How many specimens of each kind are in the collection?
- Thread starter berendsa
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mmm4444bot
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Re: Word Problems= HELP
Hi Berendsa:
I need help figuring out WHY you're stuck.
You did not post any work, so I have to GUESS why you're stuck.
Do you realize that you need to write an equation using symbols in order to solve this problem with algebra?
Have you decided what symbols you want to use to represent the number of fish, the number of plants, the number of crabs?
You need to pick symbols for these numbers. (You are free to pick your own variable names if the teacher does not tell you which letters to use.) Have you done that part yet?
Also, I will GUESS that you're not sure about the phrase "three times as many fish as crabs" because students often get this backwards.
IF C is the symbol that stands for the number of crabs in the aquarium and F is the symbol that stands for the number of fish in the aquarium, THEN the given information that "there are three times as many fish as crabs" means:
F = 3C
Many students will see only part of the phrase: "three times ... fish", and they think 3F.
This is NOT what the given information is telling us.
"Three times as many fish as crabs" means that we need to triple the number of crabs to get the number of fish.
3C = F
Anyway, please give us a clue as to what kind of help that you need to answer this exercise.
Show us your WORK, so far, and ask SPECIFIC questions, please. At the very least, tell us what symbols you've decided upon for fish, crabs and plants.
Cheers,
~ Mark
berendsa said:
Hi Berendsa:
I need help figuring out WHY you're stuck.
You did not post any work, so I have to GUESS why you're stuck.
Do you realize that you need to write an equation using symbols in order to solve this problem with algebra?
Have you decided what symbols you want to use to represent the number of fish, the number of plants, the number of crabs?
You need to pick symbols for these numbers. (You are free to pick your own variable names if the teacher does not tell you which letters to use.) Have you done that part yet?
Also, I will GUESS that you're not sure about the phrase "three times as many fish as crabs" because students often get this backwards.
IF C is the symbol that stands for the number of crabs in the aquarium and F is the symbol that stands for the number of fish in the aquarium, THEN the given information that "there are three times as many fish as crabs" means:
F = 3C
Many students will see only part of the phrase: "three times ... fish", and they think 3F.
This is NOT what the given information is telling us.
"Three times as many fish as crabs" means that we need to triple the number of crabs to get the number of fish.
3C = F
Anyway, please give us a clue as to what kind of help that you need to answer this exercise.
Show us your WORK, so far, and ask SPECIFIC questions, please. At the very least, tell us what symbols you've decided upon for fish, crabs and plants.
Cheers,
~ Mark
mmm4444bot
Super Moderator
- Joined
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Re: Word Problems= HELP
Good grief! I didn't notice.
Denis is correct, Berendsa. We need to be given the relationship between the number of crabs and the number of plants. (Or, we need to be given information that allows us to determine this relationship.)
We need to eventually create an equation that contains only ONE symbol (like C) in order to find a particular solution. We already know that we can use 3C for F, but what can we use for P?
Are you sure that you posted ALL of the given information?
~ Mark :|
Good grief! I didn't notice.
Denis is correct, Berendsa. We need to be given the relationship between the number of crabs and the number of plants. (Or, we need to be given information that allows us to determine this relationship.)
We need to eventually create an equation that contains only ONE symbol (like C) in order to find a particular solution. We already know that we can use 3C for F, but what can we use for P?
Are you sure that you posted ALL of the given information?
~ Mark :|