Problem Solving

Analia Hernandez

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

111.1. Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Mathematics, Elementary, Adopted 2012.

(3)Numberandoperations.Thestudentappliesmathematicalprocessstandardstodevelopanunderstanding
ofadditionandsubtractionsituationsinordertosolveproblems.Thestudentisexpectedto:
(A)modeltheactionofjoiningtorepresentadditionandtheactionofseparatingtorepresentsubtraction;
(B)solvewordproblemsusingobjectsanddrawingstofindsumsupto10anddifferenceswithin10;and
(C)explainthestrategiesusedtosolveproblemsinvolvingaddingandsubtractingwithin10usingspoken
words,concreteandpictorialmodels,andnumbersentences.

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. 31.5m
b. 40.5m
c. 45m
d. 63m

Explanation
Wehavetoillustratethe
timestheballbouncedand
hitthegroundkeepingin
mindthateverytimeit
bouncesandcomesback
againisonlyhalfthe
previousdistance.

Explanation Cont.

Thesecondtimetheball
bounces,itsdistancewill
behalfof18m(the
distanceitbouncesthe
firsttime).Now,this
distanceis9mupplus9m
down

9mup

9mdown

Explanation Cont.
Thisisthelasttimethe
ballwillbounceupand
down.Itsdistancewillbe
of9,theprevious
distanceitbounced.So,
4.5mand4.5mdown.

4.5m
down
4.5mup

Break down
I.

First bounce = 18

II.

Second bounce is half of 18 up and down so 9m up and 9m down

III. Third time is half of the second bounces so 4.5m up and 4.5m down

Equation
18m

9m

9m

4.5m

4.5m

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.31.5m
B.40.5m
C. 45 m
D.63m
TheanswerisC,45mthetotaldistancetraveled