Mathematics in the Modern World

Module 2 – Lesson 6
Applications of Equations
Edgar M. Adina
Richard T. Earnhart
Basic Concepts
An EQUATION is a mathematical sentence that expresses equality of
quantities (given as mathematical expressions). It involves constants
and variables.

An equation is first degree (or linear) if there are no products of

variables and the exponent of each variable is 1. It is second degree (or
quadratic) if the highest exponent of any variable (or sum of the
exponents, in case there are products) is 2.

A solution to an equation is a value that, when substituted in the

equation, renders it true.

To “solve” an equation means finding all solutions of the equation.

Properties of Equations
 Let .
1. Addition Property (APE): If , then .
2. Multiplication Property (MPE): If and , then .

A special case of APE is when the additive inverse of , that is , is added on both
sides of the equation:

This can be called the subtraction property (SPE) if we use the definition of
subtraction as:
Similarly, we can extend MPE into the division property (DPE) by using the
definition of division as: .
Example
 Solvethe equation:
Solution:

Check:
Example
 Solvethe equation:
Solution:

Check:
Applications
 Forensic scientists have determined that the
equation

can be used to approximate the height H, in

centimeters, of an adult on the basis of the length L,
in centimeters, of the adult’s humerus (the bone
extending from the shoulder to the elbow).
a. Use this equation to approximate the height of an
adult whose humerus measures 36 cm.
b. According to this equation, what is the length of
the humerus of an adult whose height is 168 cm?
Applications
 Forensic scientists have determined that
the equation

can be used to approximate the height H,

in centimeters, of an adult on the basis of
the length L, in centimeters, of the adult’s
humerus (the bone extending from the
shoulder to the elbow).
a. Use this equation to approximate the
height of an adult whose humerus
measures 36 cm.
b. According to this equation, what is
the length of the humerus of an adult
whose height is 168 cm?
Applications
 Theamount of garbage generated by
each person has been increasing and is
approximated by the equation

where P is the number of pounds of

garbage generated per person per day
and Y is the year.
a. Find the amount of garbage
generated per person per day in 2020.
b. According to the equation, in what
year will 10 lbs of garbage be
generated per person per day?
Applications
 The amount of garbage generated by
each person has been increasing and
is approximated by the equation

where P is the number of pounds of

garbage generated per person per
day and Y is the year.
a. Find the amount of garbage
generated per person per day in
2020.
b. b. According to the equation, in
what year will 10 lbs of garbage
be generated per person per day?
Application
The cost of electricity in a certain province is Php8.32 for each of the first 100
kWh (kilowatt-hours) and Php13.52 for each kilowatt-hour over 100 kWh.
a. Find the electric bill of a household that consumes 170 kWh a month.
b. Find the number of kilowatt-hours used by a family that was billed
Php2,400.00.
Application
 The cost of electricity in a certain province is Php8.32 for each of
the first 100 kWh (kilowatt-hours) and Php13.52 for each kilowatt-
hour over 100 kWh.
a. Find the electric bill of a household that consumes 170 kWh a
month.
Solution:
Formulate the equation: Let be the total electricity consumption of a
family. The computation of the bill is

For :
Application
 The cost of electricity in a certain province is Php8.32 for each of
the first 100 kWh (kilowatt-hours) and Php13.52 for each kilowatt-
hour over 100 kWh.
b. Find the number of kilowatt-hours used by a family that was billed

Php2,400.00.
Solution:
The bill is greater than 832 pesos, so the consumption is more than
100 kWh.
Rewriting Mathematical Formulas
 Mathematics is developed by using formulas. A formula is an equation
that involves at least 2 variables, and exhibits the relationship of the
variables.
Implicit form:
Explicit form:

Example:
Example
 Solve for in .
Note: To “solve” in this context means express in terms of the other variables.
Example
 Solve for in .
Rates
 Ratesare inherent in man’s daily operation. Your parents may allocate
Php3000 for your 6-day school work, or you can solve 50 math
problems in 4 hours.

A RATE is a comparison of two quantities. It is usually written in

fraction form. If the number in the denominator is 1, then we have a
UNIT RATE.

Example:
The rate is in unit rate or simply Php500/day.
The rate is in unit rate or 12.5 problems per hour.
Example
 Ateacher in a certain university is paid a monthly salary of
Php42,000 for a 15-unit teaching load. Harry, who teaches in the said
university, is currently teaching 21 units. How much is his monthly
salary?
Solution:
Determine the per unit rate of Harry:
Multiply unit rate by 21 units:
The salary of Harry with his 21 units teaching load is Php 58,800.
Ratio
 ARATIO is a comparison of two quantities that have the same unit. It
may be written as fraction, , as numbers separated by colon, , or by
the word “is to”, . It is usually written in simplest form (that is, there
are no common factors between and ). If is equal to 1, then we have a
UNIT RATIO.

Example:
The mathematics department is composed of 15 male and 10 female
teachers. The male to female ratio is 3 to 2, 3:2 or . The male to
female unit ratio is 1.5:1.
Example
 A survey revealed that, on average, college students spend
approximately 28 hours on social media each week. Find the ratio, as
a fraction in simplest form, of the number of hours spent on social
media to the total number of hours in a week. How do you interpret
the unit ratio in this case?
Solution:
Convert 1 week to hours:
Required ratio:
Unit Ratio: 0.17:1 or ==> students spend 0.17 hours (or 10 minutes)
on social media every hour of the week.
Proportions
 Aproportion is an equation that states the equality of two rates or ratios.
So, if and are equal rates or rates, then is a proportion. In particular,
and are called extremes while and are called the means.
extremes

Means

Property: product of the means = product of the extremes

Example
 Thedosage for a certain medication is 5 mg for every 50 lbs of body
weight. How many milligrams of this medication are required for a
person who weighs 175 lbs?
Solution:
Let be the required medication

Means=Extremes:
 Thank You!
On to the next lesson….