MMW 101

MATHEMATICS IN THE
MODERN WORLD

UNIT III
Problem Solving
Problems, problems go away
Mathematics is on the way.
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Unit................................................................................................ 1

Objectives of the Unit ............................................................................................. 1

Pre-Assessment Activity 3 ..................................................................................... 2

Lesson 3.1 Polya's 4-steps in Problem Solving .................................................... 4

Objectives of the Lesson ........................................................................................ 4

3.1.1 Who is George Polya? ........................................................................... 4

3.1.2 Polya's Problem Solving Techniques ..................................................... 4
Activity 3.1 ...................................................................................................... 7
Lesson 3.2 Problem Solving Strategies ................................................................. 8

3.2.1 Draw a Picture/Diagram/Act It Out ......................................................... 8

3.2.2 Guess and Check or Guess and Test .................................................... 9
3.2.3 Use a Table or Make a List .................................................................. 10
3.2.4 Logical Reasoning ............................................................................... 11
3.2.5 Find a Pattern ...................................................................................... 12
3.2.6 Working Backwards ............................................................................. 13
3.2.7 Solve an Easier Version ....................................................................... 13
3.2.8 Use a Variable ..................................................................................... 14
Activity 3.2 .................................................................................................... 19
Lesson 3.3 Mathematical Problems Involving Patterns...................................... 22

Activity 3.3 .................................................................................................... 27

Lesson 3.4 Recreational Problems Using Mathematics ..................................... 31

Activity 3.4 .................................................................................................... 34

Reflection ............................................................................................................... 37

Unit Test 3 .............................................................................................................. 38

Suggested Readings and Websites ..................................................................... 41

References ............................................................................................................. 41

Answer Key............................................................................................................ 42
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Problems, problems go away

Mathematics is on the way.

Duration:12 Hours

Overview of the Unit

Why do you think most people have trouble finding a solution to problems?
One primary reason is that there is no single procedure that works all the time. Each
problem is slightly different. Another is that to solve a problem, you need to have
practical knowledge about a specific situation. Misunderstanding the problem or its
underlying conditions, you can make mistakes or incorrect assumptions.

Even if there is no single recipe for solving a problem, it does not mean that
you cannot do it. All you need is to build up your background knowledge and to
practice. As you solve more problems(and learn how other people solve them), you
can get better and better at it.

Go through this unit for you to learn useful strategies and techniques from the
following lessons:

3.1 Polya's 4-steps in Problem Solving

3.2 Problem Solving Strategies
3.3 Mathematical Problems Involving Patterns
3.4 Recreational Problems Using Mathematics

Objectives of the Unit

At the end of the unit, you are expected to:
1. Solve problems involving patterns and recreational problems following
Polya's four steps
2. Organize your methods and approaches for solving problems.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Pre-Assessment Activity 3
(#Show Me What You Know)

Student Name: __________________________ Score: ________________

Surname, First Name, MI. Date Accomplished: _____
Program/Year/Section: ____________________ Instructor: _____________

Instruction: This activity is to be answered without going through the lesson modules.
Observe the given time allotment strictly and DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. Do not
forget to write Time Started right before you begin answering and Time Finished right
after finishing.
Time Allotment: _______Time Started: ________ Time Finished:________

Write the capital letter of the correct answer on the space provided before each
number.

_____1. Which is not important when solving a problem?

A. the strategy to be used in solving the problem
B. extraneous information
C. looking back to find an easier solution
D. understanding all the words in the problem

_____2. Which strategy is best to use when the problem involves consecutive
integers?
A. Guess and test
B. Draw a diagram/picture
C. Make a list
D. Use a variable

_____3. You can use this strategy in solving problems if you have a good idea of
what the answer is.
A. Make a list
B. Working backward
C. Use a variable
D. Guess and test

_____4. Mr. Corpuz is in charge of the venue for a seminar in their school. He was
informed that there would be 64 participants. If square tables will be used to
form a rectangular table, how many tables are needed if he was asked to
have two rows of these rectangular tables?
A. 28
B. 30
C. 32
D. 36

_____5. Three friends Martin, Bart, and Charlie, love to eat fried chicken with side
dishes. But each one of them would only want to have either baked
macaroni, macaroni salad, or coleslaw as a side dish. The side dish that
they want does not start with the same letter as their names. Bart gave his
side dish to Martin. What side dish does each one like?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

A. Martin-Coleslaw; Bart-macaroni salad; Charlie-baked macaroni

B. Martin- baked macaroni; Bart- Coleslaw; Charlie- macaroni salad
C. Martin- macaroni salad; Bart- Coleslaw; Charlie- baked macaroni
D. Martin- baked macaroni; Bart- macaroni salad; Charlie- coleslaw

_____6. A string is cut into two pieces such that one piece is four times as long as
the other. How long is the shorter piece if the string is 25 inches long?
A. 7 inches
B. 6 inches
C. 5 inches
D. 4 inches

_____7. How many four-digit numbers can be formed with the digits 6, 7, 8, and 9 if
repetition of digits is not allowed?
A. 16
B. 20
C. 24
D. 28

_____8. Gerald is distributing flyers about their organization. He goes around the
campus and meets groups of students. He gives twice as many flyers to the
next group as to the previous group that he met. How many flyers has he
distributed if he gave four flyers to the first group, and he was able to meet
six groups?
A. 252 flyers
B. 280 flyers
C. 300 flyers
D. 240 flyers

_____9. Three numbers a, b, and c are added in pairs. If the sum of a andb is 13,
the sum of b and c is 21, and the sum of a and c is 26, what is the smallest
number?
A. 8
B. 3
C. 5
D. 4

_____10. Daniel has one-peso coins in the left and right pockets of his pants. If he
transfers one coin from his left pocket to his right pocket, the number of coins
in his right pocket would be twice of what he has on the left. However, if he
transfers one coin from his right pocket to his left, the number of coins in his
pockets will be equal. How many coins does he have in his right pocket?
A. 7
B. 9
C. 5
D. 6

END OF TEST
(What you have answered is a Self-Check Test. Turn to page 42 for the answer key
and write your score and corresponding descriptive rating on the space provided.)

