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EBook Financial Algebra Advanced Algebra With Financial Applications 2Nd Edition Ebook PDF PDF Docx Kindle Full Chapter
EBook Financial Algebra Advanced Algebra With Financial Applications 2Nd Edition Ebook PDF PDF Docx Kindle Full Chapter
Financial Algebra
Advanced Algebra with Financial Applications
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Chapter 4 Automobile Ownership 208
4-1 Automobile Ads 210 MATH TOPICS
Chord Metric System
4-2 Automobile Transactions 216
Circle Middle ordinate
4-3 Automobile Insurance 224 Circumference Projectile motion
Common ratio Proportions
4-4 Probability: The Basis of Insurance 232 Conditional probability formula Quadratic equation
4-5 Linear Automobile Depreciation 241 Diameter Radius
Domain Ratios
4-6 Historical and Exponential English Standard System Slope
Depreciation 249 Exponential decay Slope intercept form of a linear equation
Exponential depreciation Spreadsheets and formulas
4-7 Driving Data 258
Exponential function Square root function
4-8 Driving Safety Data 268 Exponential regression System of linear equations
Geometric progression System of linear, exponential equations
4-9 Accident Investigation Data 274 Geometric sequences Two-way tables
Independent events Venn diagrams
Intersection point x-intercept, y-intercept
Linear equations
vi
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Chapter 8 The Stock Market 462
8-1 Business Organization 464 MATH TOPICS
8-2 Stock Market Data 469 Average Linear regression equation
Bar chart Moving average
8-3 Stock Market Data Charts 477 Candlestick chart Percent decrease
Converting fractions to percents Percent increase
8-4 Trends in Stock Closing Prices 483
Cubic regression equation Proportion
8-5 Stock Market Ticker 494 Line graph Quadratic regression equation
Linear equations Spreadsheets and formulas
8-6 Stock Transactions 500
8-7 Stock Transaction Fees 505
8-8 Stock Splits 511
8-9 Dividend Income 517
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
New to this Edition
Note: The code “FA1E” refers to the first edition of Financial Algebra and the section number from
the first edition follows.
viii
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Chapter 7 Independent Living 9-3 Supply and Demand FA1E 2-3
9-4 Fixed and Variable Expenses FA1E 2-4
7-1 Finding a Place to Live FA1E 8-1
9-5 Graphs of Expense and Revenue Functions –
7-2 Reading a Floor Plan FA1E 8-2 completing the square plus FA1E 2-5
7-3 Mortgage Application Process FA1E 8-3 9-6 Breakeven Analysis FA1E 2-6
7-4 Purchasing a Home FA1E 8-4 9-7 The Profit Equation –add complex roots plus
7-5 Mortgage Points –new section FA1E 2-7
7-6 Rentals, Condominiums, and Cooperatives 9-8 Mathematically Modeling a Business FA1E 2-8
FA1E 8-5 9-9 Optimal Outcomes— new section on linear
7-7 Home Maintenance and Improvement—new programming
section: trig and pythag, similar triangles
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Inside the Student Edition
Chapter 8
{
“This information is interesting
and relevant!
© Alewtincka/Shutterstock.com
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Structure Puts Math into Context
Objectives profit
personally liable Warm-Up
• State the basic vocabulary of
business organizations.
partnership
corporation
Create and solve an equation that A list of objectives provides the
main learning outcomes for the
models the following relationship in
• Compute financial responsibility of shares of stock terms of x.
business ownership based on ratios shareholders Find two consecutive integers such that
and percentages. limited liability
private corporation
the sum of three times the first and twice
the second is 27.
chapter.
public corporation
Key Terms
capital
sole proprietorship
{
How Do Businesses Start?
Think of everything you use on a daily basis, from complex electronic devices to
simple items like straws, paper clips, and toothbrushes. Have you ever wondered
who invented them, or how each has been improved upon? Some inventions
provide an opportunity to build a business, but not all. It takes imagination,
money, and effort to create a successful business. The money used to start or
expand a business is called capital.
A business owned by one person is a sole proprietorship. The owner, or
proprietor, can hire people to help run the business, but these employees are
“An intriguing
quote at the beginning of
not owners. The owner is responsible for all expenses, including labor and raw
materials used in manufacturing a product or providing a service. The money left
after all expenses are paid is profit. The owner of a sole proprietorship is entitled
to all of the profits. However, the owner is responsible, or personally liable, for
any losses. Even if the business does not make a profit, the owner must still pay all
of the bills of the business. each section motivates
A business that is owned by a group of people, called partners, is a
partnership. Partners share the profits and the responsibility for any losses. The
partners are personally liable for any losses. Personal liability may require risking
personal property. Sole proprietors and partners must consider this possibility
learning!”
when creating a business.
A corporation is a business organization that can be owned by one person
or a group of people. Each owner who invests money in the corporation receives
shares of stock in the corporation. The owners are called shareholders. Stock
certificates are used as proof of ownership. Unlike sole proprietorships and
partnerships, the shareholders in a corporation have limited liability—each
71790_ch08_hr_462-529.indd 464
The best way to deal with credit card debt is to educate
12/26/16 1:40 PM
yourself.
Mark Rosen, Author
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The Essential Question helps focus
attention on the big idea
What are social security and medicare?
{
How Can Stock Data Be Displayed?
Stock data can be presented in list form or in graphical form. The graphical form
“This book contains relevant and
is known as a stock chart. These charts offer pictorial information on anything
from a day’s worth of data to multiyear data trends. Most stock charts present
historical information about the trading prices and volumes of a particular stock.
current information high school
students need. The educational
A common stock chart format is the stock bar chart. The chart below shows
price and volume information for Johnston Electric on April 30.
Notice the chart consists of two
bar graphs. The top graph shows daily
information about the day’s high, low,
open, and close prices. The bottom graph focus of today is on standards.
shows the daily volume for that stock.
The top shaded bar is a rectangle
formed by the day’s low and high. The line
segment on the left side of the rectangle
High
33.5
33.4
33.3
33.2
33.1
This book allows both to be
addressed.”
is positioned at the day’s opening price Open 33.0
32.9
and the line segment on the right side is Close 32.8
32.7
positioned at the day’s closing price. 32.6
The bottom shaded bar starts at 0 Low
and rises to the approximate number of Volume
shares traded on that date. Notice that 40
the scale for this particular portion of the 30
Millions
xii
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
When am I ever going to use
this in real life?
owner cannot lose more than the value of his or her share of the business.
