Problem Solving Techniques

I. General suggestions for working word problems (1) Read the problem carefully. Make sure that you understand all of the terms involved in the problem. (2) Make a sketch or table to illustrate the problem if appropriate. (3) Guess the answer and then test your guess. This will help you to understand the problem better, it will give you an idea of what the answer might be, it will help you in writing an appropriate equation or function to solve the problem, and it will help you in testing this equation or function. (4) In some problems, there seems to be inadequate information. Provide your own data for the problem and then work the problem. Try another set of data and work the problem. If you get the same answer with different data, then the answer is probably independent of this data and the answer you get is the correct one. Then you might try to prove that this answer is correct. II. Value problems Use the following: (value/item)(no.of items) = total value For example: (5/nickel)(7 nickels) = 35 ($2.00/kg)(3.5 kg) = $7.00 III. Uniform motion problems If distance = d , rate = r , and time = t , use the following:

d = rt

or

r=

d t

or

t=

d r

Note: Be sure that the time units in the rate match up with time units in time. For example, (60mi/hr)(3 hr) = 180 mi, but (60mi/hr)(30 min) = (60mi/hr)(1/2 hr) = 30 mi.

IV. Simple interest problems Use the following: I = Prt, where I is the amount of interest ($), P is the interest ($) (amount borrowed or invested), r is the interest rate (%) per time unit (usually years), and t is the time measured in the same time unit in which the rate is given.

V. Mixture problems Use the following: (% pure substance in solution)(amt of solution)=amt of pure substance Also, use the following if solution A is combined with solution B to give solution C: amt of pure substance in A + amt of pure substance in B = amt of pure substance in C Example: 20 ml of a 5% acid solution combines with 30 ml of a 10% solution to give 50 ml of an 8% solution because (20)(.05)+(30)(.10) = (50)(.08)

An interesting and reliable procedure for solving mixture problems involves the following tic-tac-toe set-up: * * * * Weak * * Strong Intermediate Amt of Solution % * * % Weak Solution * * ****************************************************************** * * * Intermediate * * Solution % * * * ****************************************************************** * * Strong * * Intermediate Weak Amt of Solution % * * % Strong Solution * * * *

To solve, set up the following proportion: Strong Intermediate % ----------------------------------Intermediate Weak % Amt of Weak Solution --------------------------------Amt of Strong Solution

Example: How much pure acid must be added to 20 ml of a 30% acid solution to get a 50% acid solution? * * 30% * * 50% 20 ml ******************************************************* * 50% * ******************************************************* x 100% * * 20% * *
50% 20ml = x 20% 5 20ml 5 x = 40ml x = 8ml = x 2

VI. Work problems When two or more people (or machines) work together, the individual times for completing a job do not add up. The individual rates of work do add together to give the single combined rate. Example: John can paint a fence in 3 hours. Pete can paint the same fence in 6 1 1 hours. Thus, Johns rate = fence / hr and Petes rate = fence / hr . 3 6 1 1 Therefore, the rate if they work together is fence / hr + fence / hr = 3 6 1 fence / hr. Note that it would take 2 hours to paint the fence if they 2 1 work together since fence / hr (2 hours) = 1 fence. 2

A technique that will make work problems easier to manage is to let the job be a number that is divisible by all of the times involved in the problem. This will give the rates whole number values. Example: John can paint a fence in 6 hours and Jim can paint the same fence in 8 hours. How long would it take to paint the fence if they work together?

Let Fence 24 Sections (24 is divisible by 6 and 8) Johns rate =

24 Sections = 4 Sections / Hr 6 Hours

24 Sections = 3Sections / Hr 8 Hours +____________________________________________

Jims rate =

Togethers rate

= 7 Sections/ Hr ? Hr = 24 Sections

7 Sections/ Hr

7 x = 24

3 x = 3 Hr 7

VII. Variation A. Direct Let x and y denote two nonnegative quantities. Then y varies directly as x , or y is directly proportional to x , if there is a nonzero constant k such that y = kx . k is called the constant of proportionality. Suppose y varies directly as x ; when x = x1 , then y = y1 ; when x = x2 , then y = y 2 . Thus, y1 = kx1 y1 y 2 y y = . This is another way and y 2 = kx2 1 = k and 2 = k x1 x2 x1 x2 of representing direct variation. Sometimes, y varies directly as a power of x . Let n be a positive real number. Then y varies directly as the nth power of x , or y is directly proportional to the nth power of x , if there exists a nonzero constant k such that y = kx n . Similarly, this can also be represented by y1 y = 2 . x1n x 2 n Example: The distance a free-falling object falls from rest varies directly as the square of the time it falls (disregarding air resistance). If an object falls 1024 feet in 8 seconds, how far will it fall in 12 seconds? Solution 1: d = kt 2 1024 = k (8 2 ) 1024=64k k = 16. Thus, d = 16t 2 d = 16( 12 2 ) = 2304 feet. 4

Solution 2:

d1
2

d2
2

1024 8
2

d2 12 2

t1 t2 d 2 = 2304 feet.

64d 2 = 147456

B. Inverse Let x and y denote two nonnegative quantities. Then y varies inversely as x , or y is inversely proportional to x , if there exists a nonzero constant k k such that y = . Suppose y varies inversely as x ; when x = x1 , y = y1 ; x k k when x = x2 , y = y 2 . Thus, y1 = and y 2 = x1 y1 = k and x1 x2 x2 y 2 = k x1 y1 = x2 y 2 . This formula is another way of representing k inverse variation. If y varies inversely as the nth power of x, then y = xn or x1n y1 = x 2 n y 2 . Example: The illumination produced by a light source varies inversely as the square of the distance from the source. The illumination of a light source at 5 meters is 70 candela. What is the illumination 12 meters from the source? Solution 1: I = I= 1750 12 2
k d
2

70 =

k = 1750. Thus, I =

1750
d2

12.15 candela.

Solution 2: I1d12 = I 2 d 2 2 (70)(5 2 ) = I 2 (12 2 ) 1750 = I 2 (144) I 2 12.15 candela.

C. Combined or joint Suppose y varies directly as x and z 2 , and inversely as w and v 3 . Then there k k exist constants k1 , k 2 , k 3 , k 4 such that y = k1 x, y = k 2 z 2 , y = 3 , and y = 4 . w v3 These four equations can be written as one equation which represents the 5

 xz 2 = k combined variation: y . Note that the variables which vary directly as wv 3 y are multiplied and are placed in the numerator of the fraction, and the variables which vary inversely as y are multiplied and are placed in the denominator. Example: The volume V of a gas varies directly as the Kelvin temperature T and inversely as the pressure P. If V = 10 when T = 280 and P = 6, find V if T = 300 and P = 10.
(10)(6) 3 280 T Solution: V = k 10 = k = . Thus, k= 280 14 6 P 3 3 T 3 300 V = = =6 . 7 14 P 14 10

D. Notes 1. In arithmetic, when we say that 2 quantities are proportional, we really mean directly proportional. 2. Usually, direct variation between the variables x and y is implied under the following conditions: (i) if x increases, so does y (and vice versa); (ii) x = 0 y = 0. 3. Usually, inverse variation between the variables x and y is implied under the following conditions: (i) if x increases, then y decreases (and vice versa); (ii) x 0 and y 0.