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Let's Start!

Lesson 3.1 Polya's 4-steps in Problem Solving

Objectives of the Lesson

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. statePolya's 4-steps in problem-solving
2. demonstratePolya's 4-steps in solving problems

3.1.1 Who is George Polya?

Before going further, let me
introduce Polya to you. The picture on the
right is George Polya, born in Hungary in
1887. He finished his Doctor of Philosophy
degree at the University of Budapest, but
he was a professor at Stanford University
in the United States.

He was a great champion in the

field of teaching effective problem-solving Photo grabbed from https://www.e-alyss.com/blog/wp-
skills. He wrote many mathematical papers content/uploads/2016/01/GEORGE-POLYA-The-Father-of-problem-Solving-
Alyss.jpg
along with three books, the most famous of
which is "How to Solve It." Because of these, he was known as the Father of
Modern Problem Solving.Polya died in 1985 at the age of 98.

3.1.2 Polya's Problem Solving Techniques

Now let us take a hard look at Polya's famous 4-step process for solving
problems. Here they are with a checklist of guide questions and pieces of advice for
each step.

Polya's Four-step Process for Solving Problems

STEP 1. UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

 Do you understand all the words?

 Can you restate the problem in your own words?
 Do you know what is given?
 Is there enough information?
 Is there extraneous information?
 Is this problem similar to another problem you have solved?

STEP 2. DEVISE A PLAN

 Find the connection between the data and the unknown.
 Choose the strategy that you can use to solve the problem.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

STEP 3. CARRY OUT THE PLAN

 Implement the strategy or strategies that you have chosen until the problem is
solved.
 Give yourself a reasonable amount of time in which to solve the problem.
 Do not be afraid of starting over.

STEP 4. LOOK BACK

 Is your solution correct?

 Does your answer satisfy the statement of the problem?
 Can you see an easier solution?

Below is an example to show you how Polya's 4-step in solving problems is

applied.
In a blueprint of a rectangular room, the length is 1 inch more than three times
the width. Find the dimensions of the room if its perimeter is 26 inches.
Step 1. Understand the problem.
 Read the problem carefully and understand all the words.
 Let the length be represented by l and the width by w.
 In the problem, the length is 1 inch more than three times the width.
Therefore, we can now let
𝑙 = 1 + 3𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤 = 𝑤
Step 2. Devise a plan. (Translate into a workable equation.)
The perimeter of the room is 26 inches.
Recall that the formula in finding the perimeter of a rectangle is
𝑃 = 2𝑙 + 2𝑤 𝑜𝑟 𝑃 = 2(𝑙 + 𝑤). Now substituting 𝒍 and 𝒘 in the formula for perimeter,
the result is
2 1 + 3𝑤 + 𝑤 = 26.
Step 3. Carry out the plan. (Solve.)
Adding similar terms 2 1 + 4𝑤 = 26
DPMA 2 + 8𝑤 = 26
Additive Inverse −2 + 2 + 8𝑤 = 26 − 2
8𝑤 24
Multiplicative Inverse =
8 2

𝑤 = 3 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠
𝑙 =1+3 3
=1+9
𝑙 = 10 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Step 4. Look back. (Check and interpret.)

2 10 + 2 3 = 26
20 + 6 = 26
26 = 26

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Activity 3.1
Polya's 4-Steps in Problem Solving

Name: _______________________________ Score:___________________

Program/Year/Section: ______________ Descriptive Rating:__________

Date Accomplished: _________

Identify what method is being described in the following statements.

(Polya's 4 Methods of problem-solving) (1 point each).

_______________ 1. Check your solution out.

_______________ 2. The key is to keep trying until something works.
_______________ 3. If the plan does not seem to be working, then start over and try
another approach
_______________ 4. This involves making some choices about what strategies to
use.
_______________ 5. Read the problem over carefully and ask yourself
_______________ 6. Use variables and write an equation
_______________ 7. Try restating the problem in a different way.
_______________ 8. Decompose the problem
_______________ 9. Once you have an idea for a new approach, jot it down
immediately.
_______________10. Try a new perspective on how to approach solving the
problem.

Self-Check: Turn to page 42 for the Answer Key. Write your score and descriptive
rating on the space provided.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Lesson 3.2 Problem Solving Strategies

Lesson Objectives

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

1. Identify the different strategies used in solvingproblems
2. Solve problems using the common problem-solving strategies

You, I, and other people encounter different problems almost everyday. These
problems vary from the simplest to the more complex ones. If the latter is to be
faced, you need to identify the problem and then apply a strategy for solving the
problem.
Note: There are two kinds of problems that we solve in mathematics.

Classification of Problems
1. Problems to find
Examples: a. Find the area of a square with a side length of 3 inches.
b. How much interestwould Php 100,000 earn at a 1.5% simple interest
rate for 6 months?

c. What is 45% of 580?

2. Problems to prove
Example: Prove that n(n+1)(n+2)(n+3) cannot be the square of an integer.
A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action that is used to find a solution.
Different strategies call for different action plans.
Polya would like us to choose the strategies in his second step, which is to be
applied in his third step. He called them heuristics. There are many common
problem-solving strategies that you can use in finding solutions to problems that are
tackled in this lesson.

3.2.1 Draw a Picture/Diagram/Act It Out

To make a diagram, you must

read the problem carefully for you to be
able to include the given information into
it. From this, you can now work out the
solution.

This strategy is appropriate to use when

 A physical situation is involved,
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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

 Geometric figures or measurements are involved, and

 A visual representation of the problem is possible.

Example

A worm is trying to escape from a well that is 10-ft deep. The worm climbs 2 feet per
day, but each night it slides back 1 foot. How many days will the worm take to climb
out of the well?

