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Problem Solving, Mathematical Investigation and Modeling Week 2 Strategies For Solving Problems

This document discusses 10 different strategies for solving problems: 1. Read carefully and do basic operations 2. Use a guess and check strategy 3. Use a unit method to break problems into smaller parts 4. Work backwards from the given information 5. Break problems into clear steps 6. Convert words to symbols 7. Build lists or tables to organize information 8. Disregard useless information 9. Look for patterns in numbers 10. Recognize standard examples that follow common patterns

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Shiera Saletrero Simbajon
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1K views

Problem Solving, Mathematical Investigation and Modeling Week 2 Strategies For Solving Problems

This document discusses 10 different strategies for solving problems: 1. Read carefully and do basic operations 2. Use a guess and check strategy 3. Use a unit method to break problems into smaller parts 4. Work backwards from the given information 5. Break problems into clear steps 6. Convert words to symbols 7. Build lists or tables to organize information 8. Disregard useless information 9. Look for patterns in numbers 10. Recognize standard examples that follow common patterns

Uploaded by

Shiera Saletrero Simbajon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

PROBLEM SOLVING, MATHEMATICAL INVESTIGATION AND MODELING


Week 2
Strategies for Solving Problems
A range of strategies can be used to solve problems. Some people construct tables, some draw
diagrams, others use concrete materials. There are many ways to solve a problem and different people may
use different strategies to solve the same problem.

1. Read carefully and then do basic operations (if applicable)


How many cars are needed to transport 82 children if each car can take 6 children?
 ·Be sure of what is actually required
 Extract all useful information
 Detect tricks, traps or distractions
 Look for a simple method hidden amongst the details
In some examples, like this one, the calculation is quite simple. The hard thing is to read the
information and the question to see what is required. Only simple division is required, dividing 82 by 6
to give 13 and remainder 4. You then have to think what the remainder 4 means in this problem. In this
case it means you need an extra vehicle, so that 14 vehicles are required. (You can’t leave the 4 kids
behind!)
2. Guess and check strategy (and think)
Here are three piles of number blocks. Make the number sum the same for each pile, by moving one
block from one pile to another.
 Check: What is the sum of the numbers on each pile? The totals are 6, 12, 18 (first diagram)
 Think: Since we can only move one block, we will have to move a block off the pile with the
biggest total, and put it onto the pile with the smallest total.
 Guess: try moving the 5 from pile 3 to pile 1 (second diagram).
 Check: What is the sum of the numbers on each pile? 11, 12, 13 (better, but still not correct).
 Think: Whatever you move, the totals have to add up to 12. So, we have to move a block off the
original pile 3 to make its total go from 18 to 12. This is a reduction by 6. We have to make pile
1 total go from 6 to 12. This is an increase of 6.
 Guess: try moving the 6 block from pile 3 to pile 1. (third diagram)
 Check: What is the sum of the numbers on each pile? 12, 12, 12. This is the required result.

3. Unit method
Seven loaded trucks contain 63 tonnes.
How many tonnes would there be in 3 loaded trucks?
Method: Find how many tonnes in ONE loaded truck (by division)
Find how many tonnes in THREE loaded trucks (by multiplication)
In this case: 7 trucks contain 63 tonnes
1 truck contains 63 ¸ 7 = 9 tonnes
3 trucks contain 9 ´ 3 = 27 tonnes
4. Backwards method
I have just thought of a number. I multiply by 3. Then I add 4. Then I divide by 7.
The result is 4.What is the number I started with?

Work backwards: The last number was 4.


This was the result of dividing by 7.
So the second last number was
4 x 7 = 28
This was the result of adding 4.
So the third last number was

1|Page SHIERA S. SIMBAJON, LPT-Instructor


COLLEGE DEPARTMENT
28 - 4 = 24.
This was the result of multiplying the start number by 3.
So the start number was 24 ÷ 3 = 8.
In the backwards method:
 work through the steps backwards
 we do the reverse operations (example : + is the reverse of - )
5. Break problem into steps
For carrying goods between two towns, a truck driver charges K 4.00 for the first 10 kg and K 1.00 for
each additional 5 kg or part thereof. How much does it cost to send 112 kg of cargo between the two
towns?
Step 1: Work out the first 10 kg. Cost = K 4.00 and remaining weight = 102 kg.
Step 2: How many 5 kg lots (or part thereof) in the remaining weight? 102 ¸ 5 = 20 lots and 2kg
remaining. This is counted as 21 lots of 5kg.
Step 3: Cost of the 21 lots of 5 kg is K 21.00 (21 x K1)
Step 4: Total cost = K 4.00 + K 21.00 = K 25.00
6. Convert words to symbols
A taxi driver charges a fixed amount when the meter is turned on and 60 toea per kilometre travelled. If
a 9-km ride costs K 6.35, then what is the fixed charge?

Use the symbol ‘F’ for the fixed charge.


