Math Blog 841 (2008): Jordan8-41

Showing posts with label Jordan8-41. Show all posts

Jordan's Fraction Word Problems

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Questions:

6. One week, Kristi worked 3 days at a department store for 3 1/2 h each day. She was paid $9/h.

a) How many hours did Kristi work that week? Show your thinking.

3 ½ x 3

3 x 2 + 1 = 7/2

7/2 x 3 = 21/2

21/2=

10 ½

Kristi worked 10 ½ hours that week.

b) How much did Kristi earn that week?

10 ½ x 9 = 94 ½

Kristi earned $94.50 that week.

7. Jupiter completes about 2 2/5 rotations every 24 hours (an Earth day). How many rotations does Jupiter complete in one Earth week? Show your thinking.

2 2/5 = 12/5

12/5 x 7/1 = 16 4/5

Jupiter completes 16 4/5 rotations in one Earth week.

8. A sailboat is sailing at 8 1/2 km/h. If the weather conditions and the current do not change, how far will the sailboat travel in 1 1/3 h? Show your thinking.

8 1/2 x 1/3

17/2 x 4/3 = 68/6 = 11 1/3

The sailboat will travel 11 1/3 km/h.

9. The distance to Grandma's house is 4/5 of the distance to Uncle Glen's house. If Uncle Glen's house is 3 1/2 hours away, how long will it take to get to Grandma's house if you travel at the same speed?

4/5 x 1/2

4/5 x 7/2 = 28/10

28/10 = 2 4/5

It will take 2 4/5 hours to get to Grandma's house.

10. It takes 3/5 of a tank of gas to get to work and back each day. How much gas is used over 5 work days? Show your thinking.

3/5 x 5/1 = 15/5

15/5 = 3

3 tanks of gas are used over 5 work days.

11. Owen is 2 1/4 times as old as Robin. When Robin celebrates his 8th birthday, how old will Owen be?

1/4 x 8/1

9/4 x 8/1 = 72/4 = 18

Owen will be 18 years old.

12. The karate club is arranging a grading for its members. It takes 3 1/4 hours to test a group of 4 candidates. How long will the club need the gym in the order to process 3 groups of 4 candidates each?

1/4 x 3/1

13/4 x 3/1 = 39/9 = 9 3/4

The karate club will need 9 3/4 hours to process 3 groups of 4 candidates.

Posted by Jordan at 8:45 PM 0 comments

Make up post for Harbeck's amnesia

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Well, as far as Harbeck's post, he apparently fell and slipped on ice. I personally think he was being lazy. (Just kidding Mr. H!) Anyways, our assignment was to explain the artifacts he had posted. So, here are my explanations.

This artifact is known as a right triangle, or R.A.T (Right Angle Triangle). Do you see that little square in the corner? That's a 90° angle. This angle is made up of things called legs. At the other two corners of the triangle are two other angles, theta and beta. These two angles together make another 90°, therefore they are called complimentary angles. The longest side of the triangle is known as the hypotenuse.

This next artifact, as you can plainly see, is a square. The lines on each of the 4 sides show that each of those sides are equal to the others. This square has 4 90° angles, so the total of all the angles is 360° (90° x 4 = 360°). If you cut this square in half diagonally, we get two right triangles, the same as the first artifact.

This is a sculpture of Pythagoras, a man who was born in Greece. He was considered the father of Math, Geometry, and Philosophy. Something he was very interested in was harmonics, and he associated this with a lot of the work he did. His work includes inventing the Pythagorean Theorem, giving proof that the changes from Day to Night are caused by the Revolution of the Sun, and figuring out the circumference of the Earth. He was fluent in Egyptian, trained in the finest academies in Persia, as well as a Vegan (someone who doesn't eat anything living). His death occured around age 90 of unknown causes.

The last picture here is of the Pythegorean Theorem. This theorem stated that if you added a square on both legs of a triangle and the hypotemuse, the area of both the squares would equal the area of the square on the hypotemuse.

Truthfully, I'm not 100% sure why Harbeck cares about this in Grade 8 Math. I doubt I'm going to be using it in say, 10 years, but you never know. Everything is taught for a reason, might as well make the most of it.

To add on to what I've said above, here are two videos that Jessica and I created to show the Pythagorean Theorem. Enjoy!

Posted by Jordan at 9:30 PM 1 comments

Pay it Forward

Sunday, January 4, 2009

The last day before Winter Break, we watched a movie called: "Pay it Forward". It was all about helping others, and how one person can make a big difference in someone's life. As a project, we were asked to do a good deed for someone and ask nothing in return.