Solution:

Draw a diagram to allow you to track the worm's day to day position.

The worm reaches 10 ft. and climbs out of the well on the ninth day.

Try this!

Draw a square and its diagonals. How many triangles of all sizes can you see?

3.2.2 Guess and Check or Guess and Test

When you use this strategy, you will

make a reasonable guess based on the
given information and then check to see if
your guess is correct. The guesses should
get closer and closer to the answer until you
find the right answer.

The Guess and Test strategy may be

appropriate when:
 There is a limited number of possible answers to try.
 You have a good idea of what the answer is.
 You can systematically try possible answers.
 There is no obvious strategy to try

Example
The sum of 2 consecutive odd numbers is 44. What are the two numbers?
Solution: Guess and check
Before guessing, always make sure you understand the problem.
Sum: refer to adding numbers
Consecutive: In the context of this problem, it will mean that we are looking for

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

an odd number and the next odd number that immediately follows the first
one.

Guessing here means that you will arbitrarily pick two odd numbers, add them, and
see if it is equal to 44.

15 + 17 = 32. It does not work. Since 32 is smaller than 44, pick higher numbers.

19 + 21 = 40. Getting closer

21 + 23 = 44. There we have it! We found the two numbers by guessing.

Try this!

Two numbers have a difference of five, and their product is 924. What is the
sum of the numbers?

3.2.3 Use a table or make a list

Using a table or making a list is a

good way to sort out and organize the
information given in the question. The
information that has been set out in the table
will hopefully lead you to the correct
solution.

Once you can see all of the possibilities for the solution, you can then attempt
to solve the problem more quickly.
This strategy is appropriate to use when:
 Information can easily be organized and presented,
 Data can easily be generated,
 Listing the results obtained by using Guess and Test, and
 Asked "in how many ways" something can be done.

Example

Each triangle in the figure below has 3 dots. Study the pattern and find the
number of dots for 7 layers of triangles.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Solution:

The number Layers Pattern Total dots

of dots for 7 1 3 3
layers of 2 3+3 6
triangles is
36. 3 3+3+4 10
4 3+3+4+5 15
5 3+3+4+5+6 21
6 3+3+4+5+6+7 28
7 3+3+4+5+6+7+8 36

Try this!
In how many ways can Albert, Tyrone, Cris, and Dave stand in a row? List
their positions.
3.2.4 Logical Reasoning

This strategy requires you to

use the information you have been
given in the question to find
relationships in them. From there,
you can form your answer.
Example

Shuttle Worth sold 51 jars of her homemade jam in exactly three days. Each day she
sold 2 more jars than she sold on the previous day. Howmany jars did she sell on
each day?

Solution:

Applying the Logical Reasoning. Most students can approach the problem from an
algebraic point of view:
x denotes the number of jars sold on the first day.
x + 2 denotes the number of jars sold on the second day.
x + 4 denotes the number of jars sold on the third day.
x + (x + 2) + (x + 4) = 51
3x + 6 = 51
3x = 45
x = 15.
She sold 15 jars the first day, 17 jars the second day, and 19 jars the third day.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Now, let's look at this problem from logical reasoning. She sold 51jars on three
days, an average of 17 jars per day. Because the difference between the numbers
sold on each day is a constant, the 17 represents the number sold on the "middle"
day. Thus on the day the previous day, she sold 17 - 2 or 15 jars, and on the day
following, she sold 17 + 2 or 19 jars.
Try this!

A farm owner has 28 pigs. All but 13 dies. How many pigs were left?

3.2.5 Find a Pattern

When you use this
strategy,look for a pattern from
thegiven information. Once you have
identified the pattern, you can predict
what will happen next and then
continue the pattern to find the correct
solution.

Example:

Each member of a club shook hands with every other member who came for a
meeting. There was a total of 45 handshakes. How many members were present at
the meeting?

A B C D E F G H I J
A
B ●
C ● ●
D ● ● ●
E ● ● ● ●
F ● ● ● ● ●
G ● ● ● ● ● ●
H ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
I ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
J ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
HS 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Solution:

Total = 9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 45 handshakes

There were 10 members.

Try this!

How many odd whole numbers will give a sum of 140?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

3.2.6 Working Backwards

Working backwards is an excellent strategy
to use when the final outcome of the problem
has already been given. You just need to work
out what the events were that occurred
previously. This strategy is used when the
problem is presented in steps.

Example:

Sam's mom left a plate of cookies on the counter. Sam ate 2 of them, his dad
ate 3 of them, and they gave 12 to the neighbor. At the end of the day, only 4
cookies were left on the plate. How many cookies did she make altogether?

Solution:

In this case, we know that the final cookie amount is 4. So if we work

backward to "put back" all the cookies that were taken or eaten, we can figure out
what number they started with.
Because cookies are being taken away, which denotes subtraction, thus, to
get back to the original number, we have to do the opposite: add. If you take the 4
that are left and add the 12 given to the neighbors and add the 3 that Dad ate, and
then add the 2 that Sam ate, we find that Sam's mom made 21 cookies.
Equation:
4-cookies left
2-cookies eaten by Sam
3-cookies eaten by Dad
12-cookies given to the neighbor

By working Backwards; 4+12+3+2=21 cookies

Try this!
Cristine received her allowance for the day. On her way to school, she spent
Php22 for the fare. When she reached her school, she bought a pancake worth
Php12 before entering her class. She spent Php28 for snacks and Php55 for lunch.
A classmate who owed her Php200 paid on that day. She gave her group leader
Php50 as a contribution to their school project. She went home after school and
again paid Php22 for the fare. She was left with Php273. How much was the
allowance given to her?

3.2.7 Solve an Easier Version

Sometimes the problem is too difficult to solve in one step. When this
happens,you will be able to make the problem simpler by dividing it into smaller and
most manageable steps, such as rewording the question using smaller numbers.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Example:
There will be 7 players playing in a tournament. Each player must play every
other player once. How many games will Q take place in the tournament?

