AI-Powered Math: Prompt Recipes
In traditional science education, mathematics is often treated as a hurdle—a series of steps and formulas to memorize before you can move on to the exciting part. But what if, instead, it could be a partner? A flexible, patient assistant that helps you explore the world without getting stuck on the math?
With tools like ChatGPT, students no longer need to fear formulas or complicated graphing. Instead, they can describe their problem in natural language and get tailored support in return. The role of math shifts—from being an obstacle to becoming a bridge between experiment and insight.
In this section, we present a set of prompt recipes—simple, reusable phrases that students can copy and adapt to help analyze their data. These are not meant to replace learning mathematics, but rather to empower curiosity and make the path toward understanding more accessible.
Examples of Prompt Recipes
“Here is a list of measurements. Can you calculate the average and the standard deviation?
2.1, 2.3, 2.2, 2.4, 2.3”
“Here is time and distance data from a falling object. Can you plot it, fit a curve, and estimate g? The first row contains the time values measured in seconds, the second row the distance measured in meters:
0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4
0.05, 0.20, 0.45, 0.80”
“I did an experiment with sound waves. Here are the frequencies and intensities. Can you make a spectrum plot?”
“This is sensor data from a temperature experiment. Can you help me detect when the heating phase starts and stops?”
“I took a photo of a laser spot and measured its width. Can you help me estimate the wavelength if I also give you the slit separation and distance to the screen?”
Each of these prompts starts not with a formula, but with a question. And that’s the point.
With these recipes, students can begin to work like scientists from day one—posing questions, gathering data, and engaging in meaningful interpretation—without having to wait until they’ve passed every math exam. Along the way, they may even find themselves learning more math than they ever expected, because now it serves their goals, not the other way around.