For my act of kindness, I volunteered to help the staff at Harstone Children's Centre. I stayed at the daycare from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, helping out with things such as breakfast and snacks, putting away Christmas decorations, and spending time doing activities with the kids, which included body art, play-doh sculptures, drawing, playing house, and much more. When one of the daycare workers asked me how they could pay me back, I merely told her: "Pay it Forward". At first she didn't quite understand what I meant, so I explained about the project and how this was a way to start a chain reaction of kindness. She seemed to like the idea. In the end, it was very rewarding watching the kids have such a good time, and I had a great time with them.

I think that even just one person can make a difference. Whether they do something life-changing, or just something to make someone smile. It's those kind of things that are going to help shape our world into a better place.

Posted by Jordan at 7:16 PM 1 comments

The Great Big Book Of Algebra

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Chapter 1: Integer Poetry

Adding: Haiku

Adding integers
using various numbers
to get the answer

Subtracting: Diamante

Subtracting

less, minus

losing, decreasing, minimizing

deduct, diminish - increase, boost

gaining, joining, inflating

sum, amount

Adding

Partitive Division: Cinquain

Partitive
divide, serve
parting, grouping, giving
sorting it all out
Division

Quotative Division: Haiku

Distant integers
How many can go into
The total number

Ron's Rule: Free Verse

Ron's Rule is effortless
So just remember this
A negative number of signs
is a negative answer, nothing is amissAlthough this is true, there is an opposite
A positive number of signs
is a positive answer, something that causes bliss

Chapter 2 : Combining like terms and the Distributive Property

Script:

Cadence: Hi Blaise

Blaise: Hi Cadence

Cadence: What are you up to?

Blaise: Oh nothing, just some math homework. It's pretty difficult...Harbeck is brutal!

Cadence: Really? Let's take a look. The first question is n+3-5n+12

Blaise: I got..-6n+15 for that one

Blaise: Is it right?

Cadence: Yes!

Blaise: Really?

Cadence: Of course not! Let me explain.

Cadence: In a algebraic expression, you have to group the variables and numbers. The easiest way to do that is to put them in order, variab

les first. After doing this the expression should be -5n + n + 3 + 12. Got me so far?

Blaise: I think so. But what happens af

ter that?

Cadence: Once that is done and over with, you can add the variables. -5n + n is -4n , right?

Blaise: Sure, why not?

Cadence: Now lets add the numbers, an

d finish simplifying the question.

Blaise: This is simplifying?!

Cadence: Yes, what else would it be?

Blaise: I thought it was solving the problem.

Cadence: Nope. Since there is no equals sign in this question, we are merely simplifying it.

Blaise: Gotcha.

Cadence: ... Right. Carrying on. Adding the two leftover numbers, 3 and 12, we get 15. To finish answering this question, we add

both the answer from the variables and the numbers. This comes out to -4n + 15.

Blaise: Oh, I see. I now know where I went wrong.. I added the variables differently than you did. -5n + n isn't -6n, it's -4n.

Cadence: Okay, onto the next question, which is 2+4(3n+8)

Blaise: Ha, well the answer to that was obvious.

Cadence: Well then, what was it?

Blaise: 12n+10

Cadence: No, Blaise. Your wrong. Again.

Blaise: Fine then. Explain how to figure out this question.

Cadence: Okay. The first thing that you notice that is different in this question is the brackets, and the number right beside t

hem. Since this number is touching the bracket, it becomes a multiplier. This means that you multiply both the numbers inside the brackets by it. But before starting on this, lets write down the 2 +. Now lets multiply. Since the question is 2+4(3n+8) we multiply 4 by 3n, which is 12n, and 4 by 8, which is 32.

Blaise: So the result so far is 2 + 12n + 32?

Cadence: Correct. As said in the last question explanation, we have to group numbers and variables. Since there is only 1 variable in this question it will not need to be grouped, so we can just group 32 and 2. Adding these together we get 34.

Blaise: The answer is 12n + 34!

Cadence: Good job Blaise, but since you still think your a ninja, I'm a bit creeped out.

Blaise: *random dancing*

Chapter 3 : One Step Equation Solving

Posted by Jordan at 5:35 PM 4 comments

Scribe Post November 4th?

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Today in class we learned about Square brackets. Basically, square brackets are just a way of showing that you have to figure out the answer inside the brackets before doing anything else. For example:

[(8+1) + (5+6)] + 7 = ?

Step 1. Add the numbers inside the regular brackets, and bring down the addition sign.

[8+1) + (5+6) + 7

[9 + 11] + 7

Step 2. Add the two remaining numbers (Only one integer will survive, as Harbeck likes to say) then figure out the rest of the problem.

