HOW TO SOLVE WORD

PROBLEMS IN ALGEBRA
Contextual Mathematics Modeling

Mildred Johnson, Timothy Johnson, Linus Johnson, Dean McRaine &

Sheralyn Johnson. 2000. How to Solve Word Problems in Algebra A
Solved Problem Approach Second Edition. New York: McGraw-Hili
How to Work Word Problems
1. Read the problem all the way through quickly to see what kind of word
problem it is and what it is about.
2. Look for a question at the end of the problem. This is often a good way to find
what you are solving for. Sometimes two or three things need to be found.
3. Start every problem with "Let x = something." (We generally use x for the
unknown.)
You let x equal what you are trying to find. What you are trying to find is usually
stated in the question at the end of the problem. This is called the unknown.
You must show and label what x stands for in your problem, or your equation
has no meaning. You'll note in each solved problem in this book that x is always
labeled with the unit of measure called for in the problem (inches, miles per
hour, pounds, etc.). That's why we don't bother repeating the units label for the
answer line.
How to Work Word Problems
4. If you have to find more than one quantity or unknown, try to
determine the smallest unknown. This unknown is often the one to
let x equal.
5. Go back and read the problem over again. This time read it one
piece at a time. Simple problems generally have two statements.
One statement helps you set up the unknowns, and the other gives
you equation informa- tion. Translate the problem from words to
symbols one piece at a time.
Some examples of statements translated into
algebraic language, using 𝑥 as the unknown.
Some examples of statements translated into
algebraic language, using 𝑥 as the unknown.
FACTS TO REMEMBER
1. "Times as much" means multiply.
2. "More than" means add.
3. "Decreased by" means subtract.
4. "Increased by" means add.
5. "Separate 28 into two parts" means find two numbers whose sum is 28.
6. "Percent of" means multiply.
7. "Is, was, will be" become the equals sign (=) in algebra.
8. If 7 exceeds 2 by 5, then 7 − 2 = 5. "Exceeds" becomes a minus sign (-), and
"by" becomes an equals sign (=).
9. No unit labels such as feet, degrees, and dollars are used in equations. In this
book we have left these labels off the answers as well. Just refer to the "Let 𝑥
=" statement to find the unit label for the answer.
EXAMPLES OF HOW TO START A PROBLEM
1. One number is two times another.
Let 𝑥 = smaller number
2𝑥 = larger number
2. A man is 3 years older than twice his son's age.
Let 𝑥 = son's age
2𝑥 + 3 = man's age
3. Represent two numbers whose sum is 72.
Let 𝑥 = one number
72 − 𝑥 = the other number
EXAMPLES OF HOW TO START A PROBLEM
4. A man invested $10,000, part at 5 percent and part at 7 percent.
Represent interest (income).
Let 𝑥 amount invested at 5 percent
$10,000 − 𝑥 amount invested at 7 percent
Then
0.05 𝑥 = interest on first investment
0.07(10,000 − 𝑥) = interest on second investment
When money is invested, the rate of interest times the principal
equals the amount of interest per year.
EXAMPLES OF HOW TO START A PROBLEM
5. A mixture contains 5% sulphuric acid. Represent the amount of acid
(in quarts).
Let 𝑥 = number of quarts in mixture
0.05𝑥 = number of quarts of sulphuric acid
6. A woman drove for 5 hours at a uniform rate per hour. Represent
the distance traveled.
Let 𝑥 = rate in miles per hour
5𝑥 = number of miles traveled
EXAMPLES OF HOW TO START A PROBLEM
7. A girl had two more dimes than nickels. Represent how much
money she had in cents.
Let 𝑥 = number of nickels
𝑥 + 2 = number of dimes
5𝑥 = number of cents in nickels (5 cents in each nickel)
