You know the drill!

Warm-Up: Mathematical Modeling

Ms. Shin wants to give extra credit to her Algebra 2 class students. She is
willing to dish out 30 extra credit points to each period. Imagine you are Ms.
Shin, the teacher, and in charge of deciding how the extra credit points
should be assigned.

A) What are some variables you should consider?

a) What should be the requirements for receiving extra credit?)
B) Describe mathematically different methods to distribute the extra
credit points
a) How does your answer from part A determine how the extra credit disbursements
should be calculated?
C) What actual information do you need to compute the extra credit
disbursements based on your answers from part A and B?
Warm-Up: Mathematical Modeling
Ms. Shin wants to give extra credit to her Algebra 2 class students. She is
willing to dish out 30 extra credit points to each period. Imagine you are Ms.
Shin, the teacher, and in charge of deciding how the extra credit points
should be assigned.

A) What are some variables you should consider?

a) How much I like the student
b) Hm… any other ideas?
Warm-Up: Mathematical Modeling
Ms. Shin wants to give extra credit to her Algebra 2 class students. She is willing to dish out 30
extra credit points to each period. Imagine you are Ms. Shin, the teacher, and in charge of
deciding how the extra credit points should be assigned.

B) Describe mathematically different methods to

distribute the extra credit points

a) I decide that I only like 3 students in your

period
b) I made a pie chart to visualize my love
c) To assign extra credit, I would:
i) (30 points possible) x (% of love)
d) BLUE student: 30 x .6 = 18 EC points
e) GREEN student: 30 x .3 = 9 EC points
f) YELLOW student: 30 x .1 = 3 EC points
g) What about you guys?
Warm-Up: Mathematical Modeling
Ms. Shin wants to give extra credit to her Algebra 2 class students. She is willing to dish out 30
extra credit points to each period. Imagine you are Ms. Shin, the teacher, and in charge of
deciding how the extra credit points should be assigned.

C) What actual information do you need to compute

the extra credit disbursements based on your
answers from part A and B?
a) Based on my answers from part A and B, I
need to know
i) How many extra credit points I have to
assign
ii) What percentage of my love the
potential student receives in the period
iii) E = (p)( )
(1) E = EC points received
(2) P = total EC points available
(3) = % love for student
Problem Solving Using
Algebraic Models
Algebra 2 Textbook 1.5
Keep Calm and…

1. Understand the Problem

a. Is there anything you need to review or look up?
b. Try to say/write the question in your own words
2. Devise a plan
a. Write equation(s) and or inequality(ies)
b. Either use one that already exists, or create from information given!
3. Carry out the plan
a. Evaluate!
b. Is your answer reasonable?
4. Double check
a. Will substituting your answer back maintain the equality?
Key Words

Can you think of more?

Example 1 (pg. 33) Step 1: Understand the problem

- If it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes to

The Bullet Train runs between the
cover a distance of 550 kilometers, how
Japanese cities of Osaka and Fukuoka, a
many kilometers per one hour is the train
distance of 550 kilometers. When it makes
traveling?
no stops, it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes
to make the trip. What is the average Step 2: Devise a plan
speed of the Bullet Train?
- The first thing to check is whether the
problem can be represented by a known
formula/equation.

- distance, time, rate… d = rt!

- The answer should have the units km/hr

Example 1 (pg. 33) Step 3: Carry out the plan

The Bullet Train runs between the d=r✕t

Japanese cities of Osaka and Fukuoka, a
distance of 550 kilometers. When it makes 550 km = r ✕ (2 hours and 15 minutes)
no stops, it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes
km ÷ hours and minutes = ?????
to make the trip. What is the average
speed of the Bullet Train? UH-OH, WHAT IS GOING ON

*Make sure you are only using the

units you want in your answer!
Example 1 (pg. 33) Step 3: Carry out the plan

The Bullet Train runs between the

Japanese cities of Osaka and Fukuoka, a
distance of 550 kilometers. When it makes
no stops, it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes
to make the trip. What is the average
speed of the Bullet Train?
Example 1 (pg. 33) Step 3: Carry out the plan
d=r✕t
The Bullet Train runs between the
Japanese cities of Osaka and Fukuoka, a
÷ 2.25 hours ÷ 2.25 hours
distance of 550 kilometers. When it makes
no stops, it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes
to make the trip. What is the average
speed of the Bullet Train?
Example 1 (pg. 33) Step 4: Double Check

