Learning Lab

This section introduces the basic skills for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division (+ - × ÷) of algebraic expressions.

What do I do with the brackets? Brackets are useful to group numbers, pronumerals and operations together as a whole. Whatever is around the brackets affects all the things inside the brackets. View...

How do I deal with fractions involving pronumerals? Adding and subtracting fractions always requires a common denominator (which is the lower half of the fraction). These need to be the same before...

What is an algebraic fraction? The numerator(top) or denominator(bottom) of a fraction can be in algebraic form involving numbers and variables (represented by pronumerals or letters). In this...

Learn how to manipulate or rearrange formulas that involve fractions and brackets.

Rearranging formulas, also called transposition of formulas, is a necessary skill for most courses. This module provides essential skills in manipulating formulas.

Are you still trying to get that variable on its own from the formula, but it is in a tricky place – or maybe it appears more than once? Here we demonstrate manipulating or rearranging complex...

What is algebra? Why are there letters in the equation? Algebraic expressions involve pronumerals (letters) to represent values. Pronumerals can take many different values. We often need to plug...

How do you convert between units? Nurses use units that begin with milli and micro a lot. If you express your dosage in a smaller unit, the number must get bigger, and vice versa. Find out how to...

How do you convert IV flow rates? In the previous video, we looked at converting between millilitres (ml) and drops. This time we are converting not only the volumes, (drops and mls) but the units...

Drops are just another unit for measuring the amount of fluid flowing into a patient’s system. Discover what ‘drop factor’ means, and how to convert between millilitres and drops. 

What is volume required formula? This formula tells us how much liquid-form medication we need to give a patient, considering the strength they need and the source that it comes from. This tutorial...

What do you do if the Flow Rate calculation involves fractions such as ¼ of an hour or 0.5 litres? Find out how this is managed mathematically.

How do you deal with a unit like mg/kg? Milligrams per kilogram means that you must give a certain amount (mgs) of a drug for each kilogram of the patient’s body mass. Bigger patients need a bigger...

Pythagoras’ Theorem shows the relationship between the sides of a right-angled triangle. Knowing the length of two sides of a right-angled triangle, the length of the third side can be calculated.

Sine, cos and tan can be defined using side lengths of a right-angled triangle. These side lengths are identified as either the hypotenuse or the opposite or adjacent sides to the angle.

How can we apply trigonometry to triangles that do not possess a right-angle? The sine rule shows that the ratio of the length of a side, to the sine of its opposite angle, will be the same for all...

The cosine rule is a generalisation of Pythagoras’ theorem. If you have any two sides of a triangle, as long as you know the angle between them, you can calculate the length of the third side.

Angles are frequently measured in degrees. However, it is sometimes useful to define angles in terms of the length around the unit circle (a circle of radius = 1). This module introduces radians as a...

If you know the value of a trigonometric function, how do I find all the possible angles that satisfy this expression? The calculator may only give you one answer to an inverse trig question...