10(𝑥 + 2) = number of cents in dimes (10 cents in each dime)
FACTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SOLVING AN
EQUATION
1. Remove parentheses first.
Subtraction − 3𝑥 + 2 = − 3𝑥 − 2
Multiplication (distributive law) 3 𝑥 + 2 = 3𝑥 + 6
2. Remove fractions by multiplying by the lowest common denominator (LCD).
3 5
+4= +3
𝑥 2𝑥
The LCD is 2𝑥. Multiplying both sides of the equation by 2𝑥,
6 + 8𝑥 = 5 + 6𝑥
3. Decimals should be removed from an equation before solving. Multiply by a
power of 10 large enough to make all decimal numbers whole numbers. If you
multiply by 10, you move the decimal point in all terms one place to the right.
If you multiply by 100, you move the decimal point in all terms two places to
the right.
EXAMPLE 1
There are two numbers whose sum is 72. One number is twice the
other. What are the numbers?
Steps
1. Read the problem. It is about numbers.
2. The question at the end asks, "What are the numbers?" So we start
out with "let 𝑥 = smaller number." Be sure you always start with 𝑥
(that is, 1𝑥). Never start off with "let 2𝑥 = something," because it
doesn't have any meaning unless you know what 𝑥 stands for.
Always label 𝑥 as carefully as you can. In this problem, that means
just the label "smaller number," since no units of measure are used
in this problem.
EXAMPLE 1
3. Read the problem again, one piece at a time.
The first line says you have two numbers. So far, you have one number
represented by 𝑥. You know you have to represent two unknowns
because the problem asks you to find two numbers. So read on.
Next the problem states that the sum of the two numbers equals 72.
Most of the time it is good to save a sum for the equation statement if
you can. A sum may also be used to represent the second unknown, as
you shall see later. The next statement says "one number is twice the
other." Here is a fact for the second unknown! Now you have
Let 𝑥 = smaller number
2𝑥 = larger number
EXAMPLE 1
4. Now that both unknowns are represented, we can set up the
equation with the fact which has not been used. "The sum is 72"
has not been used; translating it, we get the following equation:
𝑥 + 2𝑥 = 72
Now let's put it all together and solve.
EXAMPLE 1
Check: The sum of the numbers is 72.
Thus 24 + 48 = 72.
Be sure you have answered the
question completely; that is, be sure
you have solved for the unknown or
unknowns asked for in the problem.
Exercise
Try to solve questions below
1. There are two numbers whose sum is 50. Three times the first is 5
more than twice the second. What are the numbers?
2. Separate 71 into two parts such that one part exceeds the other by
7. (Hint: "Separate 71 into two parts" means two numbers have a
sum of 71. "Such that" means in order to have or so that.)
Consecutive Integer Problems
1. Consecutive integers.
Consecutive integers are, for example, 21, 22, 23. The difference
between consecutive integers is 1.
Example:
Represent three consecutive integers.
Let 𝑥 = first consecutive integer
𝑥 + 1 = second consecutive integer
𝑥 + 2 = third consecutive integer
Consecutive Integer Problems
2. Consecutive even integers.
Consecutive even integers might be 2, 4, 6. The difference between
consecutive even integers is 2. The first integer in the sequence has
to be even, of course.
Example:
Represent three consecutive even integers.
Let 𝑥 = first even integer
𝑥 + 2 = second even integer
𝑥 + 4 = third even integer
Consecutive Integer Problems
3. Consecutive odd integers.
An example of consecutive odd integers is 5, 7, 9. Here we find the
difference is also 2. But the first integer is odd.
Example:
Let 𝑥 = first consecutive odd integer
𝑥 + 2 = second consecutive odd integer
𝑥 + 4 = third consecutive odd integer

Note that both the even integer problem and the odd integer problem are
set up exactly the same. The difference is that 𝑥 represents an even integer
in one and an odd integer in the other.
Example 2
Find three consecutive
even integers such
that the largest is
three times the
smallest.

Check: The numbers 2, 4, 6 are

even, consecutive integers. The
largest is three times the
smallest. Thus, 6 = 2(3). Always
be sure that all the unknowns at
the beginning of the problem
are solved for at the end.
Exercise
Try to solve questions below
1. Find three consecutive integers whose sum is 87.
2. Four consecutive odd integers have a sum of 64. Find the integers.
Time, Rate, and Distance
First, a little review. Remember that time multiplied by rate equals
distance or 𝑡 × 𝑟 = 𝑑.
It is convenient to have a diagram in time, rate, and distance problems.
There are usually two moving objects. (Sometimes there is one moving
object traveling at two different speeds at different times.)
Show in a small sketch the direction and distance of each movement.
Then put the information in a simple diagram.
Example 3
• A freight train starts from Los Angeles and heads for Chicago at 40
mph. Two hours later a passenger train leaves the same station for
Chicago traveling at 60 mph.
• How long will it be before the passenger train overtakes the freight
train?
Steps
1. Read the problem through, carefully.
2. The question at the end of the problem asks "how long?" (which
means time) for the passenger train. This question is your unknown.
Example 3
Example 3
Example 3
• But so far you haven't any unknown. The question asked is, "How
long before the passenger train overtakes the freight train?" As you
know by now, you usually put the unknown down first. But when you
use the time, rate, and distance table, it helps to put down known
facts first because the problem tells you either both the times or both
the rates.
• Now put in 𝑥 for the time for the passenger train. It's the unknown to
be solved for. By the way, did you notice by your sketch that the
distances are equal when one train over- takes the other? This fact is
very important to remember.
 Example 3

• Don't put anything in the distance box until all other information is
filled in. Fill in both rates or both times.
• The other two will be filled in as unknowns. You will multiply time by
rate to get distance and put this product in the distance box to
represent distance. (Later you may have problems where each
distance is given, but this type of problem results in fractions. For
now, the distances will not be given.) Back to the problem.
Example 3
• You have filled in both rates and one time. You must represent the
time for the freight train in terms of 𝑥 because you know both rates,
and therefore both times are unknown. The problem stated that the
passenger train started 2 hours after the freight train, so the freight
train took 2 hours longer. You can represent the time for the freight
train by 𝑥 + 2.
Example 3
• Now time multiplied by rate equals distance (𝑡 × 𝑟 = 𝑑), so multiply
what you have in the time box by what you have in the rate box and
put the result in the distance box:
Example 3
• Every time, rate, and distance problem has some kind of relationship between
the distances. This one had the distances equal. That is, the trains traveled the
same distance because they started at the same place and traveled until one
caught up with the other. This fact was not stated. You have to watch for the
relationship. We have two distances in the table above.
40(𝑥 + 2) represents the distance for the freight train.
60𝑥 represents the distance for the passenger train.
• Set these two distances equal for your equation:
40(𝑥 + 2) = 60𝑥
40𝑥 + 80 = 60𝑥
−20𝑥 = −80
𝑥 = 4
Hence, the passenger train overtakes the freight train after 4 hours.
Exercise
Try to solve questions below
1. A car leaves San Francisco for Los Angeles traveling an average of 70 mph. At
the same time, another car leaves Los Angeles for San Francisco traveling 60
mph. If it is 520 miles between San Francisco and Los Angeles, how long before
the two cars meet, assuming that each maintains its average speed? .
2. Two planes leave New York at 10 A.M., one heading for Europe at 600 mph and
one heading in the opposite direc- tion at 150 mph. (So it isn't a jet!) At what
time will they be 900 miles apart? How far has each traveled?.
3. Mr. Derbyshire makes a business trip from his house to Loganville in 2 hours.
One hour later, he returns home in traffic at a rate 20 mph less than his rate
going. If Mr. Derbyshire is gone a total of 6 hours, how fast did he travel on
each leg of the trip?
Exercise
4. Jake and Jerry went on a camping trip with their motor- cycles. One
day Jerry left camp on his motorcycle to go to the village. Ten
minutes later Jake decided to go too. If Jerry was traveling 30 mph
and Jake traveled 35 mph, how long was it before Jake caught up
with Jerry?
5. Two cars are headed for Las Vegas. One is SO miles ahead of the
other on the same road. The one in front is traveling 60 mph while
the second car is traveling 70 mph. How long will it be before the
second car overtakes the first car?
Time, Rate, and Distance Problems Involving
Moving Air (Wind) or Moving Water (Current)
• Some more difficult problems have planes flying in a wind or boats
traveling in moving water. The only problems of this type which we
can solve are those where the objects move directly with or against
the wind or water.
• The plane must have a direct headwind or tailwind, and the boat
must be going upstream or downstream.
• In this type of problem the plane's speed in still air would be
increased by a tailwind or decreased by a headwind to determine
how fast it actually covers the ground.
Time, Rate, and Distance Problems Involving
Moving Air (Wind) or Moving Water (Current)
• For example, a plane flies 200 mph in still air. This is called airspeed. If
there is a 20-mph headwind blowing, it would decrease the speed
over the ground by 20 mph, so the ground speed of the plane would
be 200 - 20 or 180 mph.
• The ground speed is the rate in time, rate, and distance problems. A
headwind reduces the speed of the plane by the velocity of the wind.
A tailwind increases the speed of the plane over the ground by the
velocity of the wind. A plane with an airspeed (speed in still air) of
400 mph with a 30-mph tailwind actually travels over the ground
(ground speed) at 430 mph. A current affects a boat in the same way.
EXAMPLE 4
1
A plane takes 5 hours to fly from Los Angeles to Honolulu and 4 hours to return
11
from Honolulu to Los Angeles. If the wind velocity is 50 mph from the west on both
trips, what is the airspeed of the plane? (Airspeed is the speed of the plane in still
air.)
Steps
1. The two times are given.
2. You are asked to find the speed of the plane in still air (air speed).
3. Going to Honolulu you have a headwind, so subtract the velocity of the wind.
Returning to Los Angeles, you have a tailwind, so add the wind velocity to the
airspeed.
4. The distances are equal.
 EXAMPLE 4

Let 𝑥 = speed of plane in still air (airspeed)

𝑥 − 50 = speed of plane over the ground on trip from Los Angeles to
Honolulu
𝑥 + 50 = speed of plane over the ground on trip from Honolulu to Los
Angeles
Ground speed determines how long it takes the plane to travel from one
place to another.
EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 4

The plane will fly at the same

airspeed regardless of the wind
velocity. The speed at which it
actually covers the ground is
the airspeed plus or minus the
wind velocity, assuming a
direct tailwind or headwind.
EXAMPLE 5
• In his motorboat, a man can go downstream in 1 hour less time than
he can go upstream the same distance. If the current is 5 mph, how
fast can he travel in still water if it takes him 2 hours to travel
upstream the given distance?
Steps
1. The times are 2 hours upstream and 1 hour downstream.
2. The rates are unknown. If you let x equal his rate of travelling in still
water, his rate upstream will be 𝑥 − 5 and his rate downstream will
be 𝑥 + 5. You subtract or add the rate of the current.
3. The distance upstream equals the distance downstream.
EXAMPLE 5

Let 𝑥 = rate of boat in mph in still water

𝑥 − 5 = rate of boat in mph upstream
𝑥 + 5 = rate of boat in mph downstream
EXAMPLE 5
Notes to remember about time, rate, and
distance problems.
1. Don't let x equal distance unless you have to. (This will sometimes
be necessary when you get to fraction problems when each
distance is given.)
2. You will always be given either both rates or both times (or later,
both distances).
3. Time has to be in hours or fractions of an hour. You can never use
minutes with miles per hour.
4. Check the sketch to see if distances are equal for equation
information.
5. If two objects start at the same time, their traveling times are
generally equal.
Thank You