PROBLEM SOLVING

By:
Zalikha Asyran Akilul Nazar
Fateen Amirah Ramli
Fatimatuzahrah Zaudi
Nur Anita Hasnan
 Sean died and left a large amount of fortune. Due to
this, he had left some instructions for his fortune:
half to his wife; of what was left went to his son; of
what was left went to his butler; the man’s pet dog
got the remaining $2000. How much did the man left
altogether?
Step 1: Understanding the problem
Sean gave:
of his money to his wife.
of what was left to his
son
of what was left to his butler.
$2000 to his pet dog.
(remaining)
What to find out: the total amount of fortune that
the man left?
 Step 2: Devise a plan
STRATEGY 1: WORK BACKWARD
In this problem, we know the amount that left to his pet dog. To find
the total amount of his money, work backward. Begin with $2000 and
thus we can find how much the man left behind altogether.
 
 
 
STRATEGY 2: DRAW A DIAGRAM
Draw a diagram is one of the strategies that can also be used to solve
the problem. We can divide a circle to many parts. Each part
represents the amount received by the wife, son, butler and the pet
dog.
 STRATEGY 3: SIMPLIFY THE PROBLEM
Find out the fraction of money for the dog which had given $2000
after the other of them got what they had instructed.
 
Step 3: Carrying out the plan
 
STRATEGY 1: WORK BACKWARD
The dog received $2000. $2000 is the amount left when the money
gave to his son. So, after the money gave to his son,he left 3 x $2000 =
$6000.
$6000 is the amount left after he gave the money to his wife. So, the
amount left after the man gave to his wife is x $6000 = $7000.
Then, $7000 is the amount left after of his money gave to his wife. So,
the total amount that the man left behind altogether is twice the
amount gave to his wife.
Answer: The total amount of the man leave behind altogether is
$14000.
 
 STRATEGY 2: DRAW A DIAGRAM
The dog received $2000. The butler received of
the money left that is $6000. So, the total
amount received by the butler is x $6000=$4000.
Then, his son received of the money left that is
$7000. So, the total money received by the son is
x $7000=$1000. His wife received half of his
money. So, the wife gets $7000.
As a conclusion, the total amount of the man
leave behind altogether is $2000+$4000+
$1000=$14000.
 
 son

2/3 butler

$2000 dog
 STRATEGY 3: SIMPLIFY THE PROBLEM
Fraction of amount of money that left to the
dog
= 1- () - () - ()
= of his full fortune
From here, we know that $2000 that given to
the dog is of Sean’s full fortune.
Hence, the full amount of the man’s fortune
= ()($ 2000)
= $ 14000
 LOOK BACK:
Given that the fraction received by
(a) wife
= of his full fortune
(b) son
= of his full fortune
(c) butler
= [1- () – ()]()
= of his full fortune
(d) dog
= 1- () - () - ()
= of his full fortune
 
 
 
When the dog receives $ 2000, which is of his full fortune
Hence, the full amount of the man’s fortune
= ()($ 2000)
= $ 14000
 Mr. Tanabe stood on the middle rung of a ladder, washing windows on an office
building. He stepped up 3 rungs to reach more of the windows. Then he saw a spot he
had missed on one of the windows below so he climbed down 5 rungs. After he cleaned
that spot, he climbed up 7 rungs and washed the rest of the windows. After he finished,
he climbed the remaining 6 rungs to the top of the building, where he stored all of his
materials. How many rungs did the ladder have?

 
Understanding the Problem   
· Where was Mr. Tanabe standing? (on the middle rung)   
· What did he do when he saw a spot he missed? (He climbed down 5 rungs.)    
· It a ladder had 3 rungs, which rung would Mr. Tanabe be standing on if he were on
the middle rung? (the second)

Planning a Solution

· Guess how many rungs the ladder had. Try it.

· Is the number of rungs above the middle of the ladder the same as the number below
the middle of the ladder? (yes)
· Draw a ladder and show were Mr. Tanabe would be standing. (See solution.)    
 
 
 Draw a Picture

+11 rungs above the middle

rung        
  11 rungs below the middle
rung       
+  1 middle rung
----       
  23 rungs
 Alice is suffering from obesity and her doctor
told her try her best to lose 36 kg. If she loses 11
kg the first week, 9kg the second week, and 7 kg
the third week, and she continues losing at this
rate, how long will it take her to lose 36 kg?

