Problems in Real-World Contexts

1.

Kates mean time =

2 minutes 21 seconds +1 minute50 seconds+2 minutes 31 seconds

3

6 minutes 42 seconds
3

= 2 minutes 14 seconds
Lixins mean time =

1 minute 58 seconds+2 minutes11 seconds+ 2minutes 20 seconds

3

6 minutes29 seconds
3

= 2 minutes 10 seconds (to the nearest second)

Noras mean time =

1 minute 59 seconds+2 minutes1 second + 2minutes

3

6 minutes
3

= 2 minutes
Based on the mean timings, Nora is the fastest swimmer. Moreover, her
timings are consistent because they differ from her mean timing of 2 : 00 by at
most one second. Hence, Nora should be selected to participate in the swimming
competition.
The median is not used as the three students had only 3 attempts and the
number of data is too low to consider the median as a basis for selection.
Similarly, the mean is not used as the number of data is too low and no
times were repeated.
For weaker students, more scaffolding questions can be given, for
example:
(i) For the 1st attempt, who is the fastest swimmer? Explain how you got
your answer.
(Fastest swimmer shortest time)
(ii) What criteria would you use to select the participant for the swimming
competition?
(a)
Fastest overall, i.e. Kate has the shortest time overall (1 : 50)
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(b) Fastest based on mean timing, i.e. Nora has the shortest mean
time (2 : 00)
Teachers may wish to ask students who should be selected to participate
in the swimming
competition if the fastest timing of each student is
considered and the potential drawback
for the choice.
The following conclusions may be made:
(a) Noras timing is the most consistent among the three students.
(b) Noras timing may not improve much.
(c) Kates timing may improve with training as her best time is much
better than Noras.

2.

(i)

At the side of the pyramid with the entrance,

number of rhombus-shaped glass panels = 603 3 153
= 603 459
= 144
number of triangular glass panels = 70 3 18
= 16

(ii)

1
3

Volume of the pyramid =

1
3

base area height

35 35 20.6

= 8411 3
(iii)

m3

Using Pythagoras Theorem,

Slant height, l =

35 2
+20.62
2

= 27.03 cm (to 4 s.f.)

Total area of glass panels on each side of the pyramid
without the entrance
=

1
2

35 27.03

= 473 m2 (to 3 s.f.)

Teachers may expand the question and ask students to consider how the
rhombus-shaped glass panels and triangular panels are arranged at each side
of the pyramid without the
entrance.
Students should note
(i) there is 1 rhombus at row 1
(ii) there are 2 rhombuses at row 2 and so on
(iii) there are n rhombuses at row n, so row n
represents the bottommost row where the base is.
By varying the number of rhombuses/rows, using
number patterns, teachers can ask students to find the
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number of rhombuses/rows/triangular panels required

(e.g. when number of rhombuses
rows

17

153 , number of

and number of triangular panels

18 )

3.

(a)

In 2010,
percentage of reported cases where victims were cheated
=

175
346

100%

= 50.6% (to 3 s.f.)

In 2011,
percentage of reported cases where victims were cheated
=

183
298

100%

= 61.4% (to 3 s.f.)

In 2012,
percentage of reported cases where victims were cheated
=

181
327

100%

= 55.4% (to 3 s.f.)

(b)

In 2010,
mean amount of money cheated =

3 800 000
175

= $22 000 (to the nearest thousand)

In 2011,
mean amount of money cheated =

6 400 000
183

= $35 000 (to the nearest thousand)

In 2012,
mean amount of money cheated =

7 400 000
181

= $41 000 (to the nearest thousand)

Teachers may wish to note that for each of the given years, the
mean amount of
money cheated per case is an estimate because
the total amount of money cheated
per case is correct to 2 significant
figures. Thus unless we want each of the answers
to be corrected to 1
significant figure (which we prefer not to because we would like
to obtain
$35 000 for the mean amount of money cheated per case for the year 2011,
we have to write it as an estimate to the nearest thousand, knowing it
may not be
accurate to the nearest thousand. Notice also that the
question requires students to
leave their answers to the nearest
thousand, not correct to the nearest thousand.
(c)
Yes, the lucky draw scams should be a concern for the police. The
total amount of
money cheated has been increasing and the mean
amount of money cheated has
been increasing for the past 3 years.
Beside the total amount of money cheated and the mean amount of
money cheated,
teachers may prompt students to look at the other
data given and computed
(i) Number of reported cases
(ii) Number of cases where victims were successfully cheated
(iii) Percentage of cases where victims were successfully cheated
and decide if these should also be a cause for concern for the
police.
4.

