Abella, Jasper Clark F.

BSE-Math 3

Finals in Math Investigation:

Problem Solving:

1. Mary subtracted 8 from her age and divided that result by 3. The final answer was
4. How old is Mary?

Let X =age of mary

Solution:
x−8
=4
3
x−8=12
x=12+8
x=20

2. After Bill gives 17 trading cards to his friend Jim, he still has 68 cards of his
own. How many trading cards did Bill have before he gave some away ?

Let x=trading cards of Bill

X =17+68
X =85 trading cards

3. How many diagonals does a 13 – gon have ?

Solution: Make a table:

Number of sides Number of diagonals
3 0
4 2
5 5
6 9
7 14
8 20

Look for a pattern.

n(n−3)
Hint: If n is the number of sides, then is the
2
number of diagonals.

13(13−3)
A 13-gon would have =65 diagonals.
2
 4. Ella sold cookies at a bake sale. During the first hour , she sold one third of the
number of cookies she brought .During the next hour , she sold 10 more . At the
end of the sale, she sold half of the remaining cookies. If 10 cookies did not sell,
how many cookies did she bring to the sale?

Solution:

Read and understand the question.

The question is asking for the total number of cookies that she began with at the start of the
sale. Details about the number of cookies sold during each hour are given throughout the
question.

Make a plan.

Use the strategy of working backward. Begin with the fact that she had 10 cookies left over
at the end of the sale, and work backward from there.

Carry out the plan.

Start with the 10 cookies that were left over. At the end of the sale, she sold half of the
remaining cookies. Thus, the other half is equal to the 10 cookies left over. Multiply 2 by 10
to double this amount and get 20. Before this, she sold 10 more, so add 20 + 10 = 30.
During the first hour, she sold one-third of the number of cookies. This means that she had
two-thirds remaining, which is equal to 30. If two-thirds is 30, then one-third is 15. Add 30
+ 15 = 45. She began the sale with 45 cookies.

Check your work.

Begin with the solution of 45 cookies and work forward through the question. During
the first hour, she sold one-third of the cookies. One-third of 45 is 15, and 45 – 15=30.
During the next hour, she sold 10 more cookies: 30 – 10=20. At the end of the sale, she sold
half of the remaining cookies. Half of 20 is equal to 10, so 20 – 10=10. She had 10 cookies
remaining at the end of the sale. The solution is correct.

5. Solve by mathematical induction 4 + 8 + 12 + … 4n = 2n ( n+ 1 )

Step 1: Verification
Let n=1, n=2 n=3
4=2(1)(1+1) 8=2(2)(2+ 1) 12=2( 3)(3+ 1)
4=4 8 ≠ 12 12 ≠24

Step 2: n=k
4 +8+12+ … 4 n=2 n(n+1)
4 +8+12+ … 4 k =2 k (k + 1)

Step 3: n=k +1
4 +8+12+ … 4 n=2 n(n+1)
4 +8+12+ … 4( k +1)=2(k +1)(k + 1+ 1)
 4 +8+12+ … 4 k + 4=2(k + 1)(k + 2)
4 +8+12+ … 4 k + 4=2(k 2+3 k+ 2)
4 +8+12+ … 4 k + 4=2 k 2 +6 k + 4

Step 4: Add 4 k + 4 on both side of the answer in step 2.

4 +8+12+ … 4 k + 4 k + 4=2 k (k +1)+ 4 k + 4
4 +8+12+ … 8 k +4=2 k ( k +1)+ 4 k + 4
4 +8+12+ … 8 k +4=2 k 2 +2 k + 4 k + 4
4 +8+12+ … 8 k +4=2 k 2 +6 k+ 4
4 +8+12+ … 4( 2k + 1)=2(k +1)(k +2)

Then, we have 4 +8+12+ … 4( 2k + 1)=2(k +1)(k +2)

Since 4 (2 k +1) is not possible to change into the form of n=k +1 vice versa

Therefore, we cannot say or prove that the given 4 +8+12+ … 4 n is the

same as the expression of 2 n(n+1) as we can see form the verification, they
are not equal already.

6. Draw the lines of symmetry of the plane shapes :

A. Triangle C. Rectangle

B. Square D. Rhombus
 E. Regular Pentagon F. Regular Heptagon

G. Regular Octagon H. Circle

7. If you build a four – sided pyramid using basketballs and doesn’t count the
bottom as a side, how many balls will there be in a pyramid that has six layer ?
Layer 1=1
Layer 2=4
Layer 3=9
Layer 4=16
Layer 5=25
Layer 6=36

Layer (1−6)=1+4 +9+16+ 25+36

Layer (1−6)=91 basketballs

II.Essay:

1. Define mathematical investigation and explain the uses of mathematical

investigation?

Mathematical investigation refers to the sustained exploration of a mathematical

situation. It is these thinking processes which enable an individual to learn more
mathematics, apply mathematics in other discipline and in everyday situation and to
solve mathematical (and non-mathematical) problems.

With such a differentiation, the relationship between problem solving and

investigation becomes clearer: the process of problem solving involves solving by
using the process of investigation and/or solving by using other "heuristics‟, while
an open investigative activity includes both problem posing and problem solving

2. In making a scientific or mathematical investigation, give the different process

involved and apply it in an example.

We consider, in turn, the main steps involved in doing an investigation:

(1) proposing questions and establishing conjectures;
(2) testing and refining the conjectures, and
(3) arguing and proving the conjectures.
The teacher will show an example of pascal's triangle then will let them continue
working the pattern.