The Bullet Train runs between the

Japanese cities of Osaka and Fukuoka, a
distance of 550 kilometers. When it makes
no stops, it takes 2 hours and 15 minutes
to make the trip. What is the average
speed of the Bullet Train?
Example 2 (pg. 34)
A water-saving faucet has a flow rate of at
most 9.6 cubic inches per second. To test
whether your faucet meets this standard,
you time how long it takes the faucet to fill
a 470 cubic inch pot, obtaining a time of
35 seconds. Find your faucet’s flow rate.
Does it meet the standard for water
conservation?
Step 1: Understand the problem
A) What is the faucet’s flow rate?
B) Is it less than or equal to 9.6 cubic
inches per second?
Step 2: Devise a plan
This doesn’t remind me of a known
formula… that means we can write it
based on the information given.
Look at the units!
Example 2 (pg. 34)
A water-saving faucet has a flow rate of at most Step 2: Devise a plan
9.6 cubic inches per second. To test whether
your faucet meets this standard, you time how in3/sec in3 sec
long it takes the faucet to fill a 470 cubic inch
Can you write an equality using the units?
pot, obtaining a time of 35 seconds. Find your
faucet’s flow rate. Does it meet the standard for 3
in3
in /sec = -----------
water conservation? sec

Known units for You can re-create the unit

flow rate using what’s given
Example 2 (pg. 34) Step 3: Carry out the plan
470 in3
Flow rate = -----------
A water-saving faucet has a flow rate of at most 35 sec
9.6 cubic inches per second. To test whether
Flow rate ≈ 13.4 in3/sec
your faucet meets this standard, you time how
long it takes the faucet to fill a 470 cubic inch Is it less than or equal to 9.6 in3/sec?
pot, obtaining a time of 35 seconds. Find your
faucet’s flow rate. Does it meet the standard for No
water conservation?
Step 4: Double check
Example 3 (pg. 34, cont.)
You own a lawn care business. You want to
know how much money you spend on gasoline
to travel to out-of-town clients. In a typical week
you drive 600 miles and use 40 gallons of
gasoline. Gasoline costs $1.25 per gallon, and
your truck’s fuel efficiency is 21 miles per gallon
on the highway and 13 miles per gallon in town.
Step 1: Understand the problem
In a week, you would be spending
40 gallons x $1.25/gallon = $50 dollars on
gasoline TOTAL.
You want to find out how much of the $50 is
spent traveling on the highway to visit
out-of-town clients.
Out of the 600 miles driven, how many miles are
spent driving on the highway?
Find: ghighway
 m = miles
Example 3 (pg. 34, cont.) f = fuel efficiency
g = gallon

You own a lawn care business. You want to Step 2: Devise a plan
know how much money you spend on gasoline
to travel to out-of-town clients. In a typical week Total miles driven = mhighway+ mtown
you drive 600 miles and use 40 gallons of
600 miles = (fhighway)(ghighway) +(ftown)(gtown)
gasoline. Gasoline costs $1.25 per gallon, and
your truck’s fuel efficiency is 21 miles per gallon
600 miles = (21 mi/g)(ghighway)+ (13 mi/g)(gtown)
on the highway and 13 miles per gallon in town.
UH-OH… you have TWO unknowns!

Hm… can we rewrite a variable in terms of

another? (We just did this in 1.4!)
Try to rewrite the equation only
using what you want to find!
40 gal = ghighway + gin-town

40 gal - ghighway = gin-town

 f = fuel efficiency
Example 3 (pg. 34, cont.) g = gallon

You own a lawn care business. You want to Step 2: Devise a plan
know how much money you spend on gasoline
to travel to out-of-town clients. In a typical week 600 miles = (21 mi/gal)(ghighway)+ (13 mi/gal)(gtown)
you drive 600 miles and use 40 gallons of
600 miles = (21 mi/gal)(ghighway)+ (13 mi/gal)(40 - ghighway)
gasoline. Gasoline costs $1.25 per gallon, and
your truck’s fuel efficiency is 21 miles per gallon
Let’s clean this up by replacing our unknown with “x”
on the highway and 13 miles per gallon in town.
and removing the units

600 = (21)(x) + (13)(40 - x)

Example 3 (pg. 34, cont.)
Step 3: Carry out the plan
You own a lawn care business. You want to
know how much money you spend on gasoline
600 = 21x + 520 - 13x
to travel to out-of-town clients. In a typical week
you drive 600 miles and use 40 gallons of 600 = 8x + 520
gasoline. Gasoline costs $1.25 per gallon, and
your truck’s fuel efficiency is 21 miles per gallon 80 = 8x
on the highway and 13 miles per gallon in town.
10 = x ⇒ ghighway = 10 gallons
Example 3 (pg. 34, cont.)
You own a lawn care business. You want to Step 4: Double Check
know how much money you spend on gasoline
Always use the original equation to double check your
to travel to out-of-town clients. In a typical week
work!
you drive 600 miles and use 40 gallons of
gasoline. Gasoline costs $1.25 per gallon, and 600 miles = (21 mi/g)(ghighway)+ (13 mi/g)(gin-town)
your truck’s fuel efficiency is 21 miles per gallon
on the highway and 13 miles per gallon in town. Since we found ghighway = 10, that means gtown = 30

Substitute:

600 ≟ 21 (10) + 13 (30)

600 ≟ 210 + 390

600 = 600