The average walking speed of a human is approximately 5 km/h.

In 5 minutes, Vishal will walk

5
60

5=

5
12

km

= 0.417 km (to 3 s.f.)

= 417 m
Distance of route which Vishal takes to walk from Clementi MRT Station to
his block

650 m

Since 417 m < 650 m, Vishals claim is not true.

Teachers may instruct students to obtain an estimate of the distance of
the route Vishal
walks and the average walking speed of a human by
searching relevant sources, e.g. maps,
the Internet etc.
Teachers may want to ask the students to do the following.
(i) Get students to find out their average walking speed. This can be done
at the school
running track.
(ii) Using their walking speed, each student can compute the time taken
to cover the
distance in the given route.
(iii) If none of the students timing is close to 5 minutes, then we can
refute Vishals claim.
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Teachers can change the scenario to one situated near their school. Then,
the students can verify the claim by walking along the route and recording
their timings. They can then
compute the timings of the class statistically
and make relevant conclusions.
5.
(i)
Ethans method is obviously wrong. Since the cross section of the
lower half of the
glass is smaller than the cross section of its upper half,
the volume of the wine will
be less than half the volume of the glass.
(ii)
Teachers may conduct a poll to find out students guesses. It is
likely that most
students will think that either Jun Weis or
Michaels method is correct.

(iii)

Let the height and the radius of the glass be H and R respectively.
Let the height and the radius of the cocktail be h and r respectively.
Volume of glass =

1
2
3 R H

Volume of cocktail =

1
2
3 r h

Using similar triangles,

r h
=
R H

r 2 h2
= 2
2
R H

----- (1)

Volume of cocktail 1
=
Volume of glass
2
1 2
r h
3
1
=
1
2
R2 H
3
2

r h 1
=
2
R H 2

----- (2)

Substitute (1) into (2):

h2 h 1
=
2
H H 2
h3 1
=
H3 2
h 3 1
=
H
2

( )

h 31
=
H
2

1
2
3

1
h= 3 H
2

= 0.794H (to 3 s.f.)

Rui Fengs method of filling the glass to four-fifths of its depth is
the closest to
getting half a glass of cocktail.
As mentioned in (ii), it is likely that most students will think that
either Jun Weis or
Michaels method is correct. After students have
found the answer for (iii), teachers
may wish to guide them to see that
they have underestimated the volume of the
upper part of the
glass, i.e.

1
5

of the volume of its upper part

4
5

of the volume of its

lower part.
6.
(a)
If the speed just before the brakes are applied doubles, the braking
distance does
not always double.
From the tables, when the speed of the car just before the brakes
are applied
increased from 20 km/h to 40 km/h, the braking
distance increases from
2 m to 8 m.
When the speed of the car just before the brakes are applied
increased from

50 km/h to 100 km/h, the braking distance increases from 12 m to

45 m.
(b)

(i)

From the linear trendline,

Braking distance of car 16 m
Using the equation of the linear trendline,
Braking distance of car = 0.3694 45
= 16.6 m (to 3 s.f.)
From the quadratic trendline,
Braking distance of car 10 m
Using the equation of the quadratic trendline,
Braking distance of car = 0.0042 452 + 0.0385 45
= 8.505 + 1.7325
= 10.2 m (to 3 s.f.)

(ii)

From the linear trendline,

Braking distance of car 2 m
Using the equation of the linear trendline,
Braking distance of car = 0.3694 5
= 1.85 m (to 3 s.f.)
From the quadratic trendline,
Braking distance of car 0.5 m
Using the equation of the quadratic trendline,
Braking distance of car = 0.0042 52 + 0.0385 5
= 0.105 + 0.1925
= 0.298 m (to 3 s.f.)

