How to solve work word problems faster
One of the concepts that student find very difficult in Mathematics are word problems. Some students can do these sums easily but then there are others. It doesn't matter how you explain something or how easy you try to make it all they see is this.
I have recently started giving my students word problems on a daily basis to make them more familiar and to give them more confidence. These word problems are often difficult but with time they solve these. It often amazes me how they solve these problems. Just shows you, there are many ways to kill a cat and that there are many ways to solve certain problems.
I have recently given them this particular sum.
Pete can complete a job in four hours, and Matt can do the same job in six hours. How long will it take them if they both work together at the job?
Most of them just added the times together and divided the answer with two. This is incorrect of course.
Here is the solution.
Easy enough. This solution is the correct way to solve these work problems, but it often takes a while to figure it out and if they make a calculation mistake somewhere the answer will be wrong.
One of my students came up with a totally different, YET BRILLIANT solution. This method works on each and every sum similar to the above. It is a quick calculation and very easy to solve. I am now using HIS method to teach this to the students.
Here is the sum again. This time with a different way to solve (and much easier too)
Pete can complete a job in four hours, and Matt can do the same job in six hours. How long will it take them if they both work together at the job?
Step 1
Look at the amount of hours.
Pete = 4 hours and Matt = 6 hours. Multiply these times: 4 x 6 =24
Step 2
Look at the amount of hours.
Pete = 4 hours and Matt = 6 hours. Now add these times. 4 + 6 = 10
Step 3
Now you divide the answer in step 1 into the answer in step 2.
24 divided by 10 = Hence 2.4 hours.
I thought this was a brilliant method and have tested this on many other sums and it works out every time. With this method there are way less calculations and it takes less than a minute to get to the answer.
This is definitely a method that all students should learn and I always say:
I don't care how you get to the answer as long as you get to it!
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I've always loved mathematics, I think it's because I had an excellent teacher who said me the same thought as you "I don't care how you get to the answer as long as you get to it!". It worked for me and I thanks my teacher for his approach. ^_^
Hi @silviabeneforti I am so glad that you had a good math teacher. Math teachers can make or break you!
There's a short way and a long way around the barn! As a young engineering student a million years ago, I would quickly hand in my assignments with the correct answers. The professor would be furious because of the "show your work" requirement and mine had incoherent scribbles.
Just don't ask me to sing or dance. ;)
I can never understand this properly. I teach them the correct way but honestly I just care about the answer. It works this way in real life so what makes a test different? Thanks for your comment!
My pleasure. There is value in knowing how the equation functions just as much as knowing how a word is spelled or the proper construction of a sentence. Practical application in the real world often omits the sticky innards and jumps to the conclusion. How a machine operates is irrelevant until it breaks. Thank you for always being a good steward of the community! Steem the Dream!
Wow, interesting. But math has always given me head ache, so i stay away from it.
I know we need math... I know... but I 've always preferred the humanities :)
Every day is math thanks for sahring @giantbear
Great job. Our students definitely need to be more familiar with word problems.
Each of our brains work in different ways, so I agree, no matter how you do it, as long as you get to the correct answer. Very interesting
You got my vote and a resteem :)
Thank you @toughguy!
This is exactly how i see all math problems. My brain refused to understand and i let it be. I cannot comman kee myself(Nigerian Slang for it's not worth the stress)
Oh dear ...it is something that you use every single day....lol
Some of us work much faster alone. I will never enjoy math.
You will be surprised but it can be quite interesting. I have convinced students that Math is good for them. LOL!
Convincing young minds of students is much easier these days and I am not surprised that math is interesting and good for us. My dad is 93 he is a math and numbers man plus he is also highly intuitive and creative and I imagine it is one of the reasons why he is still sharp minded and alive. Math gives me a headache LOL maybe it's because I never had the "right" teachers.