The number of shareholders in a corporation depends on the structure of the
business. When all of the shares are owned solely by a few individuals, and are
not available for sale to the public, the corporation is a private corporation, also In Skills and Strategies, the heart of the
known as a privately held corporation. The New York Yankees are an example of
a private corporation. So is Lego. Your local car dealership is most likely a private
corporation. When anyone can purchase stock in a corporation, the corporation
section, math concepts are taught through
is a public corporation. You might already be familiar with public corporations,
such as Nike, McDonald’s, Xerox, and Apple. These corporations are owned by
worked-out examples. Examples present
housewives, doctors, plumbers, teachers, students, senior citizens—anyone who
buys a share in the corporation. If a shareholder owns more than 50% of the each math concept step-by-step.
shares, that shareholder owns a majority of the shares. The prices of shares of
stock in public corporations can be found in newspapers, on television business
channels, and on the Internet.
{
Skills and Strategies
When a business is owned by more than one person, the owners do not
necessarily own equivalent portions of the business. Ratios and percentages can
be used to represent the financial responsibility of owners and partners. Recall the
relationship between decimals and percentages. “I love the emphasis
To convert a decimal to a percentage, multiply the decimal by 100 and annex a
percent sign.
To convert a percentage to a decimal, divide the percent by 100 and drop the on applications with
percent sign.
EXAMPLE 1
relevance to the world we
Michelle invests $15,000 in a partnership that has four other partners. The
total investment of all partners is $240,000. What percent of the business does
Michelle own?
live in, not on symbolic
SOLUTION Represent Michelle’s investment as a fraction of the total investment.
Convert the fraction to a decimal and write as a percent. manipulation.”
Michelle’s investment 15,000
Write as a fraction. 5
Total investment 240,000
Divide. 15,000 4 240,000 5 0.0625
Multiply by 100. Write a percent sign. 0.0625 3 100 5 6.25%
Michelle owns 6.25% of the partnership.
Kyle invests $20,000 in a partnership that has five other partners. The total Check Your
investment of the partners is $160,000. What percent of the business is owned by Understanding
the five other partners?
EXAMPLE 2
The total number of shares of stock in Bulls Corp is 650,000. Mike owns 12% of
the shares. How many shares of Bulls Corp stock does he own?
SOLUTION Let x represent the number of shares Mike owns.
12
8-1 5Business Organization 465
Express 12% as a fraction. 12%
100
12 x
Write a proportion. 5
100 650,000
Cross multiply. 100 x 5 (12)(650,000)
Find the product. 100 x 5 7,800,000
Check Your Jillian owns 60% of the stock in a private catering corporation. There are 1,200 When am I ever going to use
shares in the entire corporation. How many shares does Jillian own?
this in real life? is answered
Understanding
EXAMPLE 3
Three partners are investing a total of $900,000 to open a garden and
landscaping store. Their investments are in the ratio 2:3:5. How much does the
here!
partner that invested the least contribute?
SOLUTION Use the ratio 2:3:5 to write an expression for the amount each partner
invested.
Let 2x represent the amount invested by the first partner.
Let 3x represent the amount invested by the second partner.
Let 5x represent the amount invested by the third partner.
Write an equation showing the three investments total $900,000.
2 x 1 3x 1 5 x 5 900,000
Combine like terms. 10 x 5 900,000
Divide each side of the equation by 10. x 5 90,000
The partner that invested the least is represented by the expression 2x.
Substitute $90,000 into the expression. 2(90,000) 5 180,000
The partner who invested the least amount contributed $180,000.
Check Your Two partners are starting a wedding planning business. The total investment is
Understanding $45,000. Their investments are in the ratio 4:5. How much does each investor
contribute?
Extend Your Two partners each invest 35% in a startup business. They need to find another
Understanding investor for the rest of the money. What percent of the business will that person
own? Write a ratio to represent the investments in the business.
xiii
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Ongoing Assessment and Review
Simple Moving Averages Using the Subtraction and
Addition Method
The calculation of a simple moving average can be tedious because you have to
find the average for each time interval. There is an alternate way to compute the
moving average that is simpler.
Suppose you want to determine a 3-day simple moving average for six trading
days. Let the trading prices for the days be represented by A, B, C, D, E, and F.
The trading prices for the first three days are A, B, and C. The average of those
prices is
{
A 1B 1C A B C
5 1 1
3 3 3 3
Using the method in Example 1, find the average of days 2–4 using B, C, and
D. This is the same as subtracting price A and adding price D, or
A B C A D
“I like the
1 1 2 1
3 3 3 3 3
Rearranging the terms and simplifying, this process is the same as finding the immediate check
average for days 2–4.
A
3
A B
2 1 1 1 5 1 1 5
3 3
C
3
D
3
B
3
C
3
D
3
B 1C 1D
3
of understanding
instead of waiting
until the end of the
EXAMPLE 2
Use the subtraction and addition method to determine the 4-day SMA for the
following closing prices.
$121, $122, $120, $119, $124, $128, $126
SOLUTION Calculate the average closing prices of days 1–4.
chapter.”
121 1 122 1 120 1 119
Add the first four prices. Divide by 4. 5 120.50.
4
Use subtraction and addition to determine the averages for days 2–5.
Applications
xiv
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Chapter Assessment provides Real Numbers: You Write the Story!
an opportunity to check your knowl- asks you to examine a graph and write a
edge of the chapter content. story focused around the graph’s information,
giving you an opportunity to be creative while
at the same time sharpening your graph
interpretation skills.
Chapter 8 Assessment
Real You Write the Story!!
Numbers Examine the graph below. Write a short news-type article, using facts obtained
online or at the library, centered around this graph. You can find an electronic
copy of the graph at www.cengage.com/financial_alg2e. Copy and paste it into
your article. Chapter 8 Assessment
14.5
14
Real You Write the Story!!
13.5 Numbers Examine the graph below. Write a short news-type article, using facts obtained
online or at the library, centered around this graph. You can find an electronic
13 copy of the graph at www.cengage.com/financial_alg2e. Copy and paste it into
your article.
12.5
14.5
12
14
11.5
13.5
11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
13
What’s 1. Examine the equation below used for determining the capital gain made on a
stock. Look through this chapter and your notes to help you write a problem
12.5
11
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Reality 1. Choose a corporation that you are interested in following. Use the newspaper
or Internet to find the daily low, high, close, and volume of your stock for the
Check next 3 weeks. Set up a graph to record these prices and the volume. Discuss
the trends for the 3-week period. Check the corporation’s website for major What’s 1. Examine the equation below used for determining the capital gain made on a
stock. Look through this chapter and your notes to help you write a problem
news about the corporation. Do a regression analysis for the last 15 trading
days of this stock. Discuss the trend over the 3 weeks and include any major the Problem? that could be modeled by this equation.
corporate news that might have affected the trend.
