Confusing Math Problem


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Here's the question I am stuck on at the moment, they seemed simple, but I don't think I got it right:

  Quote
A Hive of Bees:

In a certain bee hive, one fifth of the bees flew to a rosebush one third to some honeysuckle; three times the difference of these numbers alighted on goldenrod, and one flew about a daisy. How many bees were in the hive?

1/5 * 1/3 *3 + 1 <--- This is what I thought...

  Quote
If a watermelon weighs 9/10 of its weight and 9/10 of a kilogram, how many kilograms does it weigh?

This one just confuses the crap out of me.

Please explain these two problems to me, thanks!

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A Hive of Bees:

In a certain bee hive, one fifth of the bees flew to a rosebush one third to some honeysuckle; three times the difference of these numbers alighted on goldenrod, and one flew about a daisy. How many bees were in the hive?

Total Bees is x

one fifth of the bees flew to a rosebush

1/5 x

one third to some honeysuckle

1/3 x

three times the difference of these numbers alighted on goldenrod

3 * ( 1/3 x - 1/5 x)

one flew about a daisy

1

So what's the total?

If a watermelon weighs 9/10 of its weight and 9/10 of a kilogram, how many kilograms does it weigh?

weight again is x

9/10 of its weight

9/10 x

9/10 of a kilogram

9/10 kg

Now again what's the total?

For the first one...

= (3/15) + (5/15) + [ 1x - (3/5)x ] + 1

= (8/15)x + (6/15)x + 1

= (14/15)x + 1

15 = 14 + 1

x = 15

Like that ^^ ?

Second question...

(9/10)x * (9/10) = 81/100 of a KG ?

  Telemachus said:
For the first one...

= (3/15) + (5/15) + [ 1x - (3/5)x ] + 1

= (8/15)x + (6/15)x + 1

= (14/15)x + 1

15 = 14 + 1

x = 15

its good up until the last couple of steps

x =(14/15)x + 1

x-1 =(14/15)x

-1 = (14/15)x - (15/15)x

-1 = (-1/15)x

-1/(-1/15) = x

15 = x

  Whole Wheat Pig said:
Make sure you actually understand how you did it.. otherwise us helping you is actually hurting your learning ability.

haha, yeah, that's why I am showing how I did it too, so I know if I did it wrong or not :p

One More Question:

  Quote
1) In 1998, the BC government paid $454 million for the three locally built fast ferries, the PacifiCats. All three were sold in 2003 (five years later) at an auction for $20 million.

(a) Sketch a graph to show this information, clearly labelling the axes.

(b) According to the graph, what was the value of the ferries in 2001?

© What is the interpretation of the slope and the vertical intercept?

(d) Find a linear equation describing the depreciation of the ferries as a function of time.

(e) According to the equation, what was the value of the ferries in 2001? [Compare with your answer to part (b).]

A) I think I know how to make a graph.

B) ~ 145m

C) y = mx+b ( y = -(454/20)x + 454 ) ???

D) ^^

E)

C) When a question asks you to interpret the meaning of the slope and the vertical intercept, they are asking for a layman's interpretation. For example, the slope in this question is typically interpreted as the depreciation of the monetary value of the ferries over one year (in dollars per year).

D) One way to find the equation of this line would be to set the year 1998 as "0" on the x-axis. This would make the y-intercept of the line 454 million.

So we have y = mx + 454 million, but we need to find the slope as well. So we can sub in the second point given to us, (5, 20 million) and solve for m.

Another way of doing this is to use the slope equation on two points: (1998, 454 million) and (2003, 20 million). This lets you start the x-axis at year 0, if this is required by the question.

Both of these techniques will offer the same slope, but different y-intercepts.

With reference to you're first post, 2nd question....a water melon weighs 9/10th of its weight...WHAT?! It weighs its entire weight! (thats what weight is defined). Its like saying I weigh 50kg, but I am 9/10 of my weight?

As for the last question (graph/statistics):

A) I am assuming its a linear depreciation in price, then the graph would be something like the image attached.

EDIT: oh wait.....I think I was supposed to take year 1998 as the origin? Not a problem, just take that line and join it with the y-axis.

B) Lets find the equation of the line:

y=mx+c

When x=1998, y=454

When x=2003, y=20

m= (454-20)/(1998-2003) = (-434/7)

Now, 454=1998*(-434/7) + c

Find c from here. For value of ferries in 2001, just put x=2001, and find y (your answer will be in million)

C) Interpretation of slope is the depreciation in price (of ferries) with time, ie, rate of change of price of the ferries

Vertical intercept would be the maximum value possible for the ferries. If you take year 1998 as starting point, the vertical intercept turns out to be $454 mill

D) Already did the equation in part B (instead of x, you could write t for time)

E) Done before

post-69025-1192557169_thumb.jpg

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