Unit 2 : One Variable Equations and Inequalities

Class Notes Day 3- Literal Equations, Applications and Word Problems

I. Introduction
Given a rectangle, the formula for perimeter is .

1) If the perimeter is 68, and the length is 15, find the width. Use the formula above and solve the equation.

II. Literal Equations Examples

1) Solve for b. 2) Solve 3) Solve .

4) Solve 5) Solve 6) Solve .

7) Solve . 8) Solve 7) Solve .

8) Solve 9) Solve

III. Practice
I. Solve.
1. A = bh, for b 2. d = rt, for t 3. I = Prt, for P

4. F = ma, for a 5. P = 2l + 2w, for w 6. A = πr2, for π

7. A = bh, for b 8. E = mc2, for m 9. A = , for b

IV. Application Examples

1) The formula is often used by placement services to find keyboarding speeds. In the formula, s
represents the speed in words per minute, w represents the number of words typed, e represents the number of
errors, and m represents the number of minutes typed.

a. Solve the formula for e. b. If Miguel typed 410 words in 5 minutes and received a k
keyboard speed of 76 words per minute, how many
errors did he make?

2) The formula represents the amount of pressure exerted on the floor by the heel of a shoe. In this
formula, P represents the pressure in pounds per square inch, W represents the weight of a person wearing the
shoe in pounds, and H is the width of the heel of the shoe in inches.

a. Solve the formula for W. b. Find the weight of the person if the heel is 3 inches wide
and the pressure exerted is 30 pounds per square inch.

V. Geometry Connection: Formulas for Volume

Square Pyramid Formula: Cylinder Formula:

Cone Formula: Sphere Formula:

Examples:
1) (a) Solve the formula for a cylinder for h. (b) Use this to find the height if the volume is
and
the radius is 4.

2) (a) Solve the formula for a cone for h. (b) Use this to find the height if the volume is and
the radius is 6.
3) (a) Solve the formula for a square pyramid for h. (b) Use this to find the height is the volume is 400 and
.

4) (a) Solve the formula for a sphere for . (b) Use this to find if the volume is .

VI. Basic Word Problems Examples

1) 7 more than a number is 25. Find the
number. 3) The greater of two numbers is 6 more
than 4 times the smaller. Their sum is
41. Find the numbers.

2) 5 less than 2 times Jeff’s age is 43. 4) The sum of three numbers is 36. The
Find Jeff’s age. first is twice the second, while the third
is four more than the second. Find the
numbers.

VII. Basic Word Problems Practice

1) 8 more than a number is 14. Find the number. 3) The greater of two numbers is 3 more than twice the
smaller. Their sum is 24. Find the numbers.

2) Three less than 5 times Wanda’s age is the same as 3 4) The sum of two numbers is 50. The first is 5 less than 4
times her age increased by 37. How old is she? times the second. Find the numbers.
VIII. Consecutive Integers Examples

1) Find two consecutive integers whose 3) Find three consecutive odd integers whose sum
sum is 63. is 75.

2) Find three consecutive integers whose 4) Find three consecutive even integers whose sum
sum is 105. is 138.

IX. Consecutive Integers Practice

1) Find two consecutive integers whose sum is 45. 3) Find four consecutive even integers who sum is
76.

4) Find three consecutive integers such that the

2) Find two consecutive odd integers whose sum is sum of the first and the third is 146.
36.

X. Application Examples
1) The length of a rectangle is 5 feet more 3) One angle of a triangle is 2 times
than twice the width. The perimeter is another. The third angle is 10 more
70 ft. Find the length and the width. than the larger of these. Find the angles.

4) One angle of a triangle is 30 more than

2) The perimeter of a rectangle is 60. The another. The third angle is 18 less than
width is 4 less than the length. Find the the smaller of these. Find the angles
length and width
XI. Application Practice
1) The length of a rectangle is 6 feet greater than the width. The perimeter is 40 ft. Find the length and the width.

2) One angle of a triangle is twice as large as another. The third angle contains 5 more than the larger of these.
Find each angle.

3) The first side of a triangle is 2 feet longer than the second. The third side is 5 feet shorter than the twice the
second. The perimeter is 49 feet. Find the length of each side.

4) The perimeter of a rectangle is 86 inches. If the length is 3 inches longer than the width, find the lengths of
each side.

XII. Homework
Define the variables. Write the equation. Solve.

1) The length of a rectangle is 2 feet more than its width. If its perimeter is 40 feet, find the length and the width.

2) One month, John worked 3 hours less than Tia, and Felicia worked 4 hours more than Tia. Together, they
worked 196 hours. Find the number of hours each person worked.

3) Find four consecutive even integers whose sum is 100.

4) The sum of two consecutive integers is 57. Find the numbers.

5) In a game, Harry’s score was 3 times Jeff’s score. Together, they scored 32 points. Find their scores.

6) Ten more than a number is –122. Find the number.

7) Twelve less than a number is 114. Find the number.

8) Two-thirds of a number is –12. Find the number.

9) One number is 5 more than 3 times a smaller one. If 4 times the smaller number is subtracted from the larger
one, the result is 0. Find the numbers.

10) The sum of three consecutive integers is 105. Find the integers.

11) The sum of three consecutive even integers is 138. Find the integers.

12) The sum of three consecutive odd integers is 285. Find the integers.

13) Rhonda worked three more than twice as many hours as Jim did. Together, they worked 57 hours. How many
hours did each of them work?

14) Sam worked five less than twice as many hours as Jane did. How many hours did each work if together they
worked 97 hours?

15) The second angle in a triangle is 3 less than twice the first angle. The third angle measure 8 more than twice
the first angle. Find each angle.

16) Two of the angles in a triangle have the same measure. The third angle is 15 more than each of the other two.
Find the measure of each angle.