((900)(12.55) 2 (900)(12.55)(.01)) 2 ((900)(8.14) 1 25) 5 3,831.05
2. Discuss stocks with your parents or guardians. Find out if they own any stocks
now, or ever did. If you earn money, discuss with them the possibility of
purchasing shares of stock for a corporation you are interested in following.
Reality 1. Choose a corporation that you are interested in following. Use the newspaper
or Internet to find the daily low, high, close, and volume of your stock for the
Check next 3 weeks. Set up a graph to record these prices and the volume. Discuss
524 Chapter 8 The Stock Market the trends for the 3-week period. Check the corporation’s website for major
news about the corporation. Do a regression analysis for the last 15 trading
days of this stock. Discuss the trend over the 3 weeks and include any major
corporate news that might have affected the trend.
2. Discuss stocks with your parents or guardians. Find out if they own any stocks
now, or ever did. If you earn money, discuss with them the possibility of
71790_ch08_hr_462-529.indd 524 12/26/16 1:41 PM
purchasing shares of stock for a corporation you are interested in following.
{
“Excellent
activities that
help connect
math to the
real world.”
xv
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Really? Really! Revisited continues the
theme of the Really? Really! feature at the
beginning of each chapter. In Really? Really!
Revisited, you use mathematics to solve a
problem or extension related to the Really?
Really! theme.
{
Google is derived from the number googol, which is a 1 with 100 zeros following
Really? it. This is equivalent to 10100 . Despite the original accidental change in spelling
“I love how it
(but not pronunciation), the name still elicits the idea of something very large.
Really! How large is 10100 ? There isn’t a googol of anything on the planet! Let’s take a look
at some surprisingly large and surprisingly small numbers.
Revisited Given that 1,000,000 pennies stacked one on top of another reaches about
is tied to what
1 mile high, how high would 1 googol pennies reach?
To get an idea of the “power” of exponents, investigate a famous problem in
mathematics.
How many times would you have to fold a piece of paper so it reached from
started the
Earth to the Sun, approximately 93 million miles?
1. A ream of paper (500 sheets) is 2 inches thick. What is the thickness of one
sheet of paper?
2. Take a sheet of paper and fold it as many times as you can. For the rest of the
chapter!”
problem you will have to imagine that you could continually fold the piece of
paper.
3. Convert 93 million miles into inches.
4. Each fold represents a doubling of the previous thickness, so each fold
multiplies the paper thickness by 2 x . Use your calculator and trial and error to
find the lowest value of x for which the answer exceeds 93 million miles. How
many folds would it take to reach to the sun?
You were probably unable to fold the paper more than six or seven times, so you
had to imagine the doubling of the thickness mathematically. After viewing the
thickness of the paper after six folds, are you surprised at how few folds it will take
the thickness of the paper to reach the sun? The “power” of 2 is amazing!
{
Applications
1. Nick and Matt are partners in a local health food store. They needed $73,000
“Great variety of
to start the business. They invested in the ratio 3:7, Nick to Matt.
a. How much money did each invest?
b. What percent of the business was owned by Matt? Round to the nearest
tenth of a percent.
2. Tom purchased shares of DuPont for $47.65 per share. He plans to sell the
shares when the stock price rises 20%. At what price will he sell his shares?
3. The top three shareholders in a certain corporation each own s shares of
problems that
stock. The corporation’s ownership is represented by a total of x shares
of stock. Express the percent of the corporation owned by the top three
shareholders algebraically.
4. Maribel purchased 2,000 shares of stock for $25.43 per share. She sold them
will prepare
for $44.10 per share. Express her capital gain to the nearest tenth of a percent.
5. A local hairstylist bought 450 shares of a cosmetics corporation for $33.50 per
share. He sold the shares for $39.01 per share.
a. What was the percent increase in the price per share? Round to the nearest
students for life
outside of school!”
tenth of a percent.
b. What was the total purchase price for the 450 shares?
c. What was the total selling price for the 450 shares?
d. What was the percent capital gain for the 450 shares? Round to the nearest
tenth of a percent.
526 Chapter 8 The Stock Market
6. Deanna purchased $24,000 worth of stock and paid her broker a 1% broker 12. Use the candlestick chart to answer the questions below. 6/20/--
Google is derived from the number googol, which is a 1 with 100 zeros following
Really? it. This is equivalent to 10100 . Despite the original accidental change in spelling
fee. She sold the stock when it increased to $29,100 3 years later and used a
discount broker who charged $35 per trade. Compute her net proceeds after
a. What was the approximate low on June 20?
b. What was the approximate high on this date?
24.75
(but not pronunciation), the name still elicits the idea of something very large.
Really! How large is 10100 ? There isn’t a googol of anything on the planet! Let’s take a look
the broker fees were taken out. c. What was the difference between the opening price and
the closing price? 24.50
at some surprisingly large and surprisingly small numbers. 7. Bootle Corp paid Leslie a quarterly dividend payment for $828. Leslie owns
d. What does the red candlestick color indicate?
Revisited Given that 1,000,000 pennies stacked one on top of another reaches about 450 shares of Bootle. What was the quarterly dividend for one share of Bootle? 24.25
1 mile high, how high would 1 googol pennies reach? 8. Aaron owned x shares of a corporation and received an annual dividend of y 13. Lea owns 800 shares of ABC Inc. On April 6, the
To get an idea of the “power” of exponents, investigate a famous problem in dollars. Express the quarterly dividend for one share algebraically. corporation instituted a 5-for-2 stock split. Before the split, 24.00
mathematics. each share was worth $42.60.
9. Zyco Corp pays an annual dividend of $2.10 per share. On Tuesday it closed at a. How many shares did Lea hold after the split?
How many times would you have to fold a piece of paper so it reached from $72 per share with a net change of 10.95. The dividend remained at $2.10 for 23.75
Earth to the Sun, approximately 93 million miles? b. What was the post-split price per share?
several months. c. Show that the split was a monetary nonevent for Lea.
1. A ream of paper (500 sheets) is 2 inches thick. What is the thickness of one a. What was the yield on Tuesday? Round to the nearest tenth of a percent.
sheet of paper? b. At what price did Zyco close on Monday? 14. Gene owns 1,200 shares of XYX Corp. The company instituted a 1-for-10
c. What was the yield at Monday’s close? Round to the nearest tenth of a reverse stock split on November 7. The pre-split market price per share was
2. Take a sheet of paper and fold it as many times as you can. For the rest of the $1.20.
problem you will have to imagine that you could continually fold the piece of percent.
a. How many shares did Gene hold after the split?
paper. 10. Use the table below to answer a-h. b. What was the post-split price per share?
3. Convert 93 million miles into inches. a. What was the difference between the 52-week high and the 52-week low c. Show that the split was a monetary nonevent for Gene.
for one share of AT&T?
