Problem #1

Situation/ Problem:
Vander is the captain of Zaun’s barangay and he has two daughters named
Violet and Powder. Suddenly, he was invited to a meeting at Piltover while
the two sisters went on rampage playing when he left. After realizing what
they have done, they worried that they would be scolded so hard by
Vander. They then decided to clean up the mess they have done. It would
take Violet to clean the mess by 4 hours. Vander would be home again in
just 2 hours after the mess. What is the least number of hours Powder
needs to clean the mess alone so that if she works together with Violet, the
mess would be clean by the time Vander arrive?

Representation:

Let:

x = total time it would take Violet to finish the mess alone

y = total time it would take Powder to finish the mess alone

T = total time it would take if Violet and Powder work together

Mathematical Model:

1 1 1
+ =
𝑥 𝑦 𝑇
Table of Values:

x 3 4 5 6 7
T 2 2 2 2 2
y 6 4 10/3 3 14/5

Graph:

Domain and Range:

Domain:

𝑥≠2

Range:

𝑥≠2
Prediction:

 What specific situation can you use the mathematical equation?

1 1 1
The equation + = is a very useful formula and is
𝑥 𝑦 𝑇
frequently used equation. This equation usually comes out
when two or more people have their own distinct rate of
work finishing a certain task. And by manipulating these data
of rate of work, we can find the time it would take if all the
people involved would work together. Note that this equation
isn’t limited to only two variables. These problems usually
come out on most entrance exams of high school and colleges.
This shows the usefulness of the said rational equation.

 How is the constructed mathematical model important/relevant to the problem

posed? Cite supporting statements and references for your claim.

It may seem that the proposed problem above is simple. But it hides an
amazing mathematical concept on the relationship of rate, time and
work. The problem shows why these variables are necessary in order
to solve problems in reality. It was necessary to use this mathematical
model in order for Powder how much rate of work should she put in to
help Violet clean the mess. If she does not how much rate to exert in
cleaning, miscalculations could happen and Vander could witness the
mess they have made before completely cleaning it out. According to
Davis (2021), “Accuracy refers to how well the data describes the real-
world conditions it aims to describe. Inaccurate data creates clear
problems, as it can cause you to come to incorrect conclusions.”

Davis, B. (2021). What is accuracy and why it is important?.

MVOrganizing

https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-is-accuracy-and-why-is-it-
important/
 What possible solutions can you think of based on the problem posed?

In order to know the least number of hours Powder needs to clean the mess alone so that if
she works together with Violet, the mess would be clean by the time Vander arrive, we
must approach the problem via mathematical computation.

We have our given values:

x =4 = total time it would take Violet to finish the mess alone

Since we want them to finish cleaning by the time Vander arrives, we equate the T to the
time it would take when he arrives.

T = 2 = = total time it would take if Violet and Powder work together

We then use our mathematical model,

1 1 1
+ =
𝑥 𝑦 𝑇

Substituting x =4 and T=2, we have:

1 1 1
+ =
4 𝑦 2

We then solve by algebraic manipulation, and the solution follows:

1 1 1 1 1
+ − = −
4 𝑦 4 2 4

1 1
=
𝑦 4

By cross multiplication:

𝑦=4

Therefore, the least number of hours Powder needs to clean the mess alone so that if she
works together with Violet, the mess would be clean by the time Vander arrive is 4 hours.