Project AMP

Dr. Antonio Quesada Director, Project AMP

Problem Solving
Activity: Using Trial !rror to Solve Problems

Team members names:""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Goal: #n t$is activity you %ill learn $o% to use trial and error and a table to organi&e your %or' to solve %ord (roblems. )et us start %it$ an e*am(le. Example. +oe $as ,-. more t$an $is /riend Paul. Toget$er t$ey $ave ,0.. 1o% muc$ money does eac$ one $ave2 First Approach to solve the problem. T$e trial error met$od consists o/ guessing %$at t$e ans%er mig$t be using an initial educated guess, and subse3uently re/ining your ne*t guess by ta'ing into consideration t$e results obtained. 4irst, you need to organi&e your %or'. 4or t$is it is recommended t$at you use a table. T$e $eadings /or t$e table consist ty(ically o/ t$e names o/ t$e variables involved. 5$at %ill you c$oose /or t$e $eadings in t$is (roblem2 """"""""""""""""""""" T$e $eadings o/ t$e columns in t$e table t$at /ollo%s is a((ro(riate /or t$is (roblem. +oe6s money Paul6s money Total money

7e*t, you need to ma'e an educated guess. 4or instance, %ould it be reasonable to guess t$at +oe $as ,8.2 """""""" 5$y2 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 5$at is t$e largest amount o/ money t$at +oe can $ave2 """"""" 5$at is t$e smallest amount o/ money t$at +oe can $ave2 """"""" So, an educated guess is one t$at does not contradict t$e in/ormation given in t$e statement o/ t$e (roblem. 9nce you ma'e an educated guess, you t$en (roceed to /ill all t$e entries o/ t$e table 'ee(ing in mind t$e relations$i(s about t$em establis$ed in t$e (roblem. 4or instance, i/ you guess t$at +oe $as ,:., $o% muc$ money %ill Paul $ave2 """""""" ;Did you 'ee( in mind t$e di//erence in t$e amount o/ money t$at +oe and Paul $ave2 #/ not, guess again t$e amount t$at Paul %ill $ave.< 1o% muc$ %ill t$ey $ave toget$er in t$is case2 """""""" Project AMP A Quesada Director Project AMP

Project AMP

Dr. Antonio Quesada Director, Project AMP

At t$is (oint, your table %ill loo' li'e t$e /ollo%ing: +oe6s money Paul6s money Total money ,:. ,-. ,=. Analy&ing your last ans%er, did you /all s$ort or did you guess too muc$ /or t$e amount t$at +oe $as2 """"""""" Ma'e a ne% guess /or t$e amount t$at +oe $as and continue to /ill in t$e second ro% o/ your table. Using t$e ne% total obtained, increase or decrease t$e amount t$at +oe $as /or your entries in t$e ne% ro%. >ontinue t$is (rocess until you obtain t$e correct ans%ers. 5$at relation given in t$e statement o/ t$e (roblem $ave you used to decide i/ your ans%er is correct2 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Let us try a second approach to solve the problem. ?ou could $ave started by %riting ,0. in t$e column %it$ $eading @Total money.A T$en, a/ter initially guessing t$at +oe $as ,:., you could $ave calculated Paul6s money ta'en into consideration t$e @Total moneyA t$at bot$ $ave toget$er. 4ollo%ing t$is reasoning, $o% muc$ money does Paul $ave2 """""". At t$is (oint, your table %ill loo' li'e t$e /ollo%ing: +oe6s money Paul6s money Total money ,:. ,:. ,0. 5$at is %rong %it$ your ans%er in t$is case2 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Did you /all s$ort or did you guess too muc$ /or t$e amount t$at +oe $as2 """""""""""" 5$y2 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Becti/y your initial guess as needed and calculate Paul6s money based on your ne% guess. T$en, observing i/ t$e di//erence bet%een +o$n and Paul6s monies is ,-., increase or decrease t$e amount t$at +oe $as /or your entries in t$e ne% ro%. >ontinue t$is (rocess until you obtain t$e correct ans%ers. 5$en %ill you 'no% t$at you $ave t$e correct ans%ers2 5$at relation given in t$e statement o/ t$e (roblem $ave you used t$is time to decide i/ your ans%er is correct2 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Project AMP A Quesada Director Project AMP

Project AMP

Dr. Antonio Quesada Director, Project AMP

1o% do t$ese a((roac$es di//er2 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Remarks. a< Ma'ing an educated guess $el(s you to identi/y t$e e*isting relations$i(s among t$e di//erent variables. b< ?ou may use any o/ t$e relations given in t$e (roblem to ma'e your calculation and anot$er relation to test eac$ guess. c< ?our goal is to solve t$e (roblemC t$e number o/ guesses t$at you $ave to ma'e is irrelevant. d< T$e more you use t$is met$od t$e more (ro/icient you %ill become and you %ill /ind t$at you %on6t need as many guesses or ro%s in t$e table. Additional practice problems. Dra% t$e a((ro(riate table and solve by trial -. Debbie $as ,8 less t$an Sue. Toget$er t$ey $ave ,D-. 1o% muc$ money does eac$ (erson $ave2 :. !d $as t%ice as muc$ money as 4ran'. Toget$er t$ey $ave ,88.8.. 1o% muc$ money does eac$ (erson $ave2 =. Bebecca $as oneEt$ird as muc$ money as Sara$. Toget$er t$ey $ave ,FF.D.. 1o% muc$ money does eac$ (erson $ave2 0. T$ere are 8D. t$irdE and /ourt$Egrade students in a certain elementary sc$ool. #/ t$ere are G. more t$irdEgraders t$an /ourt$Egraders, $o% many t$irdEgraders are in t$e sc$ool2 8. 5$en t%o (ieces o/ ro(e are (laced end to end, t$eir combined lengt$ is -8. /eet. 5$en t$e t%o (ieces are (laced side by side, one is :D /eet longer t$an t$e ot$er. 5$at are t$e lengt$s o/ t$e t%o (ieces2 Extension: T$ere are t$ree numbers. T$e /irst number is t%ice t$e second number. T$e t$ird number is t%ice t$e /irst number. T$eir sum is --:. 5$at are t$e numbers2 error.

Project AMP

A Quesada Director Project AMP