Solution:

Simplify the problem.

Case 1: The 2nd person plays the 1st, i.e., 1 game.

Case 2: The 3rd person plays the 1st and 2nd, i.e., 2 games.
Case 3: The 4th person plays the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, i.e., 3 games.
Case 4: The 5th person plays the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, i.e., 4 games.
The total number of games for 5 people = 1+2+3+4 = 10 games.

Therefore, for 6 people, it would be 10+5 = 15 games, and for 7 people, it would
be 15+6 = 21 games.

Another way of representing the solution is by making a table.

3.2.8 Use a Variable

The strategy use a variableis often used when solving algebraic problems.
We can use this when we solve number problems, consecutive integer problems,
age problems, digit problems, and many other problems. This strategy is
appropriate to use when
 A phrase similar to "for any number" is present or implied
 A problem suggests an equation
 A problem contains phrases such as "consecutive," "even," or "odd"
whole numbers
 There is an unknown quantity related to known quantities.

Here are some examples.

Example 1.Three times the difference of a number and two is the same as
the number increased by 8. Find the number.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Solution:
Step 1. Understand the problem.
Read the problem carefully and analyze what is given and what is
being asked in the problem. Since we are looking for a number, we can represent
that number by 𝑥.
Step 2. Devise a plan.(Translate.)
Three times the difference of a number and twois the same asthe number increased by 8.

3(𝑥 − 2) = 𝑥+8
Step 3. Carry out the plan. (Solve.)

3(𝑥 − 2) = 𝑥 + 8
3𝑥 − 6 = 𝑥 + 8
3𝑥 − 𝑥 = 8 + 6
2𝑥 = 14
𝑥 = 7 (the number)
Step 4. Check.
3(x - 2) = x + 8
3(7 - 2) = 7 + 8
3(5) = 15
15 = 15
Example 2. Find three consecutive integers if five times the third is equal to eighteen
more than the sum of the first and the second.
Step 1. Understand the problem.
There are three consecutive integers. We can represent them by
𝑥, 𝑥 + 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥 + 2. Understand the relationship given among the three integers to
formulate the equation.
𝑥 – first integer
𝑥 + 1 – second integer
𝑥 + 2 – third integer
Step 2. Devise a plan.(Translate.)
five times the third is equal to eighteen more than the sum of the first and the second

5 𝑥+2 = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 1 + 18
Step 3. Carry out the plan. (Solve.)
5(𝑥 + 2) = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 1 + 18
5𝑥 + 10 = 2𝑥 + 19
5𝑥 − 2𝑥 = 19 − 10
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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

3𝑥 = 9
𝑥 = 3 (the first integer)
𝑥 + 1 = 4 (the second integer)
𝑥 + 2 = 5 (the third integer)
Step 4. Check.
5(𝑥 + 2) = 𝑥 + 𝑥 + 1 + 18
5 5 = 3 + 4 + 18
25 = 25
Therefore, the three consecutive integers are 3, 4, and 5.
Example 3. A certain number is between 30 and 40. If the number is divided by the
sum of its digits, the quotient is four. Find the number.
Note: This is an example of a digit problem. If the number is between 30 and 40,
then the tens digit must be 3. So we can represent the unit digit as 𝑥.
Solution: Let 𝑥 be the unit digit and 3 be the tens digit.
Since the tens digit is 3 and the unit digit is 𝑥, then the number must be
30 + 𝑥.
If the number is divided by the sum of its digits, the quotient is four.
30+𝑥
=4
3+𝑥

Solving the equation,

30+𝑥
=4
3+𝑥

30 + 𝑥 = 4(3 + 𝑥)
30 + 𝑥 = 12 + 4𝑥 or 12 + 4𝑥 = 30 + 𝑥
3𝑥 = 18
𝑥 = 6 (the unit digit)
Therefore the number is 36.
Note: The following are examples of age problems. Let us remember that a person
has three ages: the past age, the present age, and the future age. To get
the age of a person in the past, we need to subtract from his present age. To
get his age in the future, we need to add to his present age.

Example 4. A lawyer's age is now seven-ninths of what his age will be 18 years from
now. How old is he now?
Solution: Let 𝑥 be the present age of the lawyer, and
𝑥 + 18 be the age of the lawyer 18 years from now.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

lawyer's age is now seven-ninths of what his age will be 18 years from now
7
𝑥 = (𝑥 + 18) This is the equation of the problem.
9

Solving the equation, we have

7
𝑥= (𝑥 + 18)
9

9𝑥 = 7(𝑥 + 18)
9𝑥 = 7𝑥 + 126
9𝑥 − 7𝑥 = 126
2𝑥 = 126
2 126
𝑥=
2 2

𝑥 = 63 (the age of the lawyer)

Example 5.Rico is three times as old as his brother. Six years ago, the sum of their
ages was equal to Rico's present age. How old are they now?

Solution: Let us tabulate the given data in the problem.

Present age Past age (6 years ago)

brother 𝑥 𝑥−6
Rico 3𝑥 3𝑥 − 6

Six years ago, the sum of their ages was equal to Rico's present age.
𝑥 − 6 + 3𝑥 − 6 = 3𝑥
Solving the equation, we have
4𝑥 − 12 = 3𝑥
4𝑥 − 3𝑥 = 12
𝑥 = 12 (the brother’s age)
3𝑥 = 36 (Rico’s age)

Example 6. One-fifth of a doctor's age eight years ago equals one-ninth of his age
24 years hence. How old is he now?

Solution: Let us tabulate the given data in the problem.

