Mnemonics

 What are Mnemonics? ....

The word simply means  some device that helps the memorization of something.

Mostly , as mnemonics, we come across with sentences with words that represents some information. Since a sentence as a whole conveys a meaning , it sticks to memory without loss of some of the words.

Trigonometry students use the sentences 'All Silver Tea Cups' or 'All Students Take Coffee' to indicate which ratio is positive in which quadrant.

To remember sun's planets in the order of proximity to the sun, we used the sentence 'My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets.' or 'My Very Educated Miss (Mother, if you want it so) Just Showed Us Nine Planets', the words representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Of course , we now know that Pluto is not counted as a planet and therefore there are only eight of them. Nevertheless, the significance of this mnemonic prevails.

Mnemonics remove confusions. A common confusion is about spelling of words like 'receive', piece etc. The following may help to some extent.

I before e except after c
and weird is just weird.

I before e except after c
Or when sounded "A" as in neighbor and weigh.

My colleague, in her lower primary classes, was confused between sun and son. She resolved it by remembering 'Oh! my Son!' as a phrase.

Mnemonics for Numbers.

Many words, phrases or verses have been devised to act as mnemonics for number. To remember the decimals of pi, the following were suggested.

How I wish I could calculate pi.
or still more precise,
How I like a drink, alcoholic of course,
after the heavy lectures involving quantum mechanics.

If you want to sing it out,

Now, I wish I could recollect pi.
"Eureka," cried the great inventor.
Christmas Pudding; Christmas Pie
Is the problem's very center.

or,

Sir, I bear a rhyme excelling
In mystic force, and magic spelling
Celestial sprites elucidate
All my own striving can't relate
Or locate they who can cogitate
And so finally terminate.
Finis.

Mnemonics for rahukal.

At 7.30 mother saw friends wearing the turban suddenly. The portion of day, for this purpose, starts at 7.30 aprox and is in periods of  1 hour 30 minutes. Each word represents a day of the week indicated by the first two letters. So for Monday rahukal is from 7.30 to 9.00. Wednesday, it is the fourth slot, i.e. 12.00 to 1.30.