Use of Polyas model in solving 2 word problems 1. 6 people meet for a business lunch.

Each person shakes hands once with each other person present. How many handshakes take place? Step 1 Understanding the problem The question is talk about 6 people go out for business lunch. Then every person was shakes hands once time with each other, so there were how many handshakes would take place? Step 2 Develop a plan From the question above ,imagine that A ,B,C, D, E, F was represented as a person. Firstly, A was shakes hand with B , C, D , E, F , so the total handshakes is 5. Secondly, B was shakes hands with C ,D ,E ,F ,so the total handshake is 4. Just because A was shakes hand with B before so A was not include in the second turn. Step 3 Implement the plan For more detail ,we list out all the calculation: First, A shakes hands with B, C ,D ,E ,F. Next ,B shakes hands with C , D ,E ,F. Next ,C shakes hand with D ,E . Next, D shakes hands with E ,F . Last is E was shakes hands with F. In above we can see that after one turn there will decrease one person to be shake hands this because they can only shakes hands one. Step 4 looking back From step 3 ,we will know the total handshakes is decrease one in first turn, decrease two in second turn, decrease three in third turn, decrease four in forth turn until the last turn is only remain one person have to be shakeshand. The equation is 6-1=5 , 6-2=4 , 6-3=3 , 6-4=2 , 6-5=1.So after combine the total handshakes we will have the result 5+4+3+2+1 =15

2. Half the people on a bus get off at each stop after the first, and no one gets on after the first stop. If only one person gets off at stop number 7, how many people got on at the first stop? Step 1: Understanding the problem There will be half of the people on the bus get off at each stop after the first, and no one gets on after the first stop. If only one person gets off at stop number 7, as the bus approached the stop there must have been two people on board. By working backward, the number of people on the bus at the first stop can be known. Step 2: Develop a plan By working backward, then multiply the number of people get off at each stop with 2. Example: 7th stop----Ax2=B 6th stop----Bx2=C 5th stop----Cx2=D 4th stop----Dx2=E 3rd stop----Ex2=F 2nd stop----Fx2=G 1st stop----G (We are assuming that no people could have been on the bus before the first official stop.) Step 3: Implement the plan As the bus approached, 7th stop----1x2=2 persons on board 6th stop----2x2=4 persons on board 5th stop----4x2=8 persons on board 4th stop----8x2=16 persons on board 3rd stop----16x2=32 persons on board 2nd stop----32x2=64 persons on board 1st stop----64 persons (We are assuming that no people could have been on the bus before the first official stop.) Step 4: Looking back By working forward to check the answer. As the bus approached, 1st stop----64 persons on board 2nd stop----64 persons on board 3rd stop----64/2=32 persons on board 4th stop----32/2=16 persons on board 5th stop----16/2=8 persons on board 6th stop----8/2=4 persons on board 7th stop----4/2=2 persons on board Since half the people on a bus get off at 7 th stop, 2/2=1 person left on the bus.