Students & Word Problems

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Chat' started by nycmathguy, Jul 8, 2022.

  1. nycmathguy

    nycmathguy

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    I think word problems are poorly worded in textbooks, which explains why students struggle and fear applications.

    You say?
     
    nycmathguy, Jul 8, 2022
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  2. nycmathguy

    MathLover1

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    students who struggle and fear word problems usually feel that word problems have nothing to do with the main thrust of mathematics, which is apparently to chug through computations and arrive at clean numerical solutions
     
    MathLover1, Jul 8, 2022
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  3. nycmathguy

    nycmathguy

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    I would say that most of the time word problems are not clearly stated and, as a result, appear to be fuzzy. Example, probability applications are truly insane.

    Here is a sample of a clear word problem:

    Mira works 40 hours in four days. She makes $16.50 an hour. What is her weekly gross pay?

    Related rates are scary to me. I never studied calculus deep enough to understand related rates. It is hard, in most cases, to set up the proper equation. I hope to study related rates someday but I struggled with Calculus 1, as you already know.
     
    nycmathguy, Jul 9, 2022
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  4. nycmathguy

    MathLover1

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    if Mira works 40 hours in four days, that is her number of weekly work
    if she makes $16.50 an hour, than her weekly gross pay is $16.50*40=$ 660
     
    MathLover1, Jul 9, 2022
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  5. nycmathguy

    nycmathguy

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    I know how to solve this problem. I simply wanted to show you how word problems should be stated.
     
    nycmathguy, Jul 9, 2022
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  6. nycmathguy

    MathLover1

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    sure you know, I just showing that word problem is to simple like this one too:

    Teachers divided students into groups of 3. Each group of 3 wrote a report that had 9 pictures in it. The students used 585 pictures altogether. How many students were there in all?

    or

    7 workers can make 210 pairs of cup in 6 days. How many workers are required to make 450 pairs of cup in 10 days?
     
    MathLover1, Jul 9, 2022
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  7. nycmathguy

    nycmathguy

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    Wording is everything when it comes to applications.
     
    nycmathguy, Jul 9, 2022
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