7th grade math problem

[maelstrom]

The real answer is: nobody at all cares what one ounce of a ten and a half ounce can costs.

You would think they could make up word problems that you could relate to and apply to an everyday situation.

I hate math. I hate word problems. Gah.

 

[agnes!]

Didn't anybody like the way I solved it ?

agnes!

 

[Alesia]

The real answer is: nobody at all cares what one ounce of a ten and a half ounce can costs.

You would think they could make up word problems that you could relate to and apply to an everyday situation.

I hate math. I hate word problems. Gah.

It's actually really useful for comparison shopping. Figuring out the cost per ounce is the only way to compare the price of 2 different sized item. I do it all the time.

 

[KelNottAt]

Didn't anybody like the way I solved it ?

agnes!

I did! That's how I do it, too.

Also, my dad told me once that whenever an answer is off by "9" it means a number is transposed somewhere.

 

[U2_rocks!]

I did! That's how I do it, too.

Also, my dad told me once that whenever an answer is off by "9" it means a number is transposed somewhere.

Yup - in fact, if it's off by any number that's divisble by 9, look for a transposition error.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Oh, and I agree with the 9.3333333 cent answer, unless there's some trick to the question that we haven't figured out? Did they by chance give the weight of the can itself separately, and are looking for how much each ounce of the actual contents costs? That's the only possible "trick" I can see.

Basic algebra/equation rules:

10.5 oz = 98 cents therefore
1 oz = 98/10.5 therefore
1 oz = 9.333333 cents

i.e. whenever you switch something from one side of the equals sign to the other, you change it's nature i.e. if it was a multiplier, it becomes a divider. So the 10.5 multiplier becomes a divider.

 

[sweet angel]

I came up with the 9.3333333333333 too, so I'm curious to find out the outcome.

 

[DizBelle]

The answer could be 8.5 cents per ounce depending on how much the sales tax was.

 

[Kathi OD]

[QUOTE="Got Disney";21151432]the question is asking how much each oz. cost in the can. not the size of the can.
And when you divide to check your answer you multipy.

so if there are 10.5 oz in the can and all the oz together cost .98 cents than you would have 10.5 divided by .98 cents = 10.7

!0.5 = wt of all the ounces x .98 the price of each ounce.

I just checked with my straight A gate math student, 8th grade and he came up with the same answer as me. He said that you are whats called repeating and he said you are dividing the 10.5 into the 98 you are suppose to be dividing the .98 into the 10.5

O well who cares ...who ever invented word problems anyway

We are both tired and can both be wrong tonigt... he is watching TV at the same time I asked him and he figured it out in his head .... he is in Geometry in the 8th grade ...passed Algebra one in 7th ....I am curious though so I will ask his teacher tomorrow and ask also how the answer is 89 or what ever it is.[/QUOTE]

I'm sorry, but being tired has gotten to both of you! If apples are on sale at the store, 5 for $1.00, you divide $1.00 by 5 to get the per unit cost, in this case .20. The OPs problem was similar, however instead of apples being the unit, ounces were the unit. Dividing .98 by 10.5 is the method used to solve the problem.

 

["Got Disney"]

I'm sorry, but being tired has gotten to both of you! If apples are on sale at the store, 5 for $1.00, you divide $1.00 by 5 to get the per unit cost, in this case .20. The OPs problem was similar, however instead of apples being the unit, ounces were the unit. Dividing .98 by 10.5 is the method used to solve the problem.

Yes very tired we were we were studying for 2 finals and we just could not think straight.....and it was late also...almost 11pm and we had more science and History on our mind than math.

 

[Kathi OD]

[QUOTE="Got Disney";21159186]Yes very tired we were we were studying for 2 finals and we just could not think straight.....and it was late also...almost 11pm and we had more science and History on our mind than math. [/QUOTE]

You know, most of the time I HATE that all the kids are grown up and gone, however, you just made remember exactly how much easier life is now that they are. Thanks!

 

[marthachick]

Either that or the teacher had a coupon she forgot to tell about.

Bet she got that off the Budget Board!