Present Past age (8 years ago) Future age (24 years from now)
age
Doctor 𝑥 𝑥−8 𝑥 + 24

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

One-fifth of a doctor's age eight years agoequalsone-ninth of his age 24 years hence.
1 1
𝑥−8 = (𝑥 + 24)
5 9

Solving the equation, we have

1 1
𝑥−8 = (𝑥 + 24)
5 9

9 𝑥 − 8 = 5(𝑥 + 24)
9𝑥 − 72 = 5𝑥 + 120
9𝑥 − 5𝑥 = 120 + 72
4𝑥 = 192
4 192
𝑥=
4 4

𝑥 = 48

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Activity 3.2
Problem Solving Strategies

Name: _______________________________ Score:____________________

Program/Year/Section: ______________ Date of Submission: ________

Read and solve the following problems using the appropriate strategy. Show the
solutions to your answers.

1. The product of two prime numbers is 133. What are the numbers?

2. In a school play, tickets for adults were sold for Php200 while tickets for
children were sold at Php150. If there were 450 tickets sold, how many tickets
for adults were sold if the total ticket sales were Php75,750?

3. Mary is thrice as old as her sister Karen. The sum of their ages is 52 years.
What are their ages?

4. Zander sold thrice as much face shield in the afternoon as in the morning. If
he sold 340 pieces of face shield that day, many face shields did he sell in the
afternoon?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

5. I have a number in mind. I divided my number by 2 and then added 6. I

doubled the result and subtracted one-fourth of what I have. Then I divided by
9. I was left with 5. What number did I have at first?

6. Claire is making a terrarium for her science subject. She used a rectangular
wood that measures 36in x 24in. She wants to have a 2-in border on every
side and paint this border green. What is the area covered by the terrarium?

7. Mrs. Guevarra is preparing a game for her class. She placed a red sticker on
every second chair in the hall where they are having their class. She put a
blue sticker on every fifth chair and a green sticker on every eighth chair. On
which chairs will all the colors of the stickers be placed if there are 150 chairs
in the hall?

8. At 9 am on a regular school day, there are 35 students in the library. If for

every 30 minutes, 5 students will leave, but 2 students will come, at what time
will there be no more students in the library?

20
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

9. Ariel has a number of candies. Upon seeing his friend Donald, he gave him
one-half of his candies plus one. In the classroom, he gave one-half of the
remaining candies plus one to his seatmate. He then gave one-half of the
remaining candies plus one to a friend. After all this, he was left with only one
candy. How many candies did he have at the start?

10. Mrs. Torres forgot the PIN of her ATM account, but she knows that the digits
she used are 1, 4, 6, and 7. What are the possible PINs of her account? Write
them down.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Lesson 3.3 Mathematical Problems Involving Patterns

Lesson Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Develop and use the strategy "look for a pattern" to solve problems involving
patterns
2. Organize methods and approaches for solving problems using Polya's four
steps
3. Demonstrate logical, verbal, numerical, and spatial aptitudes in solving
mathematical problems involving patterns
Often, mathematical problems are solved by using formulas. But what will you do
if you do not have such formulas? In cases like these, youhave to look for patterns or
regularities in them. Recognizing patterns is a vital element oflogical shape, position,
and spatial aptitudes.
You have already encountered a lesson on this in unit 1 but for now, let us focus
on finding patterns in mathematical problems. Once again, you have to follow Polya's
four-step method with another helpful technique of "make a table/list."
Here are some examples.
Example 1

EJ takes up jogging. In the first week, he jogs for 10 minutes per day. In the
second week, he jogs for 12 minutes per day. Each week, he wants to increase his
jogging time by 2 minutes per day. If he jogs six days each week, what will be his
total jogging time in the fifth week?

Solution

Step 1. Understand. What do we know?

In the first week, EJ jogs 10 minutes per day for six days. In the second week,
he jogs 12 minutes per day for six days.
Each week, he increases his jogging time by 2 minutes per day. He jogs 6
days per week. What is to find? EJ's total jogging time in week five.

Step 2. Strategy. We want to find his total jogging time in week five

A good strategy is to list the data we have been given in a table and use the
information we have been given to find new information.

We are told that EJ jogs 10 minutes per day for six days in the first week and
12 minutes per day for six days in the second week. We can enter this information in
a table:

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Week Minutes per Day Minutes per Week

1 10 60

2 12 72

You are told that each week EJ increases his jogging time by 2 minutes per
day and jogs 6 times per week. We can use this information to continue filling in the
table until we get to week five.

Week Minutes per Day Minutes per Week

1 10 60

2 12 72

3 14 84

4 16 96

5 18 108

Step 3. Apply strategy/solve

To get the answer, we read the entry for week five.

Answer: In week five EJ jogs a total of 108 minutes.

Step 4. Check
EJ increases his jogging time by two minutes per day. He jogs six days per
week. This means that he increases his jogging time by 12 minutes per week.
EJ starts at 60 minutes per week, and he increases by 12 minutes per week
for four weeks.

That means the total jogging time is 60 + 12 × 4 = 108 minutes.

The answer checks out.

You can see that making a table helped us organize and clarify the
information we were given and helped lead us in the next steps of the problem. We
solved this problem uniquely by making a table; in many situations, we would
combine this strategy with others to get a solution.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Note:
A diagonal of a polygon is a line segment that connects vertices (corners) of
the polygon. The following are polygons: triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, and
hexagon.

Triangle Quadrilateral pentagon hexagon

Example 2
Determine the number of diagonals in a heptagon and octagon

Solution:
Step 1. Understand
We know that a heptagon has seven sides, an octagon has eight sides

Step 2. Strategy
Draw a table that shows the number of sides and the number of diagonals.

Table
Number of sides 3 4 5 6 7 8
Number of 0 2 5 9
Diagonals

Step 3. Apply strategy/Solve

Sequence 0 2 5 9 14 20

First difference 2 3 4 5 6

Second difference 1 1 1 1

Answer:
From the sequence, the number of diagonals of a heptagon is 14, and
for octagon, it has 20 diagonals.

