LEARNING MODULE SURIGAO STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

1. Title: Problem Solving and Reasoning

2. Topic: Problem Solving Strategies

3. Time Frame: 4 hrs.

4. Introduction

Whether you like it or not, whether you are going to be a mother, father, teacher,
computer programmer, scientist, researcher, business owner, coach, mathematician,
manager, doctor, lawyer, banker (the list can go on and on), problem solving is
everywhere. Some people think that you either can do it or you can't. Contrary to that
belief, it can be a learned trade. Even the best athletes and musicians had some
coaching along the way and lots of practice. That's what it also takes to be good at
problem solving.

George Polya, known as the father of modern problem solving, did extensive
studies and wrote numerous mathematical papers and three books about problem
solving. I'm going to show you his method of problem solving to help step you through
these problems.

5. Objective

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

1. solve word problems involving numbers, percents, rectangles, supplementary
angles, complementary angles, consecutive integers, and breaking even.

6. Learning Activities

In 1945 George Polya published the book How To Solve It which quickly became
his most prized publication. It sold over one million copies and has been translated
into 17 languages. In this book he identifies four basic principles of problem
solving, namely:

1. UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

Sometimes the problem lies in understanding the problem. If you are
unclear as to what needs to be solved, then you are probably going to
get the wrong results. In order to show an understanding of the problem,
you, of course, need to read the problem carefully. Sounds simple
enough, but some people jump the gun and try to start solving the
problem before they have read the whole problem. Once the problem is
read, you need to list all the components and data that are involved. This
is where you will be assigning your variable.

2. DEVISING A PLAN (translate)

When you devise a plan (translate), you come up with a way to solve
the problem. Setting up an equation, drawing a diagram, and making a
chart are all ways that you can go about solving your problem. In this
tutorial, we will be setting up equations for each problem.

3. CARRYING OUT THE PLAN (solve)

The next step, carry out the plan (solve), is big. This is where you solve
the equation you came up with in your 'devise a plan' step. The
equations in this tutorial will all be linear equations.

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4. LOOKING BACK
You may be familiar with the expression 'don't look back'. In problem
solving it is good to look back (check and interpret).. Basically, check
to see if you used all your information and that the answer makes
sense. If your answer does check out, make sure that you write your
final answer with the correct labeling.

Solving Numeric Word Problems

Example 1: Twice the difference of a number and 1 is 4 more than that

number. Find the number.

Solution:
Step 1: Understand the problem.
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
Since we are looking for a number, we will let
x = a number

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If you take twice the difference of 6 and 1, that is the same as 4 more than
6, so this does check.

FINAL ANSWER: The number is 6.

Example 2: One number is 3 less than another number. If the sum of the two
numbers is 177, find each number.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times. We are
looking for two numbers, and since we can write the one number in terms
of another number, we will let
x = another number

One number is 3 less than another number:

x - 3 = one number

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

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Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If we add 90 and 87 (a number 3 less than 90) we do get 177.

FINAL ANSWER: One number is 90. Another number is 87.

Solving Percent Problems

Whenever you are working with a percent problem, you need to make sure you
write your percent in decimal form. You do this by moving the decimal place of the
percent two to the left. For example, 32% in decimal form is .32.

When you are wanting to find the percentage of some number, remember that ‘of’
represents multiplication - so you would multiply the percent (in decimal form)
times the number you are taking the percent of.

Example 3: Find 45% of 125.

Solution:
Step 1: Understand the problem.
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for a number that is 45% of 125, we will let
x = the value we are looking for

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

56.25 is 45% of 125.

FINAL ANSWER: The number is 56.25.

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Example 4: A math class has 30 students. Approximately 70% passed their last
math test. How many students passed the last math test?

Solution:
Step 1: Understand the problem.
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for how many students passed the last math test, we will let

x = number of students

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

21 is 70% of 30.

FINAL ANSWER: 21 students passed the last math test.

Example 5: I purchased a new cellphone case at a local electronics store for

Php 541.25, which included tax. If the tax rate is 8.25%, find the price of the
cellphone case before they added the tax.

Solution:
Step 1: Understand the problem.
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for the price of the cellphone case before they added the
tax, we will let
x = price of the cellphone case before tax was added.

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If you add on 8.25% tax to 500, you would get 541.25.

FINAL ANSWER: The original price of the cellphone case is PhP 500.

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Solving Geometry Problems

Example 6: In a blueprint of a rectangular room, the length is 1 inch more than 3

times the width. Find the dimensions if the perimeter is to be 26 inches.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for the length and width of the rectangle. Since length can
be written in terms of width, we will let
w = width

length is 1 inch more than 3 times the width:

1 + 3w = length

The following formula will be used in solving:

Perimeter of a Rectangle = 2(length) + 2(width)

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If width is 3, then length, which is 1 inch more than 3 times the width
would have to be 10. The perimeter of a rectangle with width of 3 inches
and length of 10 inches does come out to be 26.

FINAL ANSWER: Width is 3 inches. Length is 10 inches.

