FoxTrot by Bill Amend for January 25, 2009

Who knew Peter was that smart? Putting a dollar sign in front of it ALWAYS makes math more interesting.

She’s a shopper!

What gets me is, this is an actual Real Life application of algebra!!

… and they said it couldn’t happen ….

Wow, Peter, where did that come from? Your teachers would fall out their chairs!

This is how we raised my nephew’s grade point by 1.5 when he was 11. We used money on the table, price lists of the toys/games he wanted, and his first savings account. His mom wasn’t happy that she had to help out with the savings account when he came home after his visit that summer but was pleased they didn’t have to spend so much time on homework anymore.

Ahhh, the joys of being the uncle, not the parent.

Amend must be a math and science wonk, he uses it all the time

ForeverAllStar: He is a geek. He spends his time playing World of Warcraft now. :)

My algebra students can learn to handle the original problem, but nearly every one will freeze up at the sight of a word problem. It doesn't seem to matter whether it's about something that interests them.

Paige is stupid and weird. She’s Steird.

peter knows how to speak paige’s lanuage..if only she realised the connection btween ther homework n his help :p both smart in thier own way :p

simultaneous equations

ForeverAllstar says:

ForeverAllstar says:

Amend must be a math and science wonk, he uses it all the time

Bill has a Bachelors Degree in Physics. So there you go.

Wrong Peter, shes stupid, but good at real life math.

that was THE ONLY way my neice could do algebra was to turn everything into shoes and money - lol

thanks, bill! keep teaching parents how to teach their kids by KNOWING them.

Am I the only one who was compelled to write the problem down and solve it? Had to dig deep in the brain vault for the balancing equations knowledge…

For all you algebra illiterate:

2x + y - 60 = x + 2y - 75

2x + y + 15 = x + 2y

2x/y + 1 + 15/y = x/y + 2

2x/y + 15/y = x/y + 1

2 + 15/x = 1 + y/x

1 + 15/x = y/x

x + 15 = y

x = y - 15

2(y - 15) + y = 60

2y - 30 + y = 60

3y = 90

y = 30

x + 2(x + 15) = 75

x + 2x - 30 = 75

3x = 45

x = 15

im sorry scbassist but johndrake made that math alot easier for me…altho i still say peters way may be the best way yet :p

Yeah, but scbassist’s will work even if the “y”s don’t cancel out.

Another way to solve it

2x + y = 60 –given

y = 60 - 2x –solve for y

x + 2y = 75 –given

x + 2(60 - 2x) = 75 –replace y with 60-2x

x + 120 - 4x = 75 –distribute 2

120 - 3x = 75 –simplify

120 = 3x + 75 –add 3x to both sides

120 - 75 = 3x –subtract 75 from both sidex

45 = 3x –simplify

x = 15 –divide both sides by 3

2x + y = 60 –given

2(15) + y = 60 –replace x with 15

30 + y = 60 –multiply

y = 60 - 30 –subtract 30 from both sides

y = 30 –simplify

Of course you can, that’s basic. JohnDrake, however, left off a lot of the steps, and didn’t solve for y at all. Not that he was wrong, but he was oversimplified.

Pie = Good Math = Not Pie :(

Excellent to explain the disconnect in how we currently teach mathematics!

The disconnect (it seems to me) lies in concrete versus abstract thinking. Paige can’t deal with algebra in abstract terms, but she can when she’s given a concrete problem. My mother was like that. I’m the reverse: abstractions are easy, it’s the concrete that’s harder.

Page’s thought process: From Peter’s statements in the third panel, exchanging 1 shirt for 1 sweater costs an extra $15 therefor exchanging the second shirt for a third sweater will make the bill $90. Sweaters obviously cost $30 apiece. Going back to the first statement and subtract 1 sweater and 2 shirts cost $30 or $15 apiece.

Shirt Math

By going back to middle school.

That. Is. Easy!

Peter: You already solved it yourself. Paige: Huh? I did?