Real World Application Problems

Yes you can actually incorporate math into the real world.

Susan drove 1500 miles to the beach for spring break. On the way back she averaged 10 miles per hour less, and the drive back took her 5 hours longer. Find Susans average speed on the way to the beach.

Let x = the rate of speed Write the equation like this

1500 1500 =5 x - 10 x
1500 1500 - x( x - 10) = x( x - 10)5 x - 10 x

Multiply all sides by x and x-10

x( x - 10)

1500 x -1500 x +15000 = 5x ^ 2 - 50 x

Simplify

15000 = 5x ^ 2 - 50 x

3000 = x ^ 2 -10 x x ^2 -10 x - 3000 = 0

( x + 50)( x - 60) = 0

x=60
Since its not possible to go a negative speed,

Susan averaged a speed of 60mph

After a heavy snowfall, Patrick can shovel all of the driveway in 30 minutes. If his younger brother Allen helps, the job takes only 20 minutes. How long would it take Allen to do the job by himself?

Let x represent the number of minutes it would take for Allen to shovel the driveway by himself. Brians rate of shoveling the driveway is 1/30 of the driveway per minute and Allens rate for shoveling the driveway is 1/x of the driveway per minute. If Brian works for 20 minutes instead of 30 he is doing 2/3 of the job. The equation will look like this Multiply each side by a 3x

2 20 + =1 3 x
2 20 3x + 3x = 3x 1 3 x

2 x + 60 = 3x

Subtract 2x

60 = x

It take Allen 60 minutes for Allen to do the job by himself

Tamara bought 50 pounds of fruit consisting of Florida oranges and Texas grape- fruit. She paid twice as much per pound for the grapefruit as she did for the oranges. If Tamara bought $12 worth of oranges and $16 worth of grapefruit, then how many pounds of each did she buy?

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