Example 7: Find the measure of each angle in the figure below. Note that since
the angles make up a straight line, they are supplementary to each other.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are already given in the figure that
x = one angle
5x = other angle

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Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If x is 30, then 5x = 5(30) = 150. 150 and 30 do add up to be 180, so they
are supplementary angles.

FINAL ANSWER: The two angles are 30 degrees and 150 degrees.

Solving Consecutive Integers Problems

Consecutive integers are integers that follow one another in order.

For example, 5, 6, and 7 are three consecutive integers.

If we let x represent the first integer, how would we represent the second
consecutive integer in terms of x? Well if we look at 5, 6, and 7 - note that 6 is
one more than 5, the first integer.

In general, we could represent the second consecutive integer by x + 1. And

what about the third consecutive integer.

Well, note how 7 is 2 more than 5. In general, we could represent the third
consecutive integer as x + 2.

Consecutive EVEN integers are even integers that follow one another in
order. For example, 4, 6, and 8 are three consecutive even integers. If we
let x represent the first EVEN integer, how would we represent the second
consecutive even integer in terms of x? Note that 6 is two more than 4, the first
even integer.

In general, we could represent the second consecutive EVEN integer by x +

2. And what about the third consecutive even integer? Well, note how 8 is 4
more than 4.

In general, we could represent the third consecutive EVEN integer as x + 4.

Consecutive ODD integers are odd integers that follow one another in order.
For example, 5, 7, and 9 are three consecutive odd integers. If we let x represent
the first ODD integer, how would we represent the second consecutive odd integer
in terms of x? Note that 7 is two more than 5, the first odd integer.

In general, we could represent the second consecutive ODD integer by x + 2.

And what about the third consecutive odd integer? Well, note how 9 is 4 more
than 5.

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In general, we could represent the third consecutive ODD integer as x + 4.

Note that a common misconception is that because we want an odd number that
we should not be adding a 2 which is an even number. Keep in mind that x is
representing an ODD number and that the next odd number is 2 away, just like 7
is 2 away form 5, so we need to add 2 to the first odd number to get to the second
consecutive odd number.

Example 8: The sum of 3 consecutive integers is 258. Find the integers.

Solution:
Step 1: Understand the problem.
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for 3 consecutive integers, we will let
x = 1st consecutive integer
x + 1 = 2nd consecutive integer
x + 2 = 3rd consecutive integer

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

The sum of 85, 86 and 87 does check to be 258.

FINAL ANSWER: The three consecutive integers are 85, 86, and 87.

Example 9: The ages of 3 sisters are 3 consecutive even integers. If the sum of
twice the 1st even integer, 3 times the 2nd even integer, and the 3rd even integer
is 34, find each age.

Solution:
Step 1: Understand the problem.
Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for 3 EVEN consecutive integers, we will let
x = 1st consecutive even integer
x + 2 = 2nd consecutive even integer
x + 4 = 3rd consecutive even integer

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

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Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

If we take the sum of two times 4, three times 6, and 8, we do get 34

FINAL ANSWER: The ages of the three sisters are 4, 6, and 8.

Solving Business Problems: Breaking Even

In a business related problem, the cost equation, C is the cost of manufacturing a

product. In the revenue equation, R is the amount of money the manufacturer
makes on a product.

If a manufacturer wants to know how many items must be sold to break

even, that can be found by setting the cost equal to the revenue.

Example 10: The cost C to produce x number of cd’s is C = 50 + 5x. The cd’s
are sold wholesale for Php15 each, so revenue R is given by R = 15x. Find how
many cd’s the manufacturer needs to produce and sell to break even.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

Make sure that you read the question carefully several times.
We are looking for the number of cd’s needed to be sold to break even,
we will let
x = the number of cd’s

Step 2: Devise a plan (translate).

Step 3: Carry out the plan (solve).

Step 4: Look back (check and interpret).

When x is 5 the cost and the revenue both equal 75.

FINAL ANSWER: 5 cd’s.

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7. Practice Exercises
Answer the following comprehensively. Write your answer in a separate sheet of
paper.
1. The sum of a number and 2 is 6 less than twice that number.

2. A local furniture store is having a terrific sale. They are marking down every
price 45%. If the couch you have our eye on is Php 440 after the markdown,
what was the original price? How much would you save if you bought it at
this sale?

3. A rectangular garden has a width that is 8 feet less than twice the
length. Find the dimensions if the perimeter is 20 feet.

4. Complimentary angles sum up to be 90 degrees. Find the measure of each

angle in the figure below. Note that since the angles make up a right angle,
they are complementary to each other.

5. The sum of 3 consecutive odd integers is 57. Find the integers.

6. The cost C to produce x numbers of VCR’s is C = 1000 + 100x. The VCR’s

are sold wholesale for $150 each, so the revenue is given by R = 150x. Find
how many VCR’s the manufacturer needs to produce and sell to break
even.

8. Learning Assessment Tasks

Answer the scheduled Quiz in the Google Classroom.

9. References:

Mathematics in the Modern World (2018). Rex Book Store, Inc.

https://www.wtamu.edu/academic/anns/mps/math/mathlab/int_algebra/int_alg_tut
8_probsol.htm

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