4. Each fold represents a doubling of the previous thickness, so each fold b. What was the difference between the day’s high and low for one share of 15. Use the table of closing prices for Microsoft. Round answers to the nearest cent.
multiplies the paper thickness by 2 x . Use your calculator and trial and error to Southern Copper? a. Determine the 3-day simple moving averages.
find the lowest value of x for which the answer exceeds 93 million miles. How c. Which stock had a close that was furthest from the day’s low? b. Determine the 10-day simple moving averages.
many folds would it take to reach to the sun? d. Determine the close on March 2 for JPMorgan Chase.
You were probably unable to fold the paper more than six or seven times, so you e. How many shares of ITT were traded on March 3? Date Close 3-day Average 10-day Average
had to imagine the doubling of the thickness mathematically. After viewing the f. What was the percent net change from March 2 to March 3 for AT&T? 23-May 28.05
thickness of the paper after six folds, are you surprised at how few folds it will take Round to the nearest hundredth of a percent. 27-May 28.44
the thickness of the paper to reach the sun? The “power” of 2 is amazing! g. Which stock had a day’s high that was approximately 30% less than its
28-May 28.18
52-week high?
h. On March 2, there were 19,987,655 shares of JPM traded. What was the 29-May 28.31
difference in the number of shares traded from March 2 to March 3? 30-May 28.32
Applications 2-Jun 27.80
Market Data, As of the Close on March 3
3-Jun 27.31
1. Nick and Matt are partners in a local health food store. They needed $73,000 52-Week 52-Week Sales
Symbol Stock High Low Last Change Volume High Low 4-Jun 27.54
to start the business. They invested in the ratio 3:7, Nick to Matt.
a. How much money did each invest? SCCO Southern Copper 29.53 19.90 22.06 21.79 1,823,761 22.07 22.07 5-Jun 28.30
b. What percent of the business was owned by Matt? Round to the nearest T AT&T 37.50 30.97 37.12 20.01 22,009,008 37.50 37.06 6-Jun 27.49
tenth of a percent. 9-Jun 27.71
ESI ITT Ed Services 7.95 1.93 2.95 20.03 140,466 3.11 2.92
2. Tom purchased shares of DuPont for $47.65 per share. He plans to sell the JPM JP Morgan Chase 70.61 57.07 57.45 11.11 20,987,678 58.11 57.14
10-Jun 27.89
shares when the stock price rises 20%. At what price will he sell his shares? & Co. 11-Jun 27.12
3. The top three shareholders in a certain corporation each own s shares of 12-Jun 28.24
stock. The corporation’s ownership is represented by a total of x shares 11. Use the stock bar chart Daily 13-Jun 29.07
of stock. Express the percent of the corporation owned by the top three to answer the questions 50.0
49.5 16-Jun 28.93
shareholders algebraically. below. 49.0
48.5
4. Maribel purchased 2,000 shares of stock for $25.43 per share. She sold them a. What was the day’s 48.0
open on June 17? 47.5
for $44.10 per share. Express her capital gain to the nearest tenth of a percent. 47.0 Use the following stock market ticker to answer Exercises 16 and 17.
b. What was the 46.5
5. A local hairstylist bought 450 shares of a cosmetics corporation for $33.50 per approximate difference
46.0
share. He sold the shares for $39.01 per share. Volume GE 29.39K@26.13▲1.13 F .67K@12.46▼0.38 C3K@42.15▲ 1.47 T 1.6K@37.12▼1.08
between the day’s high 2.0
a. What was the percent increase in the price per share? Round to the nearest and low on June 18? 1.5
Millions
71790_ch08_hr_462-529.indd 526 12/26/16 1:41 PM 71790_ch08_hr_462-529.indd 527 12/26/16 1:41 PM 71790_ch08_hr_462-529.indd 528 12/26/16 1:41 PM
Meaningful applications at the end of each chapter require you to apply concepts
that were taught throughout the chapter.
xvi
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Comprehensive Teaching
and Learning Tools
Annotated Instructor’s Edition 9781337271806
The Annotated Instructor’s Edition keeps useful teaching and reference notes, helpful suggestions, and
ready solutions at your fingertips.
Financial Algebra Instructor Companion Website
• Lesson plans
• PowerPoint slides for each lesson
• Workbook answers
• Solutions Manual - Additional resources for use in the classroom or planning your curriculum
Computerized Testbank 9781337271905
An online testbank saves time in effectively assessing your students’ understanding of chapter concepts.
Simply edit, add, delete, or rearrange questions.
Practice Problems for Financial Algebra 9781337271820
The student workbook offers additional resources for mastering algebraic concepts within a financial
context.
MindTap 9781337271851
MindTap® for Gerver and Sgroi’s FINANCIAL ALGEBRA, Second Edition provides you with the tools you
need to better manage your limited time – you can complete assignments whenever and wherever you are
ready to learn with course material specially customized for you by your instructor and streamlined in one
proven, easy-to-use interface. With an array of tools and apps – from note taking to flashcards—you’ll get
a true understanding of course concepts, helping you to achieve better grades and setting the groundwork
for your future courses.
Website - www.cengage.com/financial_alg2e
C Squared Studios, Photodisc/Getty Images
xvii
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Chapter 1
Discretionary Expenses
1-1 Discretionary and Essential Expenses
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Really?
Really!
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
1-1 Discretionary and Essential Expenses
A bargain ain’t a bargain unless it’s something you need.
—Sidney Carroll, film and television screenwriter
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The use of statistics and data can help consumers make responsible decisions to
maintain this balance. Data used to represent “typical” values in certain situations
so that it is easier to make those decisions are referred to as measures of central
tendency. There are three measures of central tendency that you have learned in
previous math courses and are used in this course:
• Mean The “typical” value of a set of scores, is determined by finding the sum
of those scores divided by the number of scores.
• Median The middle score.
• Mode The most frequently occurring item(s).
EXAMPLE 1
Alena knows that her morning cup of coffee is most definitely a discretionary
expense. She pays $2.75 for a 9-oz cup and was wondering if that is a
typical price. On Monday, she asked six of her coworkers what they paid
for a 9-oz cup of coffee. Their costs per cup were $2.85, $2.15, $1.95, $3.00,
$2.05, and $2.40. How can Alena compare her expense with those of her
coworkers?
Notice the fraction bar can be viewed as a grouping symbol that implies
parentheses around both the entire numerator and the entire denominator.
The mean is $2.40. Alena’s expense is 35 cents above the mean. Based solely
on this data, she might want to look around for a less expensive coffee shop in
order to save herself some money on this discretionary expense.
