Welcome back to the I See Math People podcast!
If you are new here and wondering why in the world a math podcast is talking about the alphabet…well, at the beginning of this year, I came across a book that used to live on the student bookshelf in my classroom. It was an alphabet book that talked about interesting math terms. As I was flipping through it, I thought what a fun idea for this season of the podcast. So, here we are, already on the 17th letter of what I’m calling the Mathabet.
{This is a modified transcript for Episode 45 of the I See Math People podcast. To listen instead, click here.}
That’s also the working title for the book I’m writing that’s set to launch in October. It’s kind of a companion to this season’s episodes…and blog posts here on the website. For each letter of the alphabet, I share some mathematical ideas that begin with that letter along with a few common places you might interact with them. I also give a few ideas for when you might use the idea and not realize it’s math.
I’m super excited for this launch, even if I’m nervous about the timeline. There’s a lot to do in a few short weeks, but I think I’ll make it. I have a plan and I’m just going to keep going.
I can’t wait for you to get your hands on this book! If you’d like to be the first to know when it’s available, be sure to sign up here to “Meet me in your inbox.” And if you are reading this after October 2026, you’ll want to choose “I wrote a book!” instead.
Speaking of the Mathabet, this post is all about mathematical ideas that begin with the letter Q. Of course, in English, Q is almost always followed by U, so all of these words begin with “qu.” That’s a spelling pattern, by the way, so if you recognize that when you are listening or reading, you are a math person.
Let’s begin with something I know you are quite familiar with.
Quarter.
You probably already know the word quarter means one fourth of something. That’s why that coin we used to drop into the slot to play that video game is called a quarter. Because its value, 25 cents, is one fourth of a whole dollar. I wonder if there are still coin operated games around somewhere. Most of what I’ve encountered lately take some sort of card instead. But, I digress.
That the word quarter means one fourth is also why sections of football and basketball games are called quarters. You might have even cut a pizza into quarters to either eat yourself or to feed your family.
Where else have you interacted with the idea of quarter?
While we are on the subject of one fourth, you are probably also familiar with the idea of a quart being one fourth of a gallon. You might use quart sized jars to can vegetables or to store other things. You’ve probably needed a quart or two of oil for your car at some point in time. Maybe you’ve even stopped at a roadside stand for a quart-sized basket of strawberries.
Quarters and quarts are related terms that you surely interact with in some way or another. And that makes you a math person.
Let’s move on to another idea that has to do with four.
Quadrilateral
A quadrilateral is a shape with four sides. Some quadrilaterals are squares, some are rectangles or parallelograms, and some are just a shape with four sides. I know you recognize doors and windows as rectangles and you even know that a standard kite has four sides. Anytime you notice or draw a quadrilateral, you are interacting with this mathematical idea. And that also makes you a math person.
Quotient
Do you remember what a quotient is? If you said it’s the answer to a division problem, you are correct. So, anytime you are dividing numbers you are finding the quotient. You probably interact with division on a fairly regular basis and if you are wondering where you might come across it in your daily life, I invite you to check out this post, where I talk about math ideas that begin with D.
Quantity
Last on my list today is the word quantity. A quantity is an amount of something. You deal with quantities all the time. How much potato salad do you need to make to have enough for everyone at the family gathering? How many bricks are needed to build that border for your flower bed? How much money do you need to save for that vacation you are planning?
You might not think about the word itself very often, but you do interact with it. So, the next time you are thinking about amounts….how much or how many…take a moment to stop and recognize you are interacting with the idea of quantity and remind yourself this makes you a math person.
I’m quite glad you joined the conversation today! I’m on a mission to change the way the world sees math, and that begins with you. If you found value in this post, if something you read made you pause, or if you suddenly realized the hidden math in something you do every day, now is the time to join this movement!
When you comment here and share this site, or when you subscribe to, rate, and share the I See Math People podcast, the algorithms will show it to more people and the more people who get the message, the more mindsets can begin to shift.
Thank you for being part of this discussion of a few of the mathematical concepts beginning with the letter Q. I truly hope you heard something about quarter, quart, quadrilateral, quotient, and quantity you can relate to and that it made you stop and think about where math shows up for you on a daily basis. Noticing where you interact with math is the first step to beginning your mindset shift and seeing yourself as the math person you really are.
I’m Jennifer Mason Hardin and everywhere I look I see math people just like you.
