PROBLEM SOLVING

Example 1: Twice the difference of a number and 1 is 4 more than that

number. Find the number.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

Since we are looking for a number, we will let

x = a number

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Remove ( ) by using dist. prop.

*Get all the x terms on one side

*Inv. of sub. 2 is add 2

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If you take twice the difference of 6 and 1, that is the same as 4 more
than 6, so this does check.

FINAL ANSWER: The number is 6.

 Example 2: One number is 3 less than another number. If the sum of the two
numbers is 177, find each number.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for two numbers, and since we can write the one
number in terms of another number, we will let

x = another number

ne number is 3 less than another number:

x - 3 = one number

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Combine like terms

*Inv. of sub 3 is add 3

*Inv. of mult. 2 is div. 2

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

 If we add 90 and 87 (a number 3 less than 90) we do get 177.

FINAL ANSWER: One number is 90. Another number is 87.

Example 3: Find 45% of 125.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for a number that is 45% of 125, we will let

x = the value we are looking for

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Multiply

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

56.25 is 45% of 125.

FINAL ANSWER: The number is 56.25.

Example 4: A math class has 30 students. Approximately 70% passed their

last math test. How many students passed the last math test?

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for how many students passed the last math test, we
will let

x = number of students

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Multiply

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

21 is 70% of 30.

FINAL ANSWER: 21 students passed the last math test.

Example 5: I purchased a new tv at a local electronics store for $541.25,

which included tax. If the tax rate is 8.25%, find the price of the tv before they
added the tax.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

 Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for the price of the tv before they added the tax, we
will let

x = price of the tv before tax was added.

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Combine like terms

*Inv of mult. 1.0825 is div. by 1.0825

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If you add on 8.25% tax to 500, you would get 541.25.

FINAL ANSWER: The original price is $500.

Example 6: In a blueprint of a rectangular room, the length is 1 inch more than

3 times the width. Find the dimensions if the perimeter is to be 26 inches.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
 We are looking for the length and width of the rectangle. Since length
can be written in terms of width, we will let

w = width

length is 1 inch more than 3 times the width:

1 + 3w = length

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Remove ( ) by using dist. prop.

*Combine like terms

*Inv. of add. 2 is sub. 2

*Inv. of mult. by 8 is div. by 8

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If width is 3, then length, which is 1 inch more than 3 times the width
would have to be 10. The perimeter of a rectangle with width of 3
inches and length of 10 inches does come out to be 26.

FINAL ANSWER: Width is 3 inches. Length is 10 inches.

 Find the measure of each angle in the figure below. Note that since the
angles make up a straight line, they are supplementary to each other. \

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are already given in the figure that

x = one angle

5x = other angle

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Combine like terms

*Inv. of mult. by 6 is div. by 6

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If x is 30, then 5x = 5(30) = 150. 150 and 30 do add up to be 180, so

they are supplementary angles.

FINAL ANSWER: The two angles are 30 degrees and 150 degrees.
Example 8: The sum of 3 consecutive integers is 258. Find the integers.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for 3 consecutive integers, we will let

x = 1st consecutive integer

x + 1 = 2nd consecutive integer

x + 2 = 3rd consecutive integer

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Combine like terms

*Inv. of add 3 is sub. 3

*Inv. of mult. by 3 is div. by 3

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

The sum of 85, 86 and 87 does check to be 258.

FINAL ANSWER: The three consecutive integers are 85, 86, and
87.
 Example 9: The ages of 3 sisters are 3 consecutive even integers. If the sum
of twice the 1st even integer, 3 times the 2nd even integer, and the 3rd even
integer is 34, find each age.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for 3 EVEN consecutive integers, we will let

x = 1st consecutive even integer

x + 2 = 2nd consecutive even integer

x + 4 = 3rd consecutive even integer

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Remove ( ) by using dist. prop.

*Combine like terms

*Inv. of add. 10 is sub. 10

*Inv. of mult. by 6 is div. by 6

If we take the sum of two times 4, three times 6, and 8, we do get 34

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

FINAL ANSWER: The ages of the three sisters are 4, 6, and 8.

Example 10: The cost C to produce x number of cd’s is C = 50 + 5x. The cd’s
are sold wholesale for $15 each, so revenue R is given by R = 15x. Find how
many cd’s the manufacturer needs to produce and sell to break even.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.

We are looking for the number of cd’s needed to be sold to break

even, we will let

x = the number of cd’s

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

*Get all x terms on one side

*Inv. of mult. by 10 is div. by 10

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

When x is 5 the cost and the revenue both equal 75.

FINAL ANSWER: 5 cd’s.

 Fibonacci Sequence
1. The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ...
The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.

The 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1). The 3 is found by adding
the two numbers before it (1+2),And the 5 is (2+3),and so on!

2. The Fibonacci Sequence is the series of numbers:0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34,

...The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.The 2 is found
by adding the two numbers before it (1+1). The 3 is found by adding the two
numbers before it (1+2),And the 5 is (2+3),and so on!

3. The Fibonacci sequence begins with the numbers 0 and 1. ... 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
34, 55, 89, 144, and so on and so forth. Looking at it, you can see that each number in
the sequence is the addition or sum of the two previous numbers. For example, 34 is
the addition of 21 and 13.
KENKEN PUZZLE