Nora is a college student. She needs to make an essential textbook purchase for heck Your
C
one of her classes. She researches the cost of the book at her college bookstore, Understanding
some local booksellers, and some online merchants. The prices per book are $128,
$118, $96, $102, $100, $118, $118, and $102. Find the mean of the textbook
prices.
Sigma Notation
Often, mathematicians prefer to use compact notations rather than verbal
definitions to indicate mathematical procedures. This is true for the mean.
We can use the expression xi to represent all of the numbers in a list. This is
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
read as “x sub i.” The small number below and to the right of the x is a counter.
It is called a subscript. So, x1 represents the first number in a list. Likewise,
x 2 represents the second number in a list, and so on. There is a mathematical
notation that indicates finding a sum. It is the Greek letter sigma and looks like
this: o. The mean is often symbolized by x, which is read as “x bar.” The formula
for the mean in compact symbolic form is:
1 n
x5 ∑ xi
ni 51
The variable i is called the index. i 5 1 beneath sigma indicates the starting
number and n indicates the ending number in the list where n represents the total
of the numbers or terms to be added.
The formula can be read as follows: the mean is equal to the product of 1/n
and the sum of the numbers in the list.
Finding the product of 1/n and the sum is the same as dividing the sum by n.
EXAMPLE 2
Use the information about coffee prices in Example 1 to represent the formula
for the mean price using a compact notation.
SOLUTION Examine the list of six coffee prices in Example 1. The first amount,
$2.85, can be symbolized by x1. Likewise, x 2 represents the second number in
the list, or $2.15.
The list can be represented as:
The formula for the mean of the coffee prices can be symbolized by the
following.
1 6 1
x5 ∑ xi 5 6 (2.85 1 2.15 1 1.95 1 3.00 1 2.05 1 2.40)
6i 51
2.85 1 2.15 1 1.95 1 3.00 1 2.05 1 2.40
5 5 2.40
6
Check Your Addy’s monthly water bills for last year are $27, $31, $30, $26, $25, $27, $37, $33,
Understanding $32, $28, $26, $26. Express the formula for the mean using sigma notation and
calculate the mean water bill for the year.
Extend Your Suppose Addy only wanted the mean of the second through the seventh months.
Understanding Write the formula for this situation in sigma notation.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
EXAMPLE 3
Anthony wants to make a discretionary purchase of a basic laptop computer.
He checks the prices of a particular make and model listed by seven
different vendors on a shopping
comparison website. He found these
prices: $850, $798, $2,400, $790, $836,
$700, $780. He computes the mean as
$1,022. This number doesn’t seem to be a
good representation of the data. How can
he find a better representation?
© Korta/www.Shutterstock.com
is often not a good representation. In
these cases, you can use the median to
better represent the data.
When the mean of the data set is not
equal to the median, this is a skewed
data set. The median is unaffected
by the outlier. If the $2,400 price was $924,000, the median would remain the
same. The median is resistant to extreme numbers.
There are two methods used to find the median depending on whether there
is an even or odd count of numbers. The odd list is addressed here and the
even list is in Example 4. When using either list to find the median, arrange
the values in ascending order (from least to greatest) or descending order (from
greatest to least).
Pair the numbers starting from the ends of the list as shown by the colors. In an
odd count list, circle the middle number that remains after the numbers are
paired.
The median is the circled number. The number of scores below the median
must be the same as the number of scores above the median.
The median is $798. This price is a better representation of the data.
Construct a set of data for a different discretionary expense containing an odd heck Your
C
number of scores with the same median as found in Example 3. Identify the type Understanding
of expense you chose. Explain how the median is the same as the median in
Example 3, although the rest of the data are different.
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EXAMPLE 4
Suppose that in Example 3, Anthony had only found the first six laptop prices
when he conducted his online search. Determine the median of those prices.
To find the median, find the mean of the two innermost circled numbers.
798 1 836
Add; then divide by 2. 5 817
2
The median is $817. Again, notice that the number of scores below the median
is the same as the number of scores above the median, and the median is
resistant to extreme scores.
Check Your Construct a set of data for a different discretionary expense containing an even
Understanding number of scores with the same median as found in Example 4. Identify the type
of expense you chose. Explain how the median is the same as that in Example 4,
although the rest of the data are different.
EXAMPLE 5
A survey was conducted of 880 college students attending the same university.
They were offered a list of 10 different Internet service providers and were
asked to select the one they prefer. Can a service provider receiving only 89
votes come out on top?
SOLUTION This can be answered by determining the mode. The mode is often
used with non-numerical variables, such as in a preference survey. A set can
have no mode. If there are two modes, the set is bimodal.
If each of the 880 votes were split evenly among the 10 different Internet
service providers, each would get 88 votes and there would be no mode. If
one provider received 87 votes, another received 89 votes, and everyone else
received 88 votes, the provider with 89 votes could win.
Check Your Construct a data set for a discretionary expense, other than those above, for which
Understanding the mode is 56.
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Frequency Distributions
In your mathematical studies, you have worked with bar graphs, histograms,
circle graphs, and line graphs. You will now learn about a table that presents
information about central tendency in an easy-to-interpret format. You can use
this table when examining data in order to make decisions about essential and
discretionary expenses.
EXAMPLE 6
Transportation expenses to and from work are considered essential expenses.
Charlie Jane would like to reduce this essential expense by biking to work rather
than taking her car. She found 30 different ads both online and in print for the
make and model of bicycle she wants to purchase. She made a list of the prices
in ascending order.
250, 250, 275, 275, 275, 275, 280, 290, 290, 310, 310, 310, 310, 310, 315, 315,
315, 315, 315, 315, 320, 325, 325, 325, 330, 335, 340, 350, 350, 350
She wants to analyze the prices but is having trouble because there are so many
numbers. How can she organize these prices in a helpful format?
She adds up the numbers in the frequency column to find the total frequency,
which equals the number of pieces of data in her data set. She wants to be sure
that she did not accidentally leave out a price. Because there are 30 prices in the
set, and the sum of the frequencies is 30, Charlie Jane concludes her frequency
distribution is correct.
Use the frequency distribution from Example 6 to find the number of bicycles selling heck Your
C
for less than $320. Understanding
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EXAMPLE 7
Find the mean of the bicycle prices from Example 6.
SOLUTION Charlie Jane creates another column in her table for the product of
the first two column entries.
The sum of the entries in the third column—9,250—is used to find the mean.
This is the same sum you would find if you added the original 30 prices. Divide
that sum by 30 to find the mean, and round the answer to the nearest cent.
9,250 4 30 ≈ 308.33
Check Your What is the mode of the data set for the frequency table in Example 6?
Understanding
© Milkos/www.Shutterstock.com
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Applications
1. Interpret the quote in terms of what you have learned about essential and
discretionary expenses.
