Micah Marrain Mr.

Diamantis
3/10/16 Pascal
Scholar’s Challenge #9A

When I was 5 my dad promised me that he will make a new basketball

league called M.j.M standing for Micah joshua Marrain, he did make one. It was
being formed in my high school. There was seven teams the antelopes, the
bears, the cubs, the dusters, the eagles, the foxes, and the goats. My dad said
each team will play three games against each of the other teams. I didn't
understand and he told how many games will be played in all and if another team
is added, how many games will be added to the schedule. I took it to myself and
tried to solve it.
When I look at what my dad said I drew a picture to try to understand a
little bit more.
1.The Antelopes- 2,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,5,6,6,6,7,7,7=18 games
2.The Bears-3,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,5,6,6,6,7,7,7=15 games These numbers
represent
3.The Cubs-4,4,4,5,5,5,6,6,6,7,7,7=12 games the other teams
they faced.
4.The Dusters-5,5,5,6,6,6,7,7,7=9 games This is
constant.Constant 5.The Eagles- 6,6,6,7,7,7=6 games it’s
something occurring
6.The Foxes-7,7,7=3 games continuously.
7.The Goats-0= 0 games
When I finished the drawing I found out that the total of games in the whole
league playing and that answered the first question .The reason why the goats
team has 0 games because they face the other teams and they are left with no
body to face. Now I had to find out how many games will there be if another team
was added. All I did to find out the answer was I added three more 8 to each
team and I got 84 games. After I got the two answers I told my dad and he said
he has a challenge for me.The challenge is to try to find different ways you could
have answer this problem. I took the challenge and I thought of different
strategies from my math class and I use the table strategies.

Number of Teams Numbers of games

they played

1.Antelopes 18 games

2.Bears 15 games

3.Cubs 12 games

4.dusters 9 games

5.Eagles 6 games

6.Foxes 3 games

7.Goats 0 games

Another strategy that I decided to try was to find a formula. A formula that it
is not completely accurate but It will help find the answer. It is 𝑛2 − 𝑛 ÷ 2.I got this
formula from a handshake problem that I did in math class that was very similar
to this problem. If these teams played each other 3 times, you multiply by 3.
There is 7 teams in total so you use the number 7 to determine how much games
will there be in total.
72 − 7 ÷ 2=63 games in total in the league.
 When I was finished with solving the problem in a different way I
went up to dad he told me good now I know that you are doing school in
Math in school and that I will be the CEO of the league when I grow up.