Step 4. Check: Draw the pentagon and hexagon

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Example 3
A group of businessmen was at a networking meeting. Each businessman
exchanged his business card with every other businessman who was present.

a. If there were 16 businessmen, how many business cards were exchanged?

b. If there was a total of 380 business cards exchanged, how many
businessmenwere at the meeting?

Solution:

Step 1. Understand. There are 16 businessmen in a meeting. Each businessman

exchanged cards.
Step 2. Strategy. Draw a table showing the sixteen businessmen
Step 3. Apply Strategy/Solve

Let x - represents the number of exchanges between each businessman.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 total
1 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 15
2 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 14
3 x x x x x x x x x x x x x 13
4 x x x x x x x x x x x x 12
5 x x x x x x x x x x x 11
6 10
7 9
8 8
9 7
10 6
11 5
12 4
13 3
14 2
15 1
16 0
120

a. The numberof exchanges = 15+14+13 +12 +11 +10 +9 +8 +7 +6 +5 +4 +3 + 2 + 1

= 120 exchanges

Each exchange means two business cards.

So, the number of business card = 120 × 2 = 240

b. If there are 380business cards, let us divide it by 2

380 ÷ 2 = 190

190 = (19 × 20) ÷ 2 = 19 + 18 + 17 + … + 3 + 2 + 1

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Step 4. Check.

If there was a total of 380 business cards exchanged, there were 20 businessmen at
the meeting.

The pattern here is 16 x 15 = 240. So, for 380, we divide it by two, and the
quotient is 190. The factors of 190 are 19 and 20. The biggest integer is the number
of businessmen.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Activity 3.3
Mathematical Problems Involving Patterns

Name: _______________________________ Score:______________________

Program/Year/Section: ______________ Date of Submission: ___________

Read and solve the following problems involving patterns. Show the solutions to
your answers.

1. There are 12 people in the party. Each person shakes hand with another
person only once. How many handshakes took place?

2. A particular bacterium doubles its number every 2 seconds. After a minute,

what is the total population of that bacteria?

3. A woman is trying to cut down the number of cans of soda she drinks each
week. She makes a plan so that in several weeks she will be drinking only
one can of soda. If she starts with 25 cans the first week, 21 cans the second
week, 17 cans the third week, 13 cans the fourth week, and continues this
pattern, how many weeks will it take her to reach her goal?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

4. Three stamps are to be torn from a sheet of nine stamps, as shown below.
The three stamps must be intact so that each stamp is joined to another
stamp along at least one edge. Find the possible patterns for these three
stamps.

5. The number of lilies in a lake was found to be increasing according to the

following table.

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5

Number of Lilies 4 8 16 32 64

a) How many lilies will there be in week 7?

b) How many lilies will there be in week 9?
c) In which week will there be 4096 lilies?
d) If half of the lake was covered with lilies in Week 16, then in which week
was a quarter of the lake covered with lilies?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

6. The diagram below shows a series of squares formed by small square tiles.
Complete the table below.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 10th 15th

Number of tiles 4 8 12 16

7. Study the following diagram carefully.

Number of Dots 1 2 3 4 5

Number of Lines 6 11 16 21 26

a) How many lines are there if the figure has 7 dots?

b) How many lines are there for a figure with 12 dots?
c) How many dots are there if the figure has 46 lines?
d) How many dots are there for a figure with 136 lines?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

8. The figure shows a series of rectangles where each rectangle is bounded by 10

dots.

a) How many dots are required for 7 rectangles?

b) If the figure has 73 dots, how many rectangles would there be?

9. There are six teams in a basketball tournament. Each team needs to play
each of the other teams one time. If you are in charge of scheduling the
games, how many games must you schedule? (Team A playing team B is
the same as team B playing team A.)

10. In the quiz that Philip is taking, he has to answer ten True or False questions.
In how many ways can he answer the questions?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Lesson 3.4 Recreational Problems Using Mathematics

Lesson Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. Solve recreational problems using Polya's four steps
2. Organize methods and approaches in solving recreational problems
3. Enhance their ability to think critically about mathematical topics.

Recreational mathematics is mathematics conducted for recreation and

entertainment. It contains mathematical puzzles and games. Math puzzles and
riddles are the most well-known activities within recreational math. They are fun and
interesting; they help improve problem-solving skills and thinking capacity.

Although many topics in this field require no knowledge of mathematics, they are
also an important area of research for manymathematicians. There are hundreds of
puzzle and riddle books dating back to the 1800s.

Have fun, and enjoy the examples below.

Example 1
What are the largest and smallest numbers that you can write down in words
by using any letter from the alphabet only once?Example: EIGHTY
but not NINETY as N is used twice.
Answer:
FIVE THOUSAND is the largest number that you can write down in words using
any letter from the alphabet only once, while the smallest number is ZERO. Both
numbers were spelled without having any letter that has been repeated. You can
think of a much greater number. Hence those numbers will definitely dissatisfy the
conditionthat was provided in the problem.

Example 2

Suppose you have a basket containing ten apples. You have ten friends, and you
give each of them one apple. Yet there is an apple remaining in the basket.How did it
happen?

Answer:

There are two possible answersto the given problem. First, you might give an
apple to each of your nine friends and give the last apple together with the basket to
your tenth friend. Second, give your ten friends with one apple each, and then after,
one of them asks to have the basket and put the apple inside it.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Example 3

How many presents are there all together with the Christmas song "12 Days
of Christmas"? Here are some of its lyrics.

On the first day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.

The song continues, adding 4 calling birds on the 4th day, 5 golden rings on
the 5th, and so on up to the 12th day when 12 drummers add to the cacophony (an
unpleasant mixture of sounds) of assorted birds, pipers, and lords leaping all over
the place.

