A1a
Practice - From Words to Algebra
TRY TO ANSWER IN TWO AND A HALF MINUTES.
QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS
1. You buy x shirts for $13.80 each a belt for $9.40. Represent the cost of these items in an equation.
2. You can type 40 words in a minute. How many words could you type in a half hour at that rate?
3. You have 28 coins in your pocket. Each coin is either a nickel or a dime. The coins are worth $1.95. How many nickels and how many dimes do you have?
4. The area of a right triangle is one-half of the base times the height. Represent this in algebra.
5. You own a store. You buy an item for c dollars and mark it up x%. Use algebra to describe the selling price.
ANSWERS
1. Let C be the total cost. Then C = 13.80x + 9.40.
2. Set up an equation with equal ratios. Let w be the number of words you could type in a half hour. Then 40/1 = x/30. Cross-multiplying gives you x = 40 times 30.
3. Let n be the number of nickels and d be the number of dimes. Then one equation is n + d = 28. The other equation is 5n + 10d = 195.
4. Let b be the base, h be the height, and A be the area. Then A = 0.5 x b x h.
4. Let c be the cost, s be the selling price, and x be the markup percentage, expressed as a decimal. Then s = c (1 + x).