MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

Exercise 3.2
Polya’s Problem Solving Framework
Name:_Basilio,_Jasper_Val_P._______ Score:__________
Course and Year:_BSABE_I-B_______ Date:_10-22-21__

A. Use Polya’s problem-solving strategy to solve the following problems.

2. If 8 workers can finish a job in 6 hours, how many workers will it take to finish the same job in
4 hours?

Step 1: Understand the Problem

This is a work problem where two scenarios are compared and the unknown is the number of
workers needed for the second scenario. We set up a table based on the given.

Let x be the number of workers required for the same job to be finished.

Workers Hours
8 6
x 4
Step 2: Making a Plan
Find the relationship between the two columns by checking the fact that if number of hours
decrease from 6 to 4, certainly they would require more workers x to get the job done. So, the
relationship between both columns is inverse.

Step 3: Carrying out the Plan

Form the equation keeping the relationship in mind. If 6 is divided by 4 then being inverse
relationship, x must be divided by 8 so that the equation becomes:

6/4 = x/8

Now, cross multiply,

4x = 6*8
x = 48/4
x = 12

Therefore, 12 workers are needed to finish the job in 4 hours.

Step 4: Looking Back

To check the answer, substituting the answer 12 for x in the first equation shall make the
equation true.

6/4 = (12)/8
3/2 = 3/2

Both sides of the equation are equal. Thus, the answer 12 workers is correct.
4. A 657 km, 6-hour flight was travelled at 2 speeds. For the first part of the trip, the average
speed was 100 km/h. Then tailwind picked up and the speed increased to an average of 112
km/h. How long did the plane fly at each speed?

Step 1: Understand the Problem

The problem is a distance-rate-time type, where in this case the unknown is time. We set up a
distance-rate-time (drt) table based on the given. Let x and y be the time duration of the first and
the second speed, respectively.
Rate Time (hours) Distance
First part of the trip 100 km/h x 657 km
Second part of the trip 112 km/h y

Step 2: Making a Plan

Formulate the equations.
Since the total time for the whole flight is 6 hours,

x+y=6
x=6–y This will be equation 1.

There is no mention of how far the plane travelled before the change of its speed, thus the
distance equation shall be:

100x + 112y = 657 Equation 2

Step 3: Carrying out the Plan

Put equation 1 into equation 2.

100(6 – y) + 112y = 657

600 – 100y + 112y = 657
-100y + 112y = 657 – 600
12y = 57
12 12
y = 19/4 = 4.75

To find x, substitute y to equation 1.

x=6–y
x = 6 – (4.75)
x = 1.25

Therefore, in the first part of the flight, the plane travelled for 1.25 hours at 100 km/h. Then,
travelled for 4.75 hours at 112 km/h in the second part of the flight.

Step 4: Looking Back

To check the answer, we’ll use the formula for speed s which is distance d over time t, and
compute for the distance travelled at each part of the flight.

For the first part of the flight,

s = d/t Manipulating the formula,
d = st
d = (100 km/hr)(1.25 hr) = 125 km
For the second part of the flight,
d = st
d = (112 km/hr)(4.75 hr) = 532 km

Both the travelled distances shall total to 657 km:

125 km + 532 km = 657 km

Thus, the answer is correct.

6. Alice, Ben and Carl collect stamps. They exchange stamps among themselves according to
the following scheme: Alice gives Ben as many stamps as Ben has and Carl as many as Carl
has. After that, Ben gives Alice and Carl as many stamps as each of them has, and then Carl
gives Alice and Ben as many stamps as each has. If each finally has 64 stamps, with how many
stamps does Alice start?

Step 1: Understand the Problem

The problem requires us to identify how many stamps does Alice have at the beginning, where
all had 64 stamps each at the final exchange, with the clues as during each exchanges the
receiver gets double their number of stamps.

Step 2: Making a Plan

Let An, Bn, and Cn the numbers of stamps Alice, Ben, and Carl has, respectively. Let n represent
the order of exchanges from 0, 1, 2, and 3, where 0 represents the initial number of stamps
each person has.

Working backwards would be a great strategy to use in this type of problem. With working
backwards, all operations are reversed, division becomes multiplication and subtraction
becomes addition.

Step 3: Carrying out the Plan

Formulate the equations:
After the first exchange,
A1 = A0 – B0 – C0
B1 = 2B0
C1 = 2C0

After the second exchange,

A2 = 2A1
B2 = B1 – A1 – C1
C2 = 2C1

After the third exchange,

A3 = 2A2
B3 = 2B2
C3 = C2 – A2 – B2

Given: A3 = B3 = C3 = 64
Now, substitute the values from the given, starting from the third exchange.

A3 = 2A2 = B3 = 2B2 = 64
2A2 = 2B2 = 64
2 2 2
A2 = B2 = 32

C3 = C2 – A2 – B2
64 = C2 – 32 – 32
64 = C2 – 64
C2 = 64 + 64
C2 = 128

In the second exchange,

A2 = 2A1
32 = 2A1
2 2
A1 = 16

C2 = 2C1
128 = 2C1
2 2
C1 = 64

B2 = B1 – A1 – C1
32 = B1 – 16 – 64
32 = B1 – 80
B1 = 32 + 80
B1 = 112

In the first exchange,

B1 = 2B0
112 = 2B0
2 2
B0 = 56

C1 = 2C0
64 = 2C0
2 2
C0 = 32

A1 = A0 – B0 – C0
16 = A0 – 56 – 32
16 = A0 – 88
A0 = 16 + 88
A0 = 104

Therefore, Alice’s initial number of stamps A0 is 104.

Step 4: Looking Back
If we try to work forwards from the first exchange,
A1 = A0 – B0 – C0 = 104 – 56 – 32 = 16
B1 = 2B0 = 2(56) = 112
C1 = 2C0 = 2(32) = 64

After the second exchange,

A2 = 2A1 = 2(16) = 32
B2 = B1 – A1 – C1 = 112 – 16 – 64 = 32
C2 = 2C1 = 2(64) = 128

After the third exchange,

A3 = 2A2 = 2(32) = 64
B3 = 2B2 = 2(32) = 64
C3 = C2 – A2 – B2 = 128 – 32 – 32 = 64

Each got 64 stamps in the final exchange! Also, if we try to solve the number of stamps, the
total initial stamps should be equal to the total number of stamps in the final exchange.

A3 + B3 + C3 = 192
64 + 64 + 64 = 192
192 = 192

A0 + B0 + C0 = 192
104 + 56 + 32 = 192
192 = 192 TRUE

The total of initial stamps and the total of final stamps are both equal to 192. Therefore, the
answer is correct.