General Word Problems & Specific Intermediate Algebra Word Problems:

Intermediate Algebra

General Approach to Solving Word Problems:

1. Read the problem once - like it’s a story.

Then read it again, as if your life depends on it!

2. Write down pertinent information. You may have to draw a picture.

3. Assign a variable to the unknown.

“let x be the unknown”
If there is more than one unknown, try assigning your variable to the smallest
unknown. Then build your other unknown(s) from this variable.
For instance, if you know that one value is 5 pounds more than another,
“let x be the smaller unknown and let x+5 be the larger unknown”

4. Write an equation using your unknown(s) and hints that the problem gives you.

5. Solve your equation.

6. Determine if your answer makes sense.

If your problem asks for the number of dogs at the dog pound, and you get an answer
of − 5 , something is wrong.

Many of the word problems in pre-algebra can be classified as translation problems.

To successfully work “translation” word problems, you must have mastery over “math
words” and what they mean.

Key Words in Translation-Type Word Problems:

The following phrases represent addition:

x plus y x + y
x more than y y + x
x increased by y x + y
the sum of x and y x + y
x added to y y + x
x more than y y + x
the total of x and y x + y
The following phrases represent subtraction:
x minus y x - y
x less than y y - x
x decreased by y x - y
the difference of x and y x - y
x subtracted from y y - x
x less than y y - x
x take away y x - y

The following phrases represent multiplication:

x times y x• y
the product of x and y x• y
x of y x• y
twice x 2• x
x multiplied by y y•x

The following phrases represent division:

x divided by y x
y
the quotient of x and y x
y

Other:
the reciprocal of a number 1
x
the opposite of a number −x
Distance-Rate-Time Word Problems:

This type of problem often strikes fear in the hearts of many students. In these problems,
we usually have either two separate vehicles traveling in water, air, or on the road.
Another situation will have one vehicle doing two different things: upstream versus
downstream or driving on flatland versus driving in the mountains.

Most students can read these problems and know that they need to use d = rt . The big
question is “how do we use it?” If a problem seems to fit the “two-vehicle” or “two-
situation” scenario, it can often be approached by using a table. The table helps to
organize and focus the student on what information we know and what we don’t.

There are a variety of approaches to solving this type of problem, but I find that the table
seems to work most of the time.

My table usually takes on the following appearance in the case of two vehicles (for
example, car versus bus):
Distance = Rate • Time
Vehicle #1
Vehicle #2
In the case of one vehicle doing two different things or in two different situations (for
example, upstream versus downstream):
Distance = Rate • Time
Situation #1
Situation #2

Upstream-Downstream Problem with Linear Equations

(Equations in the system can eventually be arranged into the form ax+by=c.)
It takes 2 hours for a boat to travel 28 miles downstream. It takes 3 hours for the
same boat to travel 18 miles upstream. What is the speed of the boat in still water?
What is the speed of the river’s current?

Since there are two unknowns and I have no obvious relationship between the boat and
river speed, I’m going to use two different variables.

Let x be the speed of the boat.

Let y be the speed of the river’s current.

When the boat goes upstream, it is slowed down by the current. So, the boat’s speed
upstream is given by x − y .
When the boat goes downstream, it speeds up. So, the boat’s speed downstream is given
by x + y .
*When a vehicle is affected by a current, the vehicle speed always goes first. This is why
x is before y in each of the above. If the speed of the current were written first, that
would imply that the boat is slowing down or speeding up the current.
There is only one boat, so we are dealing with two different situations: upstream and
downstream.
Distance = Rate • Time
upstream 18 x − y 3
downstream 28 x+ y 2

From the chart, I can now develop the system of equations:

18 = ( x − y )3 3 x − 3 y = 18
 or something a little nicer . . . 
28 = ( x + y )2 2 x + 2 y = 28

Solving by the “addition (elimination) method”, we get:

(2)(3 x) − (2)(3 y ) = (2)(18)


(3)(2 x) + (3)(2 y ) = (3)(28)

6 x − 6 y = 36
 +
6 x + 6 y = 84
12 x = 120
x = 10
To find y, we substitute x’s value into any equation containing x and y.
By using 3 x − 3 y = 18 with x = 10 , we get
3(10) − 3 y = 18
30 − 3 y = 18
− 30 − 30
---------------------
− 3 y = −12
y=4

The speed of the boat is 10 miles per hour and the speed of the river current is 4 miles per
hour.
Upstream-Downstream Problem with Rational Functions
(Equations in the system cannot be arranged into the ax+by=c form.)
A boat travels 20 miles per hour in still water. If the boat can travel 3 miles
downstream in the same amount of time as it takes it to travel 2 miles upstream,
find the speed of the current.

Let x be the speed of the current.

Let 20 − x be the boat speed going upstream, since the current will slow down the boat.
Let 20 + x be the boat speed going downstream, since the current will speed up the boat.
Let t u be the time it takes the boat to travel upstream.
Let t d be the time it takes the boat to travel downstream.

Distance = Rate • Time

upstream 2 20 − x tu
downstream 3 20 + x td

From the chart we can develop the following system of equations:

2 = (20 − x)t u

3 = (20 + x)t d

Using the hint that the time upstream is the same as the time downstream, we arrive at:
time upstream = time downstream
tu = t d
Because I am trying to solve for x, the speed of the current, I would like for my equation
to be in terms of x. So, I want to replace those t variables with expressions in terms of x.

By rewriting the system from above, I arrive at the following:

 2
 20 − x = t u

 3 =t
 20 + x d

tu = t d
2 3
=
20 − x 20 + x
At this point, we can either multiply both sides of the equation by the LCD of the entire
equation, which is (20 − x)(20 + x) ; or we can take a cross-product, since this equation is
a proportion.
 2 3
(20 − x)(20 + x) = (20 − x)(20 + x)
20 − x 20 + x
2(20 + x) = 3(20 − x)
40 + 2 x = 60 − 3 x
5 x = 20
x=4

The speed of the current is 4 miles per hour.

Shared-Work Problem
An inlet pipe to a swimming pool can fill the pool in 6 hours. A second inlet pipe
can fill the pool in 8 hours. How much time would it take to fill the pool if both
pipes were filling the pool together?

1 1 1
I’ve seen a lot of students use the formula + = to solve this problem, where a is the
a b c
time it takes the first, b is the time it takes the second, and c is the time it takes together.
While it’s true that we end up here, students need to understand why this is so.

Before solving the problem, let’s discover how we get to the above formula.
1
The time it takes the first pipe to fill alone is 6 hours. So, in 1 hour, of the job will be
6
complete.
1
The time it takes the second pipe to fill alone is 8 hours. So, in 1 hour, of the job will
8
be complete.
Using this logic, we don’t know how long it will take the pipes to fill the pool together.
Let’s use the variable t to represent this unknown. From above, it would make sense that
1
of the job would be complete in 1 hour.
t

Here’s where the formula comes from. The fraction of the job completed by the first pipe
in one hour plus the fraction of the job completed by the second pipe in one hour is equal
to the fraction of the job that would be completed by the two of them together in one
hour.
1 1 1
+ = where t is the time it takes both pipes working together to fill the pool.
6 8 t

The LCD of the entire equation is 24t .

1 1 1
(24t ) + (24t ) = (24t )
6 8 t
4t + 3t = 24
7t = 24
24 3
t= or t = 3
7 7

3
The time it would take the two pipes to fill the pool working together would be 3
7
hours.