BALL DROP PROBLEM

Kurt Brown
 TEK: 111.6. GRADE 4
(B) KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS.
(2) Number and operations. The student applies mathematical process
standards to represent, compare, and order whole numbers and decimals
and understand relationships related to place value. The student is expected
to:
(G) relate decimals to fractions that name tenths and hundredths; and
(8) Geometry and measurement. The student applies mathematical process
standards to select appropriate customary and metric units, strategies, and
tools to solve problems involving measurement. The student is expected to:
(C) solve problems that deal with measurements of length, intervals of time,
liquid volumes, mass, and money using addition, subtraction, multiplication,
or division as appropriate.
 OUR PROBLEM
A rubber ball rebounds to half the height it drops. If the ball is dropped from
a rooftop 18 m above the ground, what is the total distance traveled by the
time it hits the ground the third time?
a. 31.5 m
b. 40.5 m
c. 45 m
d. 63 m
 First we have to change the fraction that represents the in height decrease each
time the ball bounces into a decimal!

Every time the ball bounces it only goes half as high. Half in fraction form is:
in decimal form is: .5
Each time the ball drops it only rises .5 as high as it did before.
According to the problem we need to know the distance when it hits the
third time.
That means we need to cut the distance by half one more time.
Half of .5 is .25!
 Now we need to figure our problem.

Our 1st drop can be represented by: x

Our 2nd drop is only half as high and will be: .5(x)

But remember the ball has to go up and come down so multiply that by 2!

Our final drop is half as high as the second and will be: .25(x)

Again the ball has to go up to come down so it is multiplied by 2 as well!

Our problem is now: x + 2(.5(x)) +2(.25(x))

 FIRST DROP
The first drop is the easiest to figure out!

Our problem already tells us the answer.

The first drop is 18m according to the problem.

This means x=18

Our updated problem is: 18 + 2(.5(x)) + 2(.25(x))

 SECOND DROP
For our second drop we have to look at the
problem we created.

The second drop is: .5(x)

Now we replace x with 18 and get .5(18).

18 times .5 will be: 9

9 x 2= 18

Our updated problem is: 18 + 18 + 2(.25(x))

 THIRD DROP
According to our problem the
third drop we need to find .25(x)

We replace x with 18 and get

.25(18)

18 time .25 will be: 4.5

4.5 x 2= 9

Our updated problem is: 18 + 18 + 9

 FINISH THE PROBLEM!
Our final problem is: 18 + 18 + 9

All we need to do is add it all up to get our final answer!

18 + 18 is: 36

36 + 9 is: 45

Our final answer is: C. 45m