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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

1676.0. "Help with Daughter's homework" by TALK::MILAZZO () Wed Oct 14 1992 23:41

    Help with my daughter's homework..
    
    Problem 1
    
     When do 11 and 3 more equal 2?
    
    
    Problem 2
    
     Substitute digits fo A and M so the equation is true?
    
        MA
        +A
        --
        AM
    
    Help with ways to help me bring her through the problem 
    solving process for these problems would also be appreciated.
    
    Mark
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1676.1Here's my stab at itELIS::BUREMAPRUNE JUICE: The warrior's drinkThu Oct 15 1992 06:1231
    From the problems, I think your daughter must be 8-9 years old. Here is
    my suggestion as to how I would suggest things to someone of that age
    and faced with these problems:

    Problem 1:

    First have her compute the 11 and three more i.e. 14
    Then get her to devide that into two portions of the same size i.e. 7
    Then let her think about things where 14 of something are 2 of another,
    but really mean the same. If she cannot think of anything, point to the
    way we count time in days, weeks, months etc. One answer to this
    problem could be that 11 (days) and 3 more (days) equal 2 (weeks).

    Problem 2:

    First let her see that the two first digits of the first number, and of
    the answer differ. This means that A+A must add up to something larger
    than 10, otherwise the first digit of the answer would stay the same.
    Get her to add the two same single digits together (i.e 1+1, 2+2, etc)
    and observe that only when A is equal or larger than 5 this happens.
    Then have her see that if you add two single digit > 5, that the first
    digit of the answer is always 1, and then look at the equation again.
    Have her see that this means that M = A + 1. From the two obeservations
    combined have her set up the 5 remaining additions (e.g. 45+5, 56+6,
    67+7, 78 + 8, and 89+9) and calculate the result. The answer should
    than be obvious.

    Hope this helps. Having no children of my own, I will take these
    problems to my nephew of 8 and see if this works.

    Wildrik
1676.2PB 2CLARID::DEVALThu Oct 15 1992 07:2813
	A+A=2A=M+10
	A = M+1

	2A=2M+2=M+10

	M=8
	A=9


		89
		+9
		--
		98
1676.3thanksTALK::MILAZZOThu Oct 15 1992 11:237
    Thanks alot....
    
    The first one we got, but thought it was to easy and there
    most have been a different answer..
    
    Mark (&Caitlin)
    
1676.4AUSSIE::GARSONFri Oct 16 1992 02:0215
    re .0
    
    Knowing your daughter's age would seem to be crucial to choosing an
    appropriate means of guiding her to the answer.
    
    FWIW, I would do the second problem as follows.
    
        (10M+A) + A = 10A+M
    =>  9M = 8A
    =>  M=A=0   or   M=8 and A=9
    
    This solution requires an understanding of the base 10 positional
    notation, some very simple algebraic manipulation and either spotting
    the solution from 9M = 8A (not too hard) or knowing a little about prime
    numbers.