2. For most people, health club membership expenses are considered
discretionary. Alli lives in a big city and wants to join a health club. She
researched monthly membership costs and found the following for health
clubs within a 5-mile radius of her apartment.
$65, $50, $44, $86, $90, $50, $35, $110, $70, $50, $35, $60, $56
a. What is the mean monthly membership fee? Round your answer to the
nearest cent.
b. What is the median monthly membership fee?
c. What is the mode monthly membership fee?
3. Kate is a professional musician. She wants to make an essential purchase of an
upgraded used bass guitar for her work. She found the following prices for the
same make and model bass guitar from various sellers:
$699, $599, $699, $680, $590, $720, $650, $800
a. What is the mean price? Round your answer to the nearest cent.
b. What is the median price?
c. What is the mode price?
4. Nick and Liz have decided to move from the city to the suburbs. This means
that they will have to make the essential purchase of a car in order to get
to work. They researched used 2-year-old cars of the same make, model,
condition, and equipped with the same options. They found a website stating
that the average price should be $18,500. These are the prices they were
quoted:
$15,500 $18,800 $16,900 $19,900 $18,000 $21,000
If they continued their search for one more price quote, what would that price
have to be so that the mean of all seven of the car prices would be the same as
the mean quoted on the website?
5. Before the last school year began, it was estimated that the average
discretionary personal expenses each school year for a student attending a
4-year public college were $2,110. This past summer Ashley decided to poll
seven of her friends attending a 4-year public college because she thought that
estimate was low. She made a list of their actual school-year expenses:
$2,800 $1,990 $2,005 $2,400 $1,860 $2,200 $2,000
a. What is the mean of her friends’ personal expenses? Round your answer to
the nearest cent.
b. How does that average compare with the estimate?
c. What would Ashley’s actual personal expenses for that school year have to
be so that her amount and her friends’ amounts together would have an
average of $2,110?
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Use the following table to answer questions 6–9.
6. Write the formula for the mean water bill for the entire year using sigma
notation and determine that mean. Round your answer to the nearest cent.
7. Write the formula for the mean water bill for the first 6 months of the year
using sigma notation and determine that mean. Round your answer to the
nearest cent.
8. Write the formula for the mean water bill from April through November using
sigma notation and determine that mean. Round your answer to the nearest
cent.
9. Write the sigma notation mean formula for the consecutive 3-month period
that would have the highest mean of the year.
Use the following table to answer questions 10–12.
Elizabeth wants to change cell phone plans. Before contacting the service
provider, she makes a table of her cell phone minutes used over the course of
a week.
1 7
10. Round the following value ∑ xi to the nearest minute.
7i 51
Interpret the answer in the context of the problem.
1 5
11. Round the following value ∑ xi to the nearest minute.
4i 52
Interpret the answer in the context of the problem.
12. Write the sigma notation mean formula for the 4 consecutive days that would
have the lowest mean of the week.
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13. Airline flights can be either discretionary or essential. For most people, the
price you pay for where you sit in the plane is a discretionary expense. The
seat map for a particular flight is shown here.
The seating options for the color-coded seats are priced as follows:
First Class: $850 Deluxe Premium: $540 Preferred Plus: $400 Preferred: $320 Economy: $280
There are a total of 149 seats on this flight. Although seating prices change
based on a number of factors, answer the questions below based on the prices
listed above.
a. Construct a frequency distribution with column headings “Seat Type,”
“Price,” and “Number of Seats.”
b. If all seats were sold for this flight, what would be the total airline income
for the seats?
c. Determine the mean, median, and mode for seat prices. Round to the
nearest cent.
14. There are many cell phone case options on the market. This discretionary
item comes in a variety of colors, materials, thicknesses, protection levels, and
more. Amit runs a small business that sells computer and phone accessories.
He has kept the following inventory of cell phone case sales for similar model
phones:
$19.99, $8.99, $35.99, $49.99, $49.99, $39.99, $99.99, $79.99, $35.99,
$19.99, $49.99, $29.99, $49.99, $54.99, $35.99, $49.99, $19.99, $8.99,
$29.99, $35.99
a. Write the formula for the mean in sigma notation and use it to calculate
the mean cell phone case price. Round your answer to the nearest cent.
b. Construct a frequency distribution for the data.
c. Use the frequency distribution to determine the mean.
d. Use the frequency distribution to determine the
median and the mode.
15. Medications are essential expenses. DeWitt has Price Frequency
composed a price list of antibiotics available at $4.10 3
different pharmacies in his neighborhood. In $4.85 2
reviewing his list, he can’t find the number of $8.00 x
pharmacies selling the antibiotics for $8. Examine
$12.00 1
the frequency distribution for the prices. Write an
expression for the mean. $12.50 2
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
1-2 Travel Expenses
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.
—Anonymous
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
At a glance, you would easily be able to identify the number of long-distance
trips for any of the four mileage categories. But what would it take to answer these
questions:
• How many of the trips were less than 1000 miles?
• What percentage of the trips were greater than or equal to 500 miles?
While the computation is not difficult to do, this section introduces you to
two variations of the frequency table known as the cumulative frequency table and
the relative frequency table. Each of these will extend the information given in the
basic frequency table that you worked with in Section 1-1, so that questions like
those above can be easily answered.
EXAMPLE 1
How many of the trips listed in the Summer Travel table (frequency
distribution table) on page 14 were less than 1000 miles?
Summer Travel
Long-Distance # of Long-Distance Cumulative
Miles (m) Summer Trips Frequency
50 # m , 250 512,460,000 512,460,000
250 # m , 500 72, 270,000 584,730,000
500 # m , 1000 32,850,000 617,580,000
m $ 1000 32,850,000 650,430,000
The cumulative frequency column in this table tells the reader the number
of trips that are less than or equal to the longest distance in the interval. The
number of trips less than 1000 is the sum of the frequencies in the first three
rows. This is the cumulative frequency for the interval 500 ≤ m < 1000. There
were 617,580,000 summer trips taken that are greater than or equal to 50 miles
and less than 1000 miles in length.
How many trips less than 500 miles in length were taken? heck Your
C
Understanding
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EXAMPLE 2
The Flyt Travel website reported the Round-Trip Airline
following airfare booking expenses for Ticket Cost # of Bookings
the week of July 4th. $100–199.99 70
What proportion of the tickets sold had $200–299.99 120
a cost greater than or equal to $400 and
$300–399.99 310
less than or equal to $499.99?
$400–499.99 282
SOLUTION To answer this question $500–599.99 168
and questions related to it for other $600–699.99 150
intervals, you should create a new $700–799.99 136
column to indicate relative frequency.
