Welcome to MA008: Real World Math: Geometry

Specific information about this course and its requirements can be found below. For more general information about taking Saylor University courses, including information about Community and Academic Codes of Conduct, please read the Student Handbook.

Course Description

Study the relationships between lines and angles, learn to calculate how much space an object covers, determine how much space is inside of a three-dimensional object, and explore other relationships between shapes, objects, and the mathematics that govern them.

Course Introduction

In geometry, we study the rules of the spaces and objects in our world. Geometry allows us to make accurate predictions about the sizes of triangles, circles, and rectangles, which lets us calculate, design, and build. Geometry helps architects design studios, farmers buy the right amount of seeds for their land, engineers build houses, and pilots calculate the amount of time they need to fly to reach another city. We use geometry to calculate how much paint we need to buy to cover a wall and the exact angle we should use to launch a rocket to hit a distant target. Artists also use geometry, as you can see in this picture by M. C. Esher.

In this course, we also study the relationships that exist between lines and angles. Urban planners study lines and angles to efficiently arrange houses, buildings, roads, and highways. Our street maps, water supply, and electrical connections all depend on these precise geometric calculations. How much space is inside a three-dimensional object? You may not realize you are using principles of geometry when you are getting ready for a trip, and you need to calculate how to fit two adults, three kids, four suitcases, and a dog into your car.

This course includes the following units:

  • Unit 1: The Basics of Geometry
  • Unit 2: Parallel Lines
  • Unit 3: Triangles, Congruence, and Other Relationships
  • Unit 4: Triangle Relationships
  • Unit 5: Polygons and Quadrilaterals
  • Unit 6: Similarity
  • Unit 7: Right Triangle Trigonometry
  • Unit 8: Circles
  • Unit 9: Perimeter and Area
  • Unit 10: Surface Area and Volume

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • Identify angles, rays, line segments, and points, based on the undefined notions of point, line, distance along a line, and distance around a circular arc;
  • Determine if figures are congruent;
  • Calculate angles created by parallel lines;
  • Determine if two given figures are similar;
  • Use trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean theorem to solve right triangles;
  • Use relationships among inscribed angles, radii, and chords to find missing angle measurements;
  • Find the volume of cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres;
  • Describe objects using geometric shapes, their measures, and their properties;
  • Use the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle to solve problems;
  • Solve simple equations for an unknown angle in a figure using facts about supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles; and
  • Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume, and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms.

Throughout this course, you will also see learning outcomes in each unit. You can use those learning outcomes to help organize your studies and gauge your progress.

Course Materials

This course's primary learning materials are articles, lectures, and videos.

All course materials are free to access and can be found in each unit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will tell you what to focus on in each resource and will help you understand how the learning materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also see a list of all the learning materials in this course at this link: Resources.

Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score

Only the final examination is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. To pass this course, you will need to earn 70% or higher on the final exam.

Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. There is a 14-day waiting period between each attempt. You may only attempt the final exam a maximum of three times. Be sure to study in between each attempt! If you do not pass the exam after three attempts, you will not complete this course.

There is also a practice exam that you may take as many times as you want to help you prepare for the final exam. The course also contains end-of-unit assessments in this course. The end-of-unit assessments are designed to help you study and do not factor into your final course grade. You can take these as many times as you want to until you understand the concepts and material covered. You can see all of these assessments at this link: Quizzes.

Continuing Education Credits

The certificate earned by passing this self-paced course displays not only the program hours you completed, but also continuing education credits (CEUs) for documenting successful completion of courses that are designed to improve the knowledge and skills of working adults. Many industries value CEUs, and now your certificate reflects them clearly, and they may be used to support career advancement or to meet professional licensing standards. This course contains 4.8 CEUs.

Tips for Success

MA008: Real World Math: Geometry is a self-paced course, which means that you can decide when you will start and when you will complete the course. There is no instructor or an assigned schedule to follow. We estimate that the "average" student will take 48 hours to complete this course. We recommend that you work through the course at a comfortable pace that allows you to make regular progress. It's also a good idea to schedule your study time in advance and try to stick to that schedule as best as you can.

Learning new material can be challenging, so here are a few study strategies to help you succeed:

  • Take notes on the various terms, practices, and theories that you come across. This can help you put each concept into context and will create a refresher that you can use as you study later on.
  • As you work through the materials, take some time to test yourself on what you remember and how well you understand the concepts. Reflecting on what you've learned is important for your long-term memory and will make you more likely to retain information over time.

Technical Requirements

This course is delivered entirely online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and attempt any auto-graded course assessments and the final exam.

To access the full course, including assessments and the final exam, you will need to be logged into your Saylor University account and enrolled in the course. If you do not already have an account, you may create one for free here. Although you can access some of the course without logging in to your account, you should log in to maximize your course experience. For example, you cannot take assessments or track your progress unless you are logged in.

For more details and guidance, please review our complete Technical Requirements and our student Help Center.

Optional Saylor University Mobile App

You can access all course features directly from your mobile browser, but if you have limited internet connectivity, the Saylor University mobile app provides an option to download course content for offline use. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.

Download on Google Play Download on the App Store

Fees

This course is entirely free to enroll in and to access. Everything linked in the course, including textbooks, videos, webpages, and activities, is available for no charge. This course also contains a free final exam which will award you a course completion certificate.