advances too fast.

How Maths Tuition Can Help

As covered before, real life application of a mathematical concept requires first a fundamental understanding of the topic. This is where primary math tuition centre Singapore can help. By giving your child additional time and more attentive help, he or she is given the chance to explore real life applications of geometry.

Furthermore, since tuition classes have more time and resources, your child will be able to clarify doubts at his or her own pace. Overall, this makes the learning of geometry much more enjoyable.

Trust MLGS to Help Your Child with Mathematics

Maths Learning Groups was established by Mr. Lawrence Ong, who is NIE-Trained and an ex Primary School Teacher with more than 15 years of teaching experience. We aim to help weaker students to bridge the gap with better-performing students by catering to their learning pace and style.

We strive to provide affordable tuition rates so that no student will be deprived of the opportunity to learn from NIE-Trained teachers. We specialize in offering math tuition classes for students in Primary 3 to Primary 6. Our primary school maths tuition classes help to build up a strong solid foundation in the key mathematics concepts.

Our small group maths tuition and private tuition classes in Singapore help students maximize their learning potential. This ensures that they hone strong critical thinking skills that will carry them through in their education journey.