Step 1: Understanding the Problem 

- How much does Alice need to lose? (36 kg)
- How much did she lost in first week? (11 kg)
- How much did she lost in second week? (9 kg)
- How much did she lost in third week? (7kg)
 Step 2: Decide a Plan:
STRATEGY 1: LOOK FOR A PATTERN
Look for a pattern is a good and effective strategy
in solving this problem. Look for the pattern so
that the pattern so that the problem can be
solved . Next , we will be able to know how long
it will take for Alice to lose 36g.
STRATEGY 2 : GUESS AND CHECK
Besides that ,Guess and check can also be used in
solving the problem. Begin by guessing the
number of kilograms lost each week since we
have know that the no. of kilograms lost decrease
by 2kg each week.
 STRATEGY 3 : CONSTRUCT A TABLE
We know tha Alice lost 2kg each week and
we need to find the time taken for her to lose
38kg, we can construct a table that consists
of week and the number of kilograms that
Alice lost in each week.
 Step 3 : Carry Out the Plan
STRATEGY 1: LOOK FOR A PATTERN
Alice lost 11 kg in first week ,so the total of kilograms that she lost in first week is
11kg.

Then ,Alice lost 9kg in the second week, so the total of kilograms that she lost in
second week is 20kg.
Alice lost 7kg in the third week , so the total of kilograms that she lost in third week is
27kg.

As Alice lost her weight in the pattern that is 2kg in each week for three weeks
continuously, thus the number of kilograms will continue to lose her weight 2kg for
the following weeks.
Then, Alice lost 5 kg in the fourth week ,so the total of kilograms she lost in fourth
week is 32kg.
Alice lost 3kg in the fifth week, so the total of kilograms she lost in fifth week is 35kg.
The number of kilograms lost decrease by 2kg each week. So, it will take the man 6
weeks to lose 36kg.
Alice lost 1kg in sixth week ,so the total of kilograms she lost in sixth week is 36kg.
The number of kilograms lost decrease by 2kg each week. So, it will take the man 6
weeks to lose 36kg.
 
 STRATEGY 2 : GUESS AND CHECK
Since the weight lost decrease by 2kg each
week, so, a)
The weight lost at first week =11kg

b) The weight lost at second week =9kg

c) The weight lost at third week =7kg

d) The weight lost at forth week =5kg

The total number of kilograms lost is
 • The first guess does not satisfy the condition of the problem.
• The answer of weight lost found is 4kg less than the question
required.
Now, try again to find the correct answer.

a) the weight lost at first week =11kg

b) the weight lost at second week =9kg

c) the weight lost at third week =7kg

d) the weight lost at forth week =5kg

e) the weight lost at fifth week =3kg

 The guess satisfies the condition of the
problem. So, the correct answer is the man
takes 6 week to loss 36 kg.
 STRATEGY 3: CONSTRUCT A TABLE

week No. of kilograms lost Total no. of kilograms lost

1 11 11

2 9 20

3 7 27

4 5 32

5 3 35

6 1 36
 LOOK BACK:
From the theory of arithmetic progression,
= a + (n-1)d
Which = readings that effected by the
position ( numbers of week)
a = weight that had been lost in the
first reading,
d = the weight lost that decreased
every week is a constant,
As the weight lost decreased by 2kg every
week and Alice lost 11kg for the first week,

a = 11, d = -2
 So, weight lost for
(a) the first week, = 11+ (1-1)(-2)
= 11kg
(b) the second week, = 11+ (2-1)(-2)
= 9kg
 
(c) the third week, = 11+ (3-1)(-2)
= 7kg
(d) the fourth week, = 11+ (4-1)(-2)
= 5kg
(e) the fifth week, = 11+ (5-1)(-2)
= 3kg
(f) the sixth week, = 11+ (6-1)(-2)
= 1kg
Hence, weight that the man lost in six weeks = (11+9+7+5+3+1)kg
= 36kg
Does the answer seem reasonable? Yes.
Jose used 6 blocks to build this staircase with
3 steps. How many blocks will Jose need to
make a 6-step staircase? (Hint: Make a table
and look for a pattern.
 Understanding the Problem
· How many blocks are used to build
a 3-step staircase? (6)
· Do you know how many blocks are
used to make a 6-step staircase? (No,
that is what we are trying to find
out.)
 Planning a Solution
· How many blocks were used to build the
first step? (1 )
· How many new blocks were used for the
second step? (2)
· How many new blocks would be needed
for the fourth step? (4) What would be the
total number of blocks used to build a
staircase with 4 steps? (10)
Finding the Answer
Make a Table: Look for a Pattern
 Pattern: The number of new blocks
needed increases by 1 with each new
step. The total number of blocks
needed for nth step is the sum of the
number 1 through n.
It would take 21 blocks to build a 6-step
staircase.