[(8+1) + (5+6)] + 7

[ 9 + 11] + 7

20 + 7 = 27

The answer is 27.

Below are some more examples..enjoy. (As if!)

12 - [(-2-4) - (10 + 7)]

12 - [ -11 - 28 ]

12 - - 39 = 51

* Note: It may help if you make the two minus signs into one positive. (- - = +)

[(4+7) + (2+2)] + 6

[ 11 + 4 ] + 6

15 + 6 = 21

Well, there is my Scribe Post. Now comes the fun part, picking the next scribe. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I'm the last person before we start a new rotation, so everyone is now free to be picked xD Therefore, the next scribe is... Nicole SR (Sorry, I think. :P)

Posted by Jordan at 5:38 PM 3 comments

Jordan's Integer Story

Sunday, October 26, 2008

When Heather woke up, it seemed like a ordinary day. But then she noticed something terribly wrong..she was stuck in a obstacle course. Made entirely out of candy. Panicking, she ran. After about 10 minutes she came across a giant chocolate door.

"Great" Heather said. "As if it can't get any worse, I'm stuck here by a giant chocolate door".

To her surprise, the door started talking.

"If you want to get past, you have to answer my question"

Sighing, Heather nodded her head, and the tree held out a branch to show a integer question.

(+7) + (-5) = ?

Remembering what her Math teacher had said about using integer chips to answer Math questions, it only took Heather a couple minutes to figure out the answer.

"It's (+2)! The answer is (+2)!"

The door said nothing, just slowly opened. Heather smirked, then walked on. The next obstacle she came to was a rapidly moving gumdrop that was over a chocolate river. How many moving candy objects are there? Heather thought. Looking closer, she noticed some writing.

If you want me to stop moving, then you have to answer my integer question with a number line

(+8) + (+4) = ?

Although in school Heather had some problems using number lines, it didn't take her too long to answer the gumdrop's question. The moving gumdrop came to an abrupt halt, and Heather crossed without a problem.

After about another hour of walking, and wondering what she was going to do, Heather came to the next obstacle. A fudge mountain. Fully understanding what was going to happen, the mountain started talking:

"If you answer my question, I will throw down a rope, and you can walk over me"

(+3) + (-7) = ?

For some reason, when Heather was trying to think of how to solve this question, she thought of the money she had to owe her friend. Then she got it. Have and owe!

Heather answered this question easily using the have and owe method, and true to his word, the mountain threw down a rope. Using this rope, Heather climbed over the mountain, and down the other side.

"This obstacle course is never going to end!" said Heather, when she saw the next obstacle. A licorice catapult. On the base of this catapult were the words:

Getting a little tired of this course, aren't you? This may or may not be your last question. Solve it however you like, and I will catapult you.

(+2) + (+7) + (-3) = ?

Hoping this was the last question, Heather answered it, and climbed into the catapult. After a couple seconds wait, the catapult suddenly shot out. Heather went flying through the air...

TO BE CONTINUED.

Continuation:

...and landed with a big thump. She looked around. According to her surroundings, she was stuck in a GIANT GUMBALL MACHINE. That's right, a Gumball Machine. Heather was so angry, she felt like kicking every single one of the stupid gumballs into oblivion. Unfortunately she couldn't do that, or else she wouldn't get out. So she started walking.

After awhile something was visible, a light, in the sky. When Heather got to the final destination she saw what it was..gumball stairs. Each of the two gumballs that made up these stairs was spinning rapidly. Next to these stairs was a sign. One that reminded her of her Gumdrop Challenge. On this sign was:

These are the Gumball Stairs. Once you cross these, you are free to leave and go back home. Each of the steps represents a different integer question. The first step is based on subtraction, the other on addition AND subtraction. Good Luck.

The first question seemed intimidating at first, but Heather soon figured out a way that she could answer it.

(+3) - (-12) = ?

"The answer is (+15)" said Heather. Suddenly, the first spinning gumball stopped. Overjoyed that she had gotten the question right, Heather jumped on the first stair. Looking down she noticed that the gumball was suspended in mid-air, with nothing underneath. She gulped. The next question was written on the next gumball. Leaning carefully, Heather read:

This is the last question. If you answer it, you will go home safe and sound. If you do not..well, we'll see, won't we?

Again she was angry. Of all people, it had to be HER that was stuck in the middle of a Gumball Machine that looked to be possessed. It took awhile, but Heather finally remembered how to figure out this question.

The last gumball stopped spinning. Heather stepped onto it, then into the bright light.

She died.

No, just kidding. Heather realized she was back home, and was filled with joy. She hoped she would never again have to go through a talking food course, and she never had to ever again.

THE END