Relative frequency is the ratio of the $800–899.99 80
frequency of a particular interval to the $900–999.99 96
total number of pieces of data collected. $1000 and above 22
The relative frequency represents the
proportion of the data that falls in a particular interval. It is expressed as a
decimal rounded to whatever degree of accuracy is needed.
Relative frequency can easily be written as a percent. The relative frequency
formulas are given here where rf is the relative frequency, f is the frequency,
and N is the total number of frequencies.
Relative frequency expressed as a decimal:
f
rf 5
N
Relative frequency expressed as a percent:
f
rf 5 3 100
N
To set up the relative
frequency table, add a Relative Frequency
new column. The total Round-Trip Airline # of (rounded to nearest
number of frequencies Ticket Cost Bookings thousandth)
represents the total number $100–199.99 70 0.049
of bookings reported by $200–299.99 120 0.084
Flyt Travel. The sum of
$300–399.99 310 0.216
the bookings listed in the
table is 1,434. Use this $400–499.99 282 0.197
to determine the relative $500–599.99 168 0.117
frequency. $600–699.99 150 0.105
Ideally, the sum of the $700–799.99 136 0.095
relative frequencies should $800–899.99 80 0.056
be 1. But, you may get a $900–999.99 96 0.067
number very close to 1
$1000 and above 22 0.015
because of rounding.
Total 1,434
The relative frequency for
the $400–499.99 interval is
0.197. This represents 19.7% of the total number of bookings reported.
Check Your What percent of the total number of bookings fall within the range of $700–899.99?
Understanding
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Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet is an electronic worksheet that can be used to explore,
manipulate, analyze, and interpret data. Spreadsheets allow you to enter
data into columns and rows. The intersection of a column and a row is a
cell. Cells can contain numbers, words, or formulas. While the structure of a
formula may differ based on the software, formulas have a fundamental algebraic
basis. In spreadsheet formulas you use an * (asterisk) for the multiplication
symbol and a / (forward slash) for the division symbol. You do not use spaces
around symbols.
Examine the spreadsheet below. It contains all of the data from the frequency
table in Example 2 with an added row labeled “Total.”
A B C
Relative Frequency
Round-Trip Airline (rounded to nearest
1 Ticket Cost #of Bookings thousandth)
2 $100–199.99 70 0.049 Cell C2
3 $200–299.99 120 0.084
4 $300–399.99 310 0.216
5 $400–499.99 282 0.197
6 $500–599.99 168 0.117
7 $600–699.99 150 0.105
8 $700–799.99 136 0.095
9 $800–899.99 80 0.056
10 $900–999.99 96 0.067
11 $1000 and above 22 0.015
12 Total 1434
5B21B31B41B51B61B71B81B91B101B11
The entries in cells A1 through A12, B1, and C1 are row and column
labels. They are not mandatory in a spreadsheet but they help to make sense
of the data. It is important to recognize that cells may contain numerical labels
such as the ones in column A, but those cells cannot be used for numerical
calculations. The frequencies in cells B2 through B11 have been input by hand.
All of the other entries have been calculated using spreadsheet formulas. The
entry in cell B12 is the sum of the frequencies in cells B2 to B11. A formula
can be stored in cell B12 to calculate the sum. If B12 represents the sum, the
equation needed is B12 5B21B31B41B51B61B71B81B91B101B11. You
enter the right side of the equation into the cell beginning with the 5 symbol as
shown above.
Spreadsheets have built-in formulas to save time. The long sum formula can
be replaced by the formula 5SUM(B2:B11), where B2 indicates the cell of the first
entry in the list, B11 indicates the cell of the last entry in the list, and the colon
indicates to add the cell entries in B2 through B11. You can see how this would
make the formula entry for a sum a lot easier, especially if you are working with a
large data set.
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DANCE ON STILTS AT THE GIRLS’ UNYAGO, NIUCHI
I see increasing reason to believe that the view formed some time
back as to the origin of the Makonde bush is the correct one. I have
no doubt that it is not a natural product, but the result of human
occupation. Those parts of the high country where man—as a very
slight amount of practice enables the eye to perceive at once—has not
yet penetrated with axe and hoe, are still occupied by a splendid
timber forest quite able to sustain a comparison with our mixed
forests in Germany. But wherever man has once built his hut or tilled
his field, this horrible bush springs up. Every phase of this process
may be seen in the course of a couple of hours’ walk along the main
road. From the bush to right or left, one hears the sound of the axe—
not from one spot only, but from several directions at once. A few
steps further on, we can see what is taking place. The brush has been
cut down and piled up in heaps to the height of a yard or more,
between which the trunks of the large trees stand up like the last
pillars of a magnificent ruined building. These, too, present a
melancholy spectacle: the destructive Makonde have ringed them—
cut a broad strip of bark all round to ensure their dying off—and also
piled up pyramids of brush round them. Father and son, mother and
son-in-law, are chopping away perseveringly in the background—too
busy, almost, to look round at the white stranger, who usually excites
so much interest. If you pass by the same place a week later, the piles
of brushwood have disappeared and a thick layer of ashes has taken
the place of the green forest. The large trees stretch their
smouldering trunks and branches in dumb accusation to heaven—if
they have not already fallen and been more or less reduced to ashes,
perhaps only showing as a white stripe on the dark ground.
This work of destruction is carried out by the Makonde alike on the
virgin forest and on the bush which has sprung up on sites already
cultivated and deserted. In the second case they are saved the trouble
of burning the large trees, these being entirely absent in the
secondary bush.
After burning this piece of forest ground and loosening it with the
hoe, the native sows his corn and plants his vegetables. All over the
country, he goes in for bed-culture, which requires, and, in fact,
receives, the most careful attention. Weeds are nowhere tolerated in
the south of German East Africa. The crops may fail on the plains,
where droughts are frequent, but never on the plateau with its
abundant rains and heavy dews. Its fortunate inhabitants even have
the satisfaction of seeing the proud Wayao and Wamakua working
for them as labourers, driven by hunger to serve where they were
accustomed to rule.
But the light, sandy soil is soon exhausted, and would yield no
harvest the second year if cultivated twice running. This fact has
been familiar to the native for ages; consequently he provides in
time, and, while his crop is growing, prepares the next plot with axe
and firebrand. Next year he plants this with his various crops and
lets the first piece lie fallow. For a short time it remains waste and
desolate; then nature steps in to repair the destruction wrought by
man; a thousand new growths spring out of the exhausted soil, and
even the old stumps put forth fresh shoots. Next year the new growth
is up to one’s knees, and in a few years more it is that terrible,
impenetrable bush, which maintains its position till the black
occupier of the land has made the round of all the available sites and
come back to his starting point.
The Makonde are, body and soul, so to speak, one with this bush.
