1 . Read the question carefully
Underline key terms and units
2. Define terms and think
about their relationship
3. Identify words that give you
clues
4. Identify the problem to be
answered
Are their any “sub-questions”?
5. Determine what principles or
concepts the problem involves
6. Analyze the problem
Make data tables, draw diagrams,
identify units
7. Plan a solution
8. Answer the question
Insert known values, make
conversions if needed, do
calculations
9. Evaluate the solution
Check your answers, look for errors,
make sure your answer is expressed in
the correct number of sig. fig. and the
correct units.
How old is Karen?
Karen is twice as old as Lori. Three years
from now, the sum of their ages will be 42.
How old is Karen?
We'll let Lori's age be x. We can set up a chart:
now
in 3 years
Karen
2x
2x + 3
Lori
x
x+3
The sum of their ages in 3 years will be 42, so we have:
(2x + 3) + (x + 3) = 42
3x + 6 = 42
3x = 36
x = 12
If Lori is 12, Karen is 24; in three years they will be 15 and
27, and the sum of their ages will be 42.
1. Elmer Fudd decided to grow a garden so he
could make salad. He wants to make it 10.1m
long and 4.2 m wide. However, in order to avoid
Bugs Bunny from entering his garden he must
make a fence surrounding the garden. He
decides to make the fence 11.2 m long and 5.0
m wide. What is the area between the fence
and the garden?
2. Dave gave Charlotte half of his pencils.
Charlotte gave Johnnie half of the pencils she
received from Dave. Johnnie kept 8 of those
pencils and gave the remaining 10 to Dana. How
many pencils did Dave give Charlotte?
4. Mr. Mason asked the children to open their
math books to the facing pages whose page
numbers add up to 85. To which pages should
the children turn?
Mark accidentally tore out a page of his math
book. Mr. Mason asked him what page it was.
Mark said that the sum of the page numbers
on the facing pages was 127. What are the
page numbers on the pages Mark tore out of
the book?