Investigation: On the Road Again

Mackinac Bridge

220 mi

Saginaw

35 mi

Flint
A family wants to meet for a camping trip. Mom and Dad are at the campsite when they realize they forgot to pack the tent. Their son
and daughter have left their apartments and cannot be reached by phone. A summary of each family member and their vehicle
progress is below.
• Mom and Dad • Son • Daughter
• Green Minivan • Red Sports Car • Blue Pickup
• Heading South to Flint • Heading North to • Heading North to
from Mackinac Bridge Mackinac Bridge Mackinac Bridge from
• 72 mph • 48 mph Flint
• 220 miles from Flint • 35 miles from Flint • 66 mph

1. What is the rate of the vehicle

in miles per minute?

2. Write a recursive routine to

find each vehicle’s distance
from Flint at each minute.

3. What are the real-world

meanings for the starting value
and the rule in each routine?

4. How far from Flint is each

vehicle after 5 minutes?
 5. Find the distance traveled and the distance from Flint for each vehicle. Complete each
table.

6. Now, change your calculator routine to find the distance from Flint in 10 minute intervals for
up to 4 hours. Define variables and plot the information from the table onto a graph. Plot
10 more data points using your calculator routines. Mark and label each axis. Use a
different color for each vehicle’s coordinates.

7. On the graph, do the points seem to fall on a line? Does it make sense to connect each
individual vehicle’s points in a line? If so, draw the line, if not, explain why not.

8. Each ordered pair represents a time in minutes and a location in miles. Does it make
sense to ask a question like, “How far from Flint is the family after four and a half minutes?”
If so, what is the answer?

Use your graph and table to find the answers for the following questions.

9. Where does the starting value for each routine appear on the graph? How does the
recursive rule for each routine affect the points plotted?

10. Which line represents the minivan? How can you tell besides the color code?

11. Where are the vehicles when the minivan meets the first one headed north?

12. How can you tell by looking at the graph whether the pickup or the sports car is traveling
faster? When and where does the pickup pass the sports car?
13. Which vehicle arrives at its destination first? How many minutes pass before the second
and third vehicles arrive at their destinations? How can you tell by looking at the graph?

14. What assumptions are you making about the vehicles when you answer the questions in
the previous steps?

15. At what time does the daughter reach the Mackinac Bridge?

16. Will Mom and Dad get home before their son and daughter can call from the camp site?

17. When and where will they pass each other on the highway? Provide a complete response.

18. How would the calculator routine change if the daughter drove at a rate of 72 mi/h? Write
your new routine and identify the real-world meaning of the numbers in the routine. Would
you expect this pattern to also produce a linear graph?

19. Can you write an equation to model each vehicle’s distance from Flint at any time?

a. Minivan

b. Sports Car

c. Pickup