Working

Backwards
Strategy

By: Jannele W. Lawas

Working Backwards Strategy

The strategy of working backwards is to start with

the final solution and work back one step at a time to
get to the beginning.
In general, problems that list a series of events or a
sequence of steps can be solved by working
backwards.
When to Use Working Backwards to
Solve a Problem

The first characteristics of this is that the end of the

problem will have a result that is very clear, where as the
beginning of the problem will be less obvious.
This is a good indication that working backwards is a
good process to use.
How to use Working Backwards
to Solve a Problem

 In math, this strategy is called inverse operation.

 When you are solving a problem by starting at the end
and working backwards, any mathematical operations
you come across will have to be reversed.
 Example:
If ? ÷ 8 × 2 = 14, then 14 ÷ 2 × 8 = 56.
Working Backwards Strategy
Example:
1. Start with an unknown number. Triple it and then subtract 5. Now, take the
new number and double it but then subtract 47. If you take this latest total
and quadruple it you have 60. What was the original unknown number?
Solution:
Divide 60 by 4 to undo quadruple: 60 ÷ 4 = 15
Add 15 and 47: 15 + 47 = 62, then divide by 2: 62 ÷ 2 = 31
Add 5 to 31: 5 + 31 = 36, then divide by 3: 36 ÷ 3 = 12
Therefore, the original number was 12.
Working Backwards Strategy

2. Jay walked from Santa Clara to Palo Alto. It took 1 hour

and 25 minutes to walk from Santa Clara to Los Altos.
Then it took 25 minutes to walk from Los Altos to Palo
Alto. He arrived in Palo Alto at 2:45 pm. At what time did
he leave Santa Clara?
Working Backwards Strategy
Solution:
Start at 2:45. This is the time Jay reach Palo Alto.
Subtract 25 minutes. This is the time it took to get from Los Altos
to Palo Alto.
Time is: 2:20 pm.
Subtract 1 hour and 25 minutes. This is the time it took to get
from Santa Clara to Los Altos.
Therefore, Jay left Santa Clara at 12:55 pm.
Try this!
1. Mrs. Allen baked some cookies for the school bake
sale. Franko bought 3 of the cookies and Sandra bought
2. Mr. Walker bought 1 dozen of cookies. William and
Scarlet bought 6 cookies each. Then Ms. Watson
bought 4 of the cookies that left only 3 cookies for
Dave to buy. How many cookies did Mrs. Allen bake for
the sale?
Solution for #1
Start at 3. The number of cookies left Add 2. The number of cookies that
for Dave to buy. Sandra bought.
Add 4. The number of cookies that Ms. 31 + 2 = 33
Watson bought. Add 3. The number of cookies that
3+4=7 Franko bought.
Add 12. The number of cookies that 33 + 3 = 36
William and Scarlet bought. Therefore, Mrs. Allen baked a total of
7 + 12 = 19 36 cookies for the school bake sale.
Add 12. The number of cookies that
Mr. Walker bought.
19 + 12 = 31
Try this!

2. Sarah got on the school bus. At the stop after

Sarah’s, 7 students got on. 5 students got on the
bus at the next stop. At the last stop before the
school, 9 students got on. When the bus arrived at
school, 38 students got off. How many students
were already on the bus before Sarah got on?
Solution for #2
Start at the final output which is 38 students.
Subtract 9. Number of students got on at the last stop before the bus arrived
at school.
38 – 9 = 29
Subtract 5. Number of students got on the bus at the next stop.
29 – 5 = 24
Subtract 7. . Number of students got on after Sarah got on the bus.
24 – 7 = 17 17 -1 = 16
Subtract 1. Sarah
Therefore there are 16 students already at the bus before Sarah got on.