According to my Yao informants, indeed, their name means nothing
else but “bush people.” Their own tradition says that they have been
settled up here for a very long time, but to my surprise they laid great
stress on an original immigration. Their old homes were in the
south-east, near Mikindani and the mouth of the Rovuma, whence
their peaceful forefathers were driven by the continual raids of the
Sakalavas from Madagascar and the warlike Shirazis[47] of the coast,
to take refuge on the almost inaccessible plateau. I have studied
African ethnology for twenty years, but the fact that changes of
population in this apparently quiet and peaceable corner of the earth
could have been occasioned by outside enterprises taking place on
the high seas, was completely new to me. It is, no doubt, however,
correct.
The charming tribal legend of the Makonde—besides informing us
of other interesting matters—explains why they have to live in the
thickest of the bush and a long way from the edge of the plateau,
instead of making their permanent homes beside the purling brooks
and springs of the low country.
“The place where the tribe originated is Mahuta, on the southern
side of the plateau towards the Rovuma, where of old time there was
nothing but thick bush. Out of this bush came a man who never
washed himself or shaved his head, and who ate and drank but little.
He went out and made a human figure from the wood of a tree
growing in the open country, which he took home to his abode in the
bush and there set it upright. In the night this image came to life and
was a woman. The man and woman went down together to the
Rovuma to wash themselves. Here the woman gave birth to a still-
born child. They left that place and passed over the high land into the
valley of the Mbemkuru, where the woman had another child, which
was also born dead. Then they returned to the high bush country of
Mahuta, where the third child was born, which lived and grew up. In
course of time, the couple had many more children, and called
themselves Wamatanda. These were the ancestral stock of the
Makonde, also called Wamakonde,[48] i.e., aborigines. Their
forefather, the man from the bush, gave his children the command to
bury their dead upright, in memory of the mother of their race who
was cut out of wood and awoke to life when standing upright. He also
warned them against settling in the valleys and near large streams,
for sickness and death dwelt there. They were to make it a rule to
have their huts at least an hour’s walk from the nearest watering-
place; then their children would thrive and escape illness.”
The explanation of the name Makonde given by my informants is
somewhat different from that contained in the above legend, which I
extract from a little book (small, but packed with information), by
Pater Adams, entitled Lindi und sein Hinterland. Otherwise, my
results agree exactly with the statements of the legend. Washing?
Hapana—there is no such thing. Why should they do so? As it is, the
supply of water scarcely suffices for cooking and drinking; other
people do not wash, so why should the Makonde distinguish himself
by such needless eccentricity? As for shaving the head, the short,
woolly crop scarcely needs it,[49] so the second ancestral precept is
likewise easy enough to follow. Beyond this, however, there is
nothing ridiculous in the ancestor’s advice. I have obtained from
various local artists a fairly large number of figures carved in wood,
ranging from fifteen to twenty-three inches in height, and
representing women belonging to the great group of the Mavia,
Makonde, and Matambwe tribes. The carving is remarkably well
done and renders the female type with great accuracy, especially the
keloid ornamentation, to be described later on. As to the object and
meaning of their works the sculptors either could or (more probably)
would tell me nothing, and I was forced to content myself with the
scanty information vouchsafed by one man, who said that the figures
were merely intended to represent the nembo—the artificial
deformations of pelele, ear-discs, and keloids. The legend recorded
by Pater Adams places these figures in a new light. They must surely
be more than mere dolls; and we may even venture to assume that
they are—though the majority of present-day Makonde are probably
unaware of the fact—representations of the tribal ancestress.
The references in the legend to the descent from Mahuta to the
Rovuma, and to a journey across the highlands into the Mbekuru
valley, undoubtedly indicate the previous history of the tribe, the
travels of the ancestral pair typifying the migrations of their
descendants. The descent to the neighbouring Rovuma valley, with
its extraordinary fertility and great abundance of game, is intelligible
at a glance—but the crossing of the Lukuledi depression, the ascent
to the Rondo Plateau and the descent to the Mbemkuru, also lie
within the bounds of probability, for all these districts have exactly
the same character as the extreme south. Now, however, comes a
point of especial interest for our bacteriological age. The primitive
Makonde did not enjoy their lives in the marshy river-valleys.
Disease raged among them, and many died. It was only after they
had returned to their original home near Mahuta, that the health
conditions of these people improved. We are very apt to think of the
African as a stupid person whose ignorance of nature is only equalled
by his fear of it, and who looks on all mishaps as caused by evil
spirits and malignant natural powers. It is much more correct to
assume in this case that the people very early learnt to distinguish
districts infested with malaria from those where it is absent.
This knowledge is crystallized in the
ancestral warning against settling in the
valleys and near the great waters, the
dwelling-places of disease and death. At the
same time, for security against the hostile
Mavia south of the Rovuma, it was enacted
that every settlement must be not less than a
certain distance from the southern edge of the
plateau. Such in fact is their mode of life at the
present day. It is not such a bad one, and
certainly they are both safer and more
comfortable than the Makua, the recent
intruders from the south, who have made USUAL METHOD OF
good their footing on the western edge of the CLOSING HUT-DOOR
plateau, extending over a fairly wide belt of
country. Neither Makua nor Makonde show in their dwellings
anything of the size and comeliness of the Yao houses in the plain,
especially at Masasi, Chingulungulu and Zuza’s. Jumbe Chauro, a
Makonde hamlet not far from Newala, on the road to Mahuta, is the
most important settlement of the tribe I have yet seen, and has fairly
spacious huts. But how slovenly is their construction compared with
the palatial residences of the elephant-hunters living in the plain.
The roofs are still more untidy than in the general run of huts during
the dry season, the walls show here and there the scanty beginnings
or the lamentable remains of the mud plastering, and the interior is a
veritable dog-kennel; dirt, dust and disorder everywhere. A few huts
only show any attempt at division into rooms, and this consists
merely of very roughly-made bamboo partitions. In one point alone
have I noticed any indication of progress—in the method of fastening
the door. Houses all over the south are secured in a simple but
ingenious manner. The door consists of a set of stout pieces of wood
or bamboo, tied with bark-string to two cross-pieces, and moving in
two grooves round one of the door-posts, so as to open inwards. If
the owner wishes to leave home, he takes two logs as thick as a man’s
upper arm and about a yard long. One of these is placed obliquely
against the middle of the door from the inside, so as to form an angle
of from 60° to 75° with the ground. He then places the second piece
horizontally across the first, pressing it downward with all his might.
It is kept in place by two strong posts planted in the ground a few
inches inside the door. This fastening is absolutely safe, but of course
cannot be applied to both doors at once, otherwise how could the
owner leave or enter his house? I have not yet succeeded in finding
out how the back door is fastened.