HOW TO WORK WORD PROBLEMS IN ALGEBRA: PART II ‘Word Problem Examples: 1 Age: Abigail is 6 years older than Jonathan. Six years ago she was twice as old as he. How old i each now? Solan: Let xonatha's age no mal be) £65 oaths ge 8 years a0 (+ 6)-6= aiglls age 6 years a85 Equation: (ot )-$=20-6) ai 2 Answers: x= 12 Gonahan'sage 0%) 8 (Abigas age now) ‘There are two auners whose sum it 72. One number is twice the other, What are the numibers? Steps: 1. Read the obi. Itisabot numbers 2. The queion nthe nda "What me the numbers” So we tout tx = sal umber” Bere you abyss with x (at Is). Never st ff with let ~ Shing" becuse its mearngless wales you know what xstans ft 5. Now lets vat tall gate and ave, Sotation: Let x= al suber 2a large number Then 2-72 2 Answers: x=24 (smaller number) ‘48 lager numer) (Check: Thesum ofthe mbes is 72, Th 24 +48-=72,3, Rate, Time, and Distance: A freight rain tarts from Los Angeles and heads for Chicago at 40 mph, Two hours later ‘passenger tain leaves the same station for Chicago traveling 60 mph, How long before the passenger tain overtakes the freight tin? Steps: 1, Read the probion trough carefully 2. The auction tthe en of ie problem ake how lng (which means ine) fr the passenger ‘ran Time your unc Sotuton: Draw sech of movant a Pas Now rsdn problem again rom te ginning for hose indivi spe The righ rain waved 40 ‘ph ane "Twe hours Iter apasergr an. raveling 60 mph Tate Time: ‘Disasee Fag 40 Pam, eo But a0 fr you havent ny unknown, The questn asked is, "Mow lng bei thepusenger vain ‘verte the ig in” Let x= time in ours forthe pesrger tan “The passenger tin stared ours th eight ins the fight nook 2 hor longer. You a epee thine forte igh train by 32 Rate Time Distance Tae a0 aed Pasenate o. x Now, at tines ne equ dite (150 muliply what you hae in he ates nes what _you have in the ie box and put eres in tbe stan bo Tate Tie Distance Fei a FEE) 082) Poser a x co Setthestio distances el fr oregon: 146+ 2)= 605 ‘Wn a0 6x “aoe 80 newer: 24 Check: a + 2)= 48) O20 24. Mixtures ‘A mixture containing 6% boric acid is to be mixed with 2 quarts of mixture which is 15% boric sci inorder to obtain @ solution which is 12% boric acid. How much of the 6% solution must be uted? Steps: 1, Draw tee daganstorepresat the thee solutions im 2nd Taal Mae = + Mxtwe = Mitre 2. Find out what the eran rin cach intr and he amon nd pin he proper place: we a Ta o is i 5. Thequation sks, "How much ofthe 6 soluion must be used?” Therefor let represent the tmount of alton wed. The tl lion wil ave x ut pls 2 guar (rhe otal of the ‘ther two sions). Leax= quate of 6 saan xe 2g Gena e+ 1S Ta ‘Yunow rerety to solve the pote. Ifyou mip the amaut of sluion bythe percent of sci nthe slo, you wl nthe mau of pre vi sid nach sltin. The aout of Pie scidin th fin! saan equal tothe su ofthe amounisof pse seid in the Eo igi rotons 006 2015) 01242) Pureacid —Parearid ‘Presid Equation: 0.061 +2(019)= 0.142) Eliminate penises et 0.06 +030 0124+ 0.24 “To clear decimal, ipl by 100 which mover ll decal plats wo paces the ght 6x 30~ 124424 ns newer: X=1 Check: 1058 +050 0:28 +026 ‘oo #0300121) + 026 036-036 5. Coins: ‘Michae has some coins in his pocket consisting of dimes, nickels, and pennies. He has ‘wo more nickels than dimes, and three times as many pennies as nickels. How many of cach kindof coins does he have ithe total value is 52 cents? Steps 1. Determine wich of the coin a theft This often a god way find what x represent Herc as ewer desta kes or pees 32. The queso aks how many ofeach id of sn doeshe ave, (Not how mic hey are wont. Tht, what aunber of ech nd ofcia des behave? So,letx= number odes. 5. Lookstonefitatatine Heh wo are nickel han dimes. Let 4, Nest fetes tire tines af mary pennies ike + 2)~ manber of peries era Tox numberof nt in dines ‘+ 2) numberof cents nickels 5 2)= numberof eis “Ya 2) punber of centsin penis [Now addthe amounts of move. you make ital pais here ar no deals. ox #52) Ma 2)= 32 Tosti +1084 6-52 eats Anoers: x= 2 (umber of dimes) 254 (umber ofackels) Mx 2)= 12 (pumber of panes) ‘Cheek: 2(10)=20 contin dines -4(3)=20 cers in ikls 12(1)= cet persis Toul S25 FACTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SOLVING AN EQUATION “These are facts you should have already leamed about procedures in problem solutions. 1, Remove parentheses fist. bration (04 +2)=-34-2 ‘ulation (ibutive law) 30+ 2)=34 +6 2. Remove fractions by multiplying by the lowest common denominator an 4= 203 The LCD Is2x. Muipying both ies ofthe equation by 2x: on beste 3. Decimals MAY se removed from an equation before solving. Multiply by a power of 10 large enough to make all decimal numbers whole numbers Example ‘O05 +201.2-x-85 _Muhpy bath sides of the ection by 100. 2 +20120- 190 8500 4“Word Problem Practice: 1. Think ofanember. Double number. Subir 6 fom he eu and divide he anewer by 2. The (uation willbe 20, What isthe number? 2, There sete onset cven ners such th wie the ists 20 moe than he second, Find the numbers ‘y'uheitwice ald ay. In 20 yer ay willbe tote a ol at i ther. How aes 4, WolfangandHeinvch worked as lectins at 14 and 12 per our respectively. One math "Wolfgang worked 0 hours mre than Hench. Ifthe tal nce fr the month war $3520, ow many hours did ech werk ding the moth? ‘Tyee of te men in cemisry clas have beads and wo-hi of he women have long ba It there ar 120 men in the cess and 6 ae notin he above groups, how many me a how ray stomen ar theeinthe cies 6, Asean checks Me. Gitlbor aditor and fds tcais aly 30% atieze. the ‘adiator ode 10 quart andi fil Bow uch rat be dined of nd replaced with pure seas Ince up oa requed 0% sien? Tickets forthe base games wee $2.50 for general admission and 0 cents for kids. there vere Sixties isan geal admissions sldas there were ki kes, and tal rccps were 7750, ow many ofeach ype ofeke were sald? 1%, Bob hasan cllestion mate up of penis and sikls Ihe haste tines as many pees as ikl ard the ttl eval of theif $416, how ye ofeach Kind are nthe fallen? 9, Te lias aceon a ros-county tp aveling withthe ensons, One day they ge Separated and the Jerr re 20 ales end fe Alsons on the se od. I he Jenne average 0 mph th Alsons eave at 6O mp, hw lng wl It be beta te Alsons eth up with the Jens? 10, A reser cn be filled yan inet pipe in 25 hours an emp bys ott pipe in 28 hours. The ‘oreman sara he eer bth eget lose the ule pipe. Sa hrs ler he remembesand closes the out. How lng does it tke allogetse fil the reservoir face Sonik 0pm ‘Stoo Mle Hn Se Wed sige: Se een rc Meme 98 Roccityn tow [STUDENT LEARNING ASSISTANCE GRNTER(SLAC) 5