All posts by mathconfidence

December 2017 Brain Puzzler Solution

Q: For the positive integers up to and including 2017, how many of those integers have at least one zero?

A:  There are $2017$ positive integers in total to consider.
No one digit numbers have a 0 (1-9).
Below is the list of the qualifying numbers:

There are 9 two digit numbers: 10,20, 30…90 9
There are the numbers 100 – 110 and 200-210 up to 900 – 910 99
Also 120 130 140…190 and then 220 230 etc 72
Then 1000-1099 100
Then same # of #s 1000 more than b 99
Then same # of #s 1000 more than c 72
2000-2017 18
 Total  469

Another solution is to exclude the numbers that do not have a zero and subtract from 2017:
9 one digit numbers
81 two digit numbers (9 x 9 : 9 choices for each digit 1-9)
729 three digit numbers (9 x 9 x 9: 9 choices for each digit 1-9)
For the numbers between 1000- 1999, there are the same amount as for the three digit numbers as they are the same numbers with a “1” in the thousands place value.
9 + 81 + 729 + 729 = 1548
2017 – 1548 = 469

 

 

Get the Math and the Points! Common Core Algebra I Aug 2017 Regents #3

Aug 2017 CC Alg I 3

This can be easily solved by checking the answers:  we will need a + and – to create a – so answers (1) and (2) are gone.
Look at (4): If we multiply (24.5x)(24.5x) we definitely get more than 49x^2 so finding this answer is easy.

Students can also put 49x^2 – 36 into Y1 on the TI-84 and then try each of the answers into Y2 and see which creates the same graph and/or table.

That’s it, 2 more points on the Regents!!

 

 

November 2017 Brain Puzzler Solution

Q: I drive at an average speed of 30 miles per hour to the railroad station each morning and just catch my train. On a particular morning there was a lot of traffic and at the halfway point I found I had averaged only 15 miles per hour. How fast must I drive for the rest of the way to catch my train?

A: It’s impossible. 
Let’s say that you need to go 30 miles which would take an hour.
If you were at the halfway point, 15 miles, at 15 miles per hour, you have already been traveling for an hour  to go that 15 miles — and you are only halfway there!
Sorry…you will miss your train.

Get the Math and the Points! Common Core Algebra I Regents August 2017 #2

Aug 2017 CC Alg I 2
Using the TI-84 makes this an easy question — we can see that the two functions — a linear and an absolute value intersect once at (2,4)…then we have to read clearly to see if the question is asking for x or y.  Get the Math and get 2 more points!!

Aug 2017 CC Alg I 2
Input both eqns into Y=
Aug 2017 CC Alg I 2 graph
2nd Calc 5 to find intersecting point
Aug 2017 CC Alg I 2 table up
when x = 2, the y values are the same