(c)
The quadratic trendline provides a better model of the braking
distance of the car as
the quadratic curve is a better fit to the points
than the linear trendline.
Moreover, from (b), we observe that it is unlikely that the braking
distance and the
speed of the car just before the brakes are applied are
in direct proportion because
if the speed of the car just before the
brakes are applied doubles, the braking
distance does not
always double.
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(d)

Speed (km/h)
0
Braking distance 0
(m)
Distance
0
Speed (km/h)
60
70
80
travelled (m)
Braking distance
(m)
Distance
travelled (m)

10
1

20
2

30
5

40
8

50
12

5.5
90
6

11.
10
1
0
45

16.
7

22.
2

27.
8

17

24

31

38

33.
3

38.
9

44.
4

50

55.
6

Regardless of
the speed the car it is
travelling, the braking distance of the car is
always less than the
distance travelled in 2 seconds. Hence, the car will always be
able to
come to a stop in time if the driver follows the two-second rule.
Teachers may also wish to note that the braking time is not used to
determine whether the car is able to come to a stop in
time, as the speed of the car is
not constant after the brakes are applied.
As the braking distance of the car is much less than its distance
travelled in 2 seconds,
it is tempting to think that the two-second rule
can be shortened. However, it is not
possible for the driver to apply the
brakes immediately when he sees that the vehicle
in front has started to
slow down or stop, i.e. we need to take into account his
reaction
time before he applies the brakes.
Teachers should note that the reaction time of the driver is not
considered in this
question. The reaction time is determined by the
alertness of the driver, and will
affect and determine if he can keep
a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
7.
(a)
follows:

Some examples of assumptions that need to be made are as

o
o

The width of the river may not be the same for this stretch of the
river (the bridge is longer than the line BC in the figure in (b)).
The far bank at this part of the river should preferably have an
object to act as a point of reference since it is too troublesome,
or sometimes not feasible, to travel across the river by boat or
by another bridge at other parts of the river, to the far bank to
erect a pole as a point of reference. Otherwise, a person has no
choice but to travel across the river to the far bank to erect a
pole as a point of reference.

(b)
The figure shows a drawing of the river. B represents a tree near the
edge of the
river on the far bank (see the photo in the problem).
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(not to scale)
The points C, A and E represent vertical poles on the railing on the
near bank near
the edge of the river. CAE is parallel to the river. If
there is no railing on the near
bank, poles can be erected at C, A and E.
C is directly opposite B.
We walk inland from E perpendicular to the railing CAE until we see
that the pole at
A coincides with the tree at B. This will be the position
of the point D where a
vertical pole will be erected, i.e. DAB is a
straight line.
B

Singapore
River

2m

10 m
11.2 m

D
Measure the lengths of CA, AE and DE,

Suppose CA = 10 m, AE = 2 m and DE = 11.2 m.

Since ABC is similar to ADE,
then

i.e.

BC AC
=
DE AE
BC 10
=
11.2 2

BC =

10
2

11.2

= 56 m
Width of this stretch of Singapore River 56 m

11

(c)
The mathematical solution may not be the same as the solution for
the real-world
problem because there is a need to take into account
the first assumption made in
and the railing

CAE

(a), and the distance of the tree at

from the edge of the river.

The latter is not stated

as one of the assumption in (a) because we have to take this

account, i.e. we cannot say that these distances are negligible.

into

(d)
Some examples of alternative methods of solution which may not
be feasible are as
follows:
o

Using congruent triangles instead of the similar triangles as

shown in (b) because there may not be enough space on the
near bank such that DE = BC.
Using similar triangles as shown in the following figure because a
person has to travel across the river to the far bank to measure
AB (the need for two points of reference on the far bank, instead
of one point of reference as stated in one of the assumptions in
(a), is less an issue since if a person has to travel across to the
far bank, he can easily erect two poles to use as points of
reference.)

(not to scale)
Singapore
River

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