WORKING

BACKWARDS
Anida
Michelle
WORKING BACKWARDS
 Solve problems that include a number of
linked factors/events where some of
the information has not been provided.
 Find the solution to a problem by
starting with the answer and using
inverse operations to undo the steps
stated in the problem.
Example: a + b = c ; c – b = a
 A problem may tell you what happened at
the end of a series of steps and ask you to
find what happened at the beginning. To
solve the problem, work backward step
by step to the beginning.
Polya’s problem solving
strategies
We used Polya’s problem solving
strategies to solve the problems. He
identifies four principles that form
the basis for any serious attempt at
problem solving:

1.Understand the problem

2. Devise a plan
3. Carry out the plan
4. Look Back (reflect)
Examples of working
backward problems
Question 1

Four students in the class weighed

themselves. Carter was 15 kilograms
lighter than Adrian. Gary was twice
as heavy as Carter and Jeremy was
seven kilograms heavier than Gary.
If Jeremy weighed 71 kilograms
what was Adrian’s weight?
1. Understanding the problem
 What do we know?
Four students in the class weighed
themselves. Carter was 15 kilograms
lighter than Adrian. Gary was twice as
heavy as Carter and Jeremy was seven
kilograms heavier than Gary. If Jeremy
weighed 71 kilograms what was Adrian’s
weight?
 What do we need to find out?
Questioning:
What was Adrian’s weight?
2. Devising the plan
 Start at the end of the problem with
Jeremy’s weight which is 72 kilogram
then work back through the sequence of
factors to calculate Adrian’s weight.
 Using ‘working Backward’ strategy.
3. Carry out the plan
 Strategy
-Working Backward

Begin by working out Gary’s weight.

Jeremy is seven kilogram heavier than
Gary, so subtract the seven kilograms
from Jeremy’s weight of 71 kilograms .

71kg – 7kg = 64kg.

 Gary is twice as heavy as Carter. Now
that we know Gary’s weight is 64
kilograms, we can calculate Carter’s
weight.
64 ÷ 2 = 32 kg.
Carter’s weight is 32 kilograms.
Adrian’s weight is Carter’s weight + 15
kilograms.
32 kg + 15 kg = 47 kg.
 Therefore, Adrian
weights 47kilograms.
4. Looking Back

Jeremy weighed 71 kilograms Gary is 7kg lighter

Gary’s weight is 64 kilograms than Jeremy

Carter’s weight is 32 kilograms Carter is 15kg

Adrian weights 47 kilograms lighter than Adrian
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
Example
Sam needs to know how much money he had
before he began his spending spree. He spent
$5.98 on food, $6 on a movie, and $47.34 on a
pair of shoes. Then his mother gave him $20 to
buy groceries. The groceries totaled $17.95. If
Sam has $5 left, how much money did Sam start
with?
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
Understand the problem
 You know all the amounts Sam spent and what he
had when he was done. You want to find the
amount he had to begin with.

Devise a plan
 Since this problem gives the end result and asks
something that happened earlier, start with the
result and work backward. Undo each step
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
3.Carry out the plan
When Sam was done, he had $5. 5.00
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
3.Carry out the plan
When Sam was done, he had $5. 5.00
Undo the $17.95 he spent on +17.95
groceries.
22.95
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
3.Carry out the plan
When Sam was done, he had $5. 5.00
Undo the $17.95 he spent on +17.95
groceries. 22.95
Undo the $20 his mother gave him. -20.00
2.95
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
3.Carry out the plan
When Sam was done, he had $5. 5.00
Undo the $17.95 he spent on +17.95
groceries. 22.95
Undo the $20 his mother gave him. -20.00
Undo the three purchases. 2.95
+47.34
+6.00
+5.98
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
3.Carry out the plan
When Sam was done, he had $5. 5.00
Undo the $17.95 he spent on +17.95
groceries. 22.95
Undo the $20 his mother gave him. -20.00
Undo the three purchases. 2.95
+47.34
+6.00
Sam started with $62.27 +5.98
62.27
PROBLEM-SOLVING STRATEGY:
WORK BACKWARDS
4. Look Back
Work the problem forward to 62.27
check the solution. -5.98
-6.00
-47.34
2.95
+20.00
22.95
-17.95
5.00
Question 3
Tom was always late to school.  The
teacher asked him the reason.  He said he
ate his breakfast late.  The teacher asked
him to fix a time to have breakfast so that
he won't be late to school.  Tom had to be
at school by 8.00 AM.  He rides the
bicycle to school. That takes him 30
minutes.  He needs 25 minutes to eat his
breakfast.  At what time should he sit at
the breakfast table?
1. Understand the problem
Tom was always late to school.  The
teacher asked him the reason.  He said
he ate his breakfast late.  The teacher
asked him to fix a time to have
breakfast so that he won't be late to
school.  Tom had to be at school by
8.00 AM.  He rides the bicycle to
school. That takes him 30 minutes.  He
needs 25 minutes to eat his breakfast. 
At what time should he sit at the
breakfast table?
2. Devise a plan
Working Backward

3. Carry out the plan

He had to be at school at          8.00 AM.
Time taken to ride his bicycle = 0.30 hour
                                              __________
Subtracting he got                    7.30 AM
Time taken to have breakfast = 0.25 hour
                                              __________
Subtracting he got                    7.05 hours
 He found that at the latest he must start to eat
breakfast at 7.05 hours and reach school at
8.00am.
Question 4
 Brady was trying to decide when to get up in
the morning. He needs 45 minutes to get ready
for school. It takes him 25 minutes to drive to
school. He wanted to get to school 20 minutes
early to use the library. If school starts at 7:30,
what time should he get up?
1. Understand the problem
The problem gives you the amounts of time it
will take to complete three tasks (45 minutes,
25 minutes, 20 minutes). It also tells you the
time the last task must end (7:30).
2. Devise a plan
To solve the problem, work backward to the
beginning.
3. Carry out the plan
Task 1
Brady went to the library for 20 minutes. Then it was
7:30.
He went to the library 20 minutes before 7:30, at 7:10.

Task 2
He drove for 25 minutes. Then it was 7:10
He got in his car 25 minutes before 7:10, at 6:45.

Task 3
He needed 45 minutes to get ready for school. Then it
was 6:45.
He began getting ready 45 minutes before 6:45, at
6:00.
 Brady should get up by 6:00.
REFRENECES
 http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/math
4/d/workbacks4l.cfm
 http://www.mathstories.com/strategies.h
tm
 http://www.mathstories.com/strategies_
working_backward.htm
 https://www.blake.com.au/v/vspfiles/dow
nloadables/blake-topic-bank-working-
backwards.pdf