Thursday, November 17, 2011

Instant Answers for your Math and Science Questions


So, I actually came up with this wonderful idea this morning.  It may not seem to be as well thought-out as many of my other business ideas, but because I think this may be a simple, yet extremely attractive business, I'm going to throw it out--and if I get additional thoughts about this, I can always add a new post about it!

This would be a very simple method to get answers to students.

You see, when I'm studying and doing homework, I will work through the question and get as far as I can (usually, it's to the end), but I want to make sure that my answer is correct so that I can rest assured that I'm performing the calculations correctly.  Unfortunately, in most textbooks, in order to verify that my answer is correct, the question must be an odd number.  For some reason, the textbooks (and textbook makers) have some beef against even numbers, and they don't include them with the rest of the answers in the back of the book.  So, if I want the answer to an even-numbered question, I'm kind of out-of-luck.



Until now!  All I would need to do is take a picture of the problem from my cell phone and send it to Instant Answers!  The problem will be forwarded to an expert in the specified math/science field and they will answer the question quickly and professionally.  Answers will likely be replied to within 5 minutes (depending on the complexity of the question).

You will receive either a text message or image with the answer.  If you request the step-by-step instructions as to how the answer was found, that would be emailed to you.

The way this would work is mainly with an app for smartphones and tablets.  That would make things quick and easy.  There would also be a method for clients to upload questions/images directly to the website.

This would require:
 - A website for people to visit
 - A phone number with call forwarding capabilities
 - An 1-800 number (not required, but preferable)
 - Experts in Math and Science fields (or whatever fields you want to include)
 - Online payment processor (how else are you going to collect money? Snail mail?!?)

This business could charge a per question fee of between $0.99 to $4.99 based on the class, and pay the "answerers" a percentage of that based on the quantity of questions they answer.  If some entrepreneur was really up for it, they could even use a complex mathematical and/or scientific algorithm which would be able to compute the answer quickly and efficiently.  That would cut down on the expenses.

I believe that this business would work well because people like me don't really want to work initially with tutors, but instead would like to make sure that I have the right answer to make sure that my calculations are correct.  And then, if I still don't understand the material, I can talk with a tutor.

7 comments:

  1. Hi there! We offer something very similar! We provide detailed, step-by-step ODD AND EVEN answers to popular Algebra, Precalculus, Analysis, Calculus, Chemistry, AP Chemistry Lab textbooks! We are adding more books soon!

    http://homeworkhelperexpress.wordpress.com/

    Send us your textbook problem, and get a detailed answer starting at JUST $1.99!

    Who wants to spend hours at tutoring or wait in line to see their teacher? Our services are reliable, fast, friendly, and 100% confidential!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Homeworkhelperexpress: That's awesome that you offer something very similar! In reality, the point of this blog is to get my business ideas out there and used. If you want to use any part of this idea, or even if you would like some outside ideas (from me, obviously), let me know and I'll always be willing to help another business!

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  2. why is the scientific method said to involve critical thinking

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    Replies
    1. "the scientific method is a formalization of critical thinking, it can be used as a simple model that removes critical thinking from the realm of the intuitive and puts it at the center of a straightforward, easily implemented, teaching strategy"
      (http://www.sdbonline.org/archive/SDBEduca/dany_adams/critical_thinking.html)

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  3. why is it a good idea to limit an experiment to test only one variable at a time whenever possible?

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    Replies
    1. So you can ensure that the results of the experiment are directly related to the one variable. If you run an experiment with multiple variables, you will not be able to determine easily which variable caused the change - you'll have to run the experiment multiple times anyway that way, so why not do it one variable at a time?

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  4. I like your approach on the topic. Your article is as interesting as your previous writings. Keep up the good work, thanks a lot.

    ReplyDelete