Answer:
Upon reading the problem, perhaps some of you would have recalled how we
sing the Christmas song. Having been reminded of the lyrics and how does the song
goes to answer the question, we can now consider listing the kind of presents that
have been mentioned in the song and how many times those presents have been
mentioned in the lyrics. Thus, the list of the kind of presents and the number of times
they have been mentioned was:

Partridges: 1 × 12 = 12 Swans: 7 × 6 = 42
Doves: 2 × 11 = 22 Maids:8 × 5 = 40
Hens: 3× 10 = 30 Ladies: 9 × 4 = 36
Calling birds: 4 × 9 =36 Lords: 10 × 3 = 30
Golden rings: 5 × 8 = 40 Pipers: 11 × 2 = 22
Geese: 6 × 7 = 42 Drummers: 12 × 1 = 12

Total = 364 GIFTS

Having done with the listing, we can now add everything to find the total
presents that have been altogether on the song. As for the result, we ended up with
a total of 364 presents. And isn't it worth noting that the total number of presents is
just one present less from 365 days in a year?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Example 4
A frog is at the bottom of a 30-foot well. Each morning the fog jumps 3 feet up
the path out, but as it sleeps each night, it slips back 2 feet down. Thus, on the first
day, the frog has 30 feet to go, on the second day, it has 29 feet to go, and so on.
How many days does it take the frog to get out of the well?

Answer:
Consider the distance that the frog reaches each day that is 3 feet up – 2 feet
down = 1 foot. It means that the frog increment or goes up 1 foot each day. Thus in 3
days, the frog has reached 3 feet; so, considering the depth of the well, which is 30
feet, we can subtract the increment of the frog in 3 days, which is 3 feet. In figures,
that is 30 feet – 3 feet = 27 feet. Therefore, the frog climbed about 27 feet on the
27th day. Three feet areremaining that the frog needed to jump to be of the same
level of the mouth of the well, and it will happen on the morning of the 28th day when
the frog will have one more jump. That is 27 feet + 3 feet = 30 feet. Therefore the
answer is 28.

Example 5
How can you make a nine out of these sticks?

Answer
By merely looking on the sticks, it seems impossible to make a nine out of
eleven without losing a single one. But using our imagination, we can think that
having the symbol for nine will not satisfy the given conditions. Hence if we will
consider it as words, we will end up with:

Here, we have utilized all of the eleven segments, thus satisfying the given
condition and still producing nine.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Activity 3.4
Recreational Problems Using Mathematics

Name: _______________________________ Score:_____________________

Program/Year/Section: ______________ Date of Submission: __________

Read and solve the following problems involving patterns. Show the solutions to
your answers.

1. Given a six-pointed magic star, place the numbers 1 to 12 in the circles, using
one of each (no duplication). Each line of four numbers should have the same
total.

2. A man bought several live chickens for at the cost of Php6000.00, and after
reserving fifteen of the birds, he sold the remainder for Php5400.00, thus
gaining Php10.00 per head by these. How many live chickens did he buy?

3. Mr. Coronel placed eight numbered cards on the breakfast table, as shown,
and asked his co-teachers to rearrange them, moving as few as possible, so
that the two columns should add up alike. Is it possible?

34
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

4. Forty cylinders with 1-inch diameters and equal heights are packed snuggly in
five rows of eight in a box to be transported without rattling. How many must
be taken from the box to repack it with forty-one of the same sized cylinders?
Will they now rattle?

5. How many different triangles are there in this figure?

6. Six matches form a hexagon. By moving only 2 matches and adding 1 more,
can you form two diamonds?

7. THE SEVEN symbols shown below look like some kind of ancient writing. But
there is a meaning for each symbol, and if you can puzzle them out, you
should have no trouble drawing in the square the next symbol of this curious
sequence.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

8. Replace each letter with the number (1 – 9) to the equation correct.

AB CDE

× 4

EDCB A

9. An elimination boxing tournament was organized. There were 114 participants

and so there were 57 matches in the first round of the tournament. In the
second round, the 57 fighters remaining were paired, resulting in 28 matches;
one fighter received a bye (that is, did not have to fight in that round). The 29
fighters remaining were paired, and so on. How may matches in all were
required to determine a winner of the tournament?

10. An officer wished to form his men into twelve rows, with eleven men in every
row, to place himself at a point that would be equidistant from every row. "But
there are only one hundred and twenty of us, Sir," said one man. Was it
possible to carry out the order?

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Reflection

Student Name: _________________________________

(Surname, First Name, Middle Initial)
Program/Year/Section: _________ Remarks from the instructor: _________
Date of Submission: :______________ Instructor: ________________________

Relate a true-to-life experience when you were able to use Polya's 4-step procedure
and one of the common strategies to solve your problem. Write in two short
paragraphs with not less than five (5) but not more than ten (10) sentences in each
paragraph. You can use English or Filipino as your medium of communication.

37
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Unit Test 3
Problem Solving

Name: _______________________________ Score:____________________

Program/Year/Section: _________________ Date of Submission: ________

I. Write the capital letter of the correct answer on the space provided before
each number.

_____1. What strategy is appropriate to use when a problem is involving physical

situation regarding geometric figures?
A. working backward C. guess and test
B. draw a picture D. make a list
_____2. What approach in problem-solving involves tracing a solution presented in
steps from a given answer going to the beginning?
A. working backward C. guess and test
B. draw a picture D. make a list
_____3. If you cut one corner of an octagon, how many corners are left?
A. 7 C. 8
B. 9 D. 10
_____4. Eunice read E books last year, and Vince read V books last year. If Eunice
read 30 more books than Vince last year, which of the following reflects the
relationship?
A. E > 30V C. V = E - 30
B. V < E - 30 D. E = V + 30
_____5. If PQR = 1, RST = 0, and SPR = 1, which of the following must be zero?
A. R C. Q
B. S D. T
_____6. In the sequence -20, -12, -4, 4 ...., each term after the first is 8 greater than
the preceding term. Which of the following could not be a term in the
sequence?
A. 96 C. 192
B. 114 D. 768
_____7. I have some pencils and some jars. If I put 4 pencils into each jar, I will
have one jar left without pencils. If I put 3 pencils into each jar, I will have
one pencil left over. How many pencils and how many jars?
A. 16 pencils and 5 Jars C. 15 pencils and 6 Jars
B. 14 pencils and 5 Jars D. 16 pencils and 6 Jars
_____8. What is the missing number in the 4th triangle?