Then 6.35 = F + 0.60 x 9
6.35 = F + 5.40
F = 6.35 - 5.40
F = 0.95
So, the fixed charge was 95 toea.
7. Build a list or table
What is the least number of coins needed to be able to pay the exact price of any article costing from 1
toea to 1 kina.

So you could make up any amount from 1 toea to 1 kina, if you had:
One 1 toea coin
Two 2 toea coins
One 5 toea coin
One 10 toea coin
Two 20 toea coins
One 50 toea coin
One 1 kina coin
For example, you could make up 74 toea using 50t + 20t + 2t + 2t
Application to real life: If you run a business where you need to pay out a lot of coins, then make sure
you have twice as many 2t and 20t coins compared to the others.
8. Disregarding useless information
Mr. Nou kept a record of the odometer readings and the amount of petrol added, each time he filled the
tank. Find the rate of petrol consumption.

2|Page SHIERA S. SIMBAJON, LPT-Instructor


COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

The 17 litres is useless information. The real information is 26 litres used to travel
41,969 - 41, 648 = 285 km and
19 litres used to travel 42,134 - 41, 969 = 165 km
This gives average rate of consumption = 285 ¸ 26 = 10.96 km per litre for the first part
And 165 ¸ 19 = 8.68 km per litre for the second part.
Or, overall, (42,134 - 41683) ¸ (19 + 26) = 450 ¸ 45 = 10 km per litre.
9. Look for patterns
How many numbers between 10 and 1000 have a digit sum of 8?
For a start, write the ones from 10 to 100 (the 2 digit ones)
17, 26, 35 …
Notice a pattern (the first digit increases by 1, and the second digit decreases by 1).
This makes it easier to finish the pattern up to 100:
17, 26, 35, 44, 53, 62, 71, 80
and that’s all in the range 10 to 100 (8 examples)
Next, write the ones from 100 to 200, using the pattern found in the 10 to 100
107, 116, 125, 134, 143, 152, 161, 170, and that’s all (8 examples)
Next, write the ones from 200 to 500, using the pattern found in the 100 to 200
206, 215, 224, 233, 242, 251, 260, and that’s all (7 examples)
306, 316, 324, 333, 342, 350, and that’s all (6 examples)
404, 413, 422, 431, 440, and that’s all (5 examples)
Notice the pattern of decreasing number of examples in each row.
Without writing out the examples, we could say that there will be 4 examples in the 5 hundreds,
3 examples in the 6 hundreds, 2 examples in the 7 hundreds and only 1 example in the 8 hundreds
(800 itself). Nothing in the 9 hundreds.

Total result will be 8 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 44 numbers between 10 and 1000 with a


digit total of 8.
10. Look for standard examples
Using the numbers 1 to 9 fill in the remaining numbers in the figure, so that the totals along the joining
lines in any direction are the same.
The figure below is just a Chinese Magic Square, turned around 45 degrees and skewed a little

The students may have done magic squares already, so this becomes a standard example, following a
pattern.

Anyone who has seen Chinese Magic squares knows that they:
 have rows, diagonals and columns which add up to 15
 contain only the numbers 1 to 9
 always have 5 in the middle,
 always have even numbers on the corners, and odd numbers in between the evens.
This pattern can help to fill in the diagram in the example (though it could be done without knowing about
Magic Squares).

3|Page SHIERA S. SIMBAJON, LPT-Instructor


COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

ACTIVITY:
Directions: Use any of the given strategies to solve the following problems. Use separate sheet of
paper for our answers.

1. How many cars are needed to transport 82 children if each car can take 6 children?
2. Here are three piles of number blocks. Make the number sum the same for each pile, by moving one block
from one pile to another.

3. Seven loaded trucks contain 63 tonnes. How many tonnes would there be in 3 loaded trucks?
4. I have just thought of a number. I multiply by 3. Then I add 4. Then I divide by 7. The result is 4.What is the
number I started with?
5. For carrying goods between two towns, a truck driver charges K 4.00 for the first 10 kg and K 1.00 for each
additional 5 kg or part thereof. How much does it cost to send 112 kg of cargo between the two towns?
6. A taxi driver charges a fixed amount when the meter is turned on and 60 toea per kilometre travelled. If a 9-
km ride costs K 6.35, then what is the fixed charge?
7. What is the least number of coins needed to be able to pay the exact price of any article costing from 1 toea
to 1 kina.
8. Mr. Nou kept a record of the odometer readings and the amount of petrol added, each time he filled the tank.
Find the rate of petrol consumption

9. How many numbers between 10 and 1000 have a digit sum of 8?


10. Using only the numbers 1 to 9, fill in the remaining numbers in the figure, so that the totals along the joining
lines in any direction are the same.

4|Page SHIERA S. SIMBAJON, LPT-Instructor


COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

5|Page SHIERA S. SIMBAJON, LPT-Instructor

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