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Q
uantitative
R
easoning &
P
roblem
S
olving
186
© 2014 Pacific Crest
●
Using confusing or unhelpful variable names
Example
: Find the volume of a box whose sides have lengths 12 inches, 3 feet, and 2.5 feet.
Let
f
= the length of the first side
Let
s
= the length of the second side
Let
t
= the length of the third side
V
=
f
• s
• t
Why?
Representing the sides of a box in terms of
f
,
s
,
t
(first, second, third sides) is certainly
a way to track or identify those three sides. But it is far less helpful when it comes
to calculating volume, where the typical formula for volume of a box is expressed in
terms of
l
,
w
,
h
(length, width, height):
V = l
• w
• h.
Note also that the example made
no attempt to account for the different units used for the box side measurements. A
better approach would be:
Let
l
= 12 inches
Let
w
= 36 inches (3 feet
•
12 inches)
Let
h
= 32 inches (2.5 feet
•
12 inches)
A
re You Ready?
Before continuing, you should be able to ...
I can...
OR
Here’s my question...
convert English statements to clear
mathematical statements.
read and identify variables, constants, and
assumptions.
determine the form of a solution to a word
problem.
present a solution to a word problem.
P
lan
How to complete the activity
1. Inventory the word problems produced by your team and see how the solutions were determined.
2. Analyze the model and compare and contrast it with your own word problems.
3. Answer the Critical Thinking Questions
4. Produce a Top 10 list of tips for solving word problems
5. Compare your list with similar lists available on the internet
6. Complete the remainder of this activity (from Demonstrate Your Understanding through Assessing
Your Performance) on your own, or as directed by your instructor.