A. 23 C. 29
B. 27 D. 28

38
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

_____9. What is the missing number in the figure below?

A. 22 C. 24
B. 23 D. 25
_____10. In a room, chairs are arranged so that each row has the same number. If
Ana sits 4th from the front and 6th from the back, 7th from the left, and 3rd
from the right, how many chairs are there?

A. 66 C. 81
B. 70 D. 100
_____11. Cecil needs to cut a 43-inch long ribbon into two pieces. One piece is four
more than twice the other piece. What would be the length of each piece?
A. 28 and 15 C. 13 and 30
B. 16 and 27 D. 14 and 29
_____12. The square of a certain number is seven more than six times the number.
What is the number?
A. 6 C. 8
B. 7 D. 9
_____13. Doubling a number and subtracting it from 35 will result in triple the value
of the number. What is the number?
A. 3 C. 7
B. 5 D. 9
_____14. There are 25 students in a class. Seventeen lived with both parents, 21
lived with their mothers, and 20 lived with their fathers. How many lived
with neither parent?
A. 2 C. 1
B. 3 D. None
_____15. John is three years older than Jim. Jim is four years less than twice
David's age. How old are the three boys if their ages add up to 35?
A. 7, 13, and 15 C. 9, 11, and 15
B. 10, 12, and 13 D. 8, 12, and 15

II. Read and solve the following problems using any appropriate strategy.
Show the solutions to your answers.

1. A highway has a gasoline station every 2 miles, a rest area ever 4 miles, and
a Burger King every 3 miles. Where is the closest gas station, rest area, and
burger king all at the same time?

39
 Unit 3: Problem Solving

2. One day, I woke up and feeling generous, I took all the apples in my
refrigerator, and I decided to give them away. I went outside, and I gave one-
half of my apples plus one to the first stranger I met. Then, I gave one-half of
the remaining apples plus one to the second person I met and one-half of the
remaining apples plus one to the third person. I had one apple left at the end.
How many apples did I have when I left my house?

3. Ben decides to prepare for a marathon by running ten minutes a day, six
days a week. Each week, he increases his time running by two minutes per
day. How many minutes will he run in week 8?

4. Tina is planning to treat her friends on her birthday. She wants to bring them
to her favorite snack house, where they have a choice among spaghetti,
carbonara, and baked macaroni. They can choose from hamburgers, ham,
chicken, tuna sandwiches. For drinks, they can either have iced tea or
pineapple juice. In how many ways can they order their food? List down the
combinations.

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Suggested Readings and Websites

http://www.mathstories.com/strategies.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMlVcGEn7EE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ZwlLTiNrI

References
Baltazar, Ethel Cecille, Ragasa, Carmelita, Evangelista, Justina (2018). Mathematics
in the Modern World. C&E Publishing, Inc.: Quezon City.
Berggren, Lennart; Borwein, Jonathan M.; Borwein, Peter B. (2004). Pi: A Source
Book. Springer: New York.
Boyer, C.B. (1991) [1989]. A History of Mathematics. 2nd ed. Wiley: New York.
Calingasan, Recto M., Martin, Mary. Yambao, Enrico (2018). Mathematics in the
Modern World. C & E Publishing, Inc.: Quezon City.
Cuomo, Serafina (2001). Ancient Mathematics. Routledge: London.
Daligdig, Romeo M. (2019) Mathematics in the Modern World. Lori Mar Publishing:
Quezon City.
Goodman, Michael, K.J. (2016) An introduction of the Early Development of
Mathematics. Wiley: Hoboken.
Gullberg, Jan (1997). Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers. W.W. Norton and
Company: New York.
Katz, Victor J. (1998). A History of Mathematics: An Introduction, 2nd ed. Addison-
Wesley: Boston.
Musser, G.L., Burger, W.F., and Peterson, B.E. (2002) Mathematics for Elementary
Teachers: A Contemporary Approach. 6th edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New
Jersey.
Polya, G. (1973). How to Solve It: a new aspect of mathematical method. New
Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Zeitz, Paul. (1999). The Art and Craft of Problem Solving. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.:
New Jersey.

Online References

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=polyas+problem+solving+in+math++&&view
=detail&mid=34DA5F5B4908C625C7F134DA5F5B4908C625C7F1&&FORM=VRDG
AR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dpolyas%2Bproblem%2Bsolving%2Bin%2B
math%2B%2B%26FORM%3DHDRSC3

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=polyas+problem+solving+in+math++&&view
=detail&mid=7EEB669DC0F51F97D1487EEB669DC0F51F97D148&&FORM=VRD
GAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dpolyas%2Bproblem%2Bsolving%2Bin%2
Bmath%2B%2B%26FORM%3DHDRSC3
https://library.ucalgary.ca/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recreational_mathematics

https://www.mathsisfun.com/

https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/find-patterns.html

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 Unit 3: Problem Solving

Answer Key

Pre-assessment Test

1. B 6. C
2. D 7. C
3. D 8. A
4. B 9. D
5. B 10. A

Write your score and descriptive rating on the space provided.

Score Descriptive Rating

8 - 10 Very Good (You have a good backround of

the lessons ahead and are expected to show
remarkable outcomes.)
4-7 Good Recall (You are ready to explore the
lessons and learn more.)
1-3 Keep Your Focus (The lessons will help you
gain more knowledge about the different
mathematics concepts presented.)

Activity 3.1

1. Look back
Score Descriptive Rating
2. Carry out the plan
3. Carry out the plan 11 - 15 Very Good
4. Design a plan 6 - