RAFFLES INSTITUTION

RAFFLES PROGRAMME 2022

Year One Mathematics
Topic 6: Algebraic Equations I
Worksheet 3 – Word Problems Involving Equations

Name: ( ) Class: 1( ) Date:

think! Mathematics Secondary Textbook 1A (8th Edition) Chapter 5, Pages 133-136

LEARNER OUTCOMES
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to solve word problems involving linear
equations

A. Solving Real Life Problems using a Linear Equation

All the problems in this worksheet are to be solved using algebra and not by the
model method.

Many practical problems can be transformed into equations using variables. To solve a word
problem, we need to derive equation(s) to find the solution.

Problems involving algebra may be solved by

Step 1: Assign and define the variable(s) to unknown(s).
Step 2: Form expressions.
Step 3: Form an equation.
Step 4: Solve the equation.
Step 5: Answer the question by considering the context.

Example 1
A teacher is three times as old as his student. The difference in their ages is 28. Find the sum
of their ages in 5 years’ time.

[Note that model method is used here to help you see the similarity between model method
and algebraic method. For this example, model method is the more efficient way of solving
this problem. However, as the complexity of such word problems increases, algebraic method
would be the more efficient way]

Algebraic Method Model Method

Step 1: Let _____________________________________

be x years old.
Step 2: Then the present age of the __________ is _____
years old.
Step 3: Given __________ = 28
Step 4: _____ = 28
x = _____
Step 5: Therefore, the sum of their ages in 5 years’ time
= ____________________
= _____
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Example 2

The sum of three consecutive positive odd integers is 135, find the product of the three
integers.

Let the first number be x.

Then the second number is _____________ and the third number is __________.
Given that their sum is 135,

Example 3

A librarian bought 50 books for a library. Each hard-cover book is 1.5 times as expensive as
each paperback. Given that each paperback costs $4, how many hard-cover books did the
librarian buy if he spent a total of $256 on the books?

Let the number of hard-cover books the librarian bought be x.

Then the number of paperbacks the librarian bought is _____________

Example 4

The cost of hiring a car consists of two parts. There is a fixed charge of $45 plus an additional
charge of 15 cents for every kilometer travelled. Phillip hired a car and travelled x kilometers
on a business trip. If he had used his own car, he would have incurred an cost of 33 cents for
every kilometre that he travelled. Given that the total cost of hiring the car was the same as if
he had used his own car, find the value of x.

Given cost of hiring a car = cost if he had used his own car

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Example 5

The diagram represents a piece of rectangular paper ABCD which has been folded along EF
5x + 9
so that C is moved to G. EC = 2 cm, FC = 4 cm, AB = cm and AD = 2 x cm .
4
E
D C
G
F

A B
(a) Write, in terms of x, an expression for
(i) BF,

(ii) DE,

(iii) the perimeter of the shape ADEGFB in its simplest form.

(b) Given that the perimeter of the shape ADEGFB is 52.6 cm, write an equation
in terms of x and solve the equation for the value of x.

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Example 6
The speed of bullet A from an ordinary gun is (464 − x ) m/s. The speed of bullet B from a
1
specially engineered gun is 1 times that of bullet A.
2

(a) Write down and simplify an algebraic expression, in seconds, for

(i) the time taken for bullet A to travel 1.2 km,

(ii) the time taken for bullet B to travel twice the distance.

It is given that the time taken for bullet A to travel 1.2 km is 0.8 seconds less than the time
taken for bullet B to travel twice the distance.

(b) Form an equation in x and solve it.

(c) Hence, find the speed of bullet B.

Polya’s 4-Steps for Problem Solving

Did you notice that there are standard steps involved in solving word
problems? These steps are based on George Polya famous four-step process
for problem solving:
1. Understand the problem
2. Devise a plan
3. Carry out the plan
4. Look back

Scan the QR code to find out more about Polya’s four-step approach to
problem solving

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B. Homework

Level 1 (Self-Practice)

think! Mathematics Secondary Textbook 1A

(8th Edition) Chapter 5 Exercise 5B Q7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 13
(P 135)

Level 2 (Core)

1
1. A man is now 2 times as old as his daughter. In 20 years’ time, the sum of their
2
ages will be 103 years.
(a) How old is the man now?
(b) How old was the man when his daughter was born?

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2. Two men, P and Q, start at the same point and travel in opposite directions by
motorcycle. The speed at which P travels is 4 km/h faster than that of Q’s. After 5
hours, they are 580 km apart. Find the speed in km/h at which P travels.

3. A man travels from Town A to Town B at an average speed of 6 km/h and from Town B
to Town A at an average speed of 4 km/h. If he takes 40 minutes to complete the entire
journey, find the total distance travelled. [3]

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4. The diagram shows a rectangle ABCD with a square of side x cm removed.
AP = 3 cm and QC = 4 cm.
A 3 P x B
x
Q
R

D S C

(i) Find, in terms of x, for the area of the shaded rectangle APSD.

The area of the shaded rectangle is twice the area of the unshaded rectangle RQCS.

(ii) Form an equation in x and solve it.

(iii) Hence, find the area of the shaded rectangle APSD.

[Ans: 1(a) 45 yrs old (b) 27 yrs old 2. 60 km/h 3. 3.2 km 4(i) ( 3 x + 12 ) cm2 (ii) x = 2.4
(iii) 19.2 cm2 ]

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Level 3 (Challenge Yourself)

1. The numbers (x – 1), x and (x + 1) are three successive positive integers. When they
are multiplied together, the product of the three numbers is 120 times their sum. Use
this information to form an equation, in terms of x, and hence find the three numbers.
[Ans: 18, 19 and 20]

2. A rod WZ is cut into 3 parts, WX, XY and YZ respectively. If WY : YZ = 2 :1, WX : XZ

= 2 : 3 and XY = 8 cm, find the length of the rod.
[Ans: 30 cm]

3 (a) In a book, a chapter consists of 10 pages. The sum of the page numbers of the
chapter is 1025. Find the starting page number of this chapter.
(b) If twice the total number of pages of the book is 26 more than three times the
starting page number of this chapter, find the total number of pages in the
book.
[Ans: (a) Page 98; (b) 160 pages]

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