Solving+Word+Problems

__**Tips for Solving Word Problems**__
by: Mary and Mr. Rochester


 * Step 1: When solving a word problem, the first step is finding out all your facts, and what your variables will be representing.**
 * Step 2: Figure out what the problem is asking you to do. (hint: look at the clue words in your problem like "together", "the sum of")**
 * Step 3: is formulating an equation to solve your problem.**


 * Example:** Jenny has 7 marbles and Kenny has 5. How many do they have together?

The keyword //**together**// in the problem tells us that addition is probably the operation needed. The quantities here are //Jenny's marbles//, //Kenny's marbles//, and //total marbles//. The relationship between the three is From this general relationship between the quantities it is easy to make a number sentence for the problem, which solves it:
 * Jenny's marbles || + || Kenny's marbles || = || Total marbles ||


 * __Relationship:__ || Jenny's marbles || + || Kenny's marbles || = || Total marbles ||
 * __Number sentence:__ || 7 || + || 5 || = || 12 ||

I wrote in the place of total marbles since that is what we don't know; that is what the problem is asking for.


 * Example**: Jenny, Kenny, and Penny together have 50 marbles, Kenny has twice as many marbles as Penny. Penny has 12 marbles. How many does Jenny have?

The relationship between the quantities is the same, so it is solved the same way. Just the actual numbers are different. In algebra you many times use the symbol //x// for the unknown instead of an empty line. So we get the equation //x// + 24 + 12 = 50. Solving this equation gives the following: x + 24 + 12 = 50 x + 36 = 50 x + 36 + (-36) = 50 + (-36) x = 14
 * Relationship: || Jenny's marbles || + || Kenny's marbles || + || Penny's marbles || = || Total marbles ||
 * Equation: || //__// || + || 2(12) || + || 12 || = || 50 ||

So Jenny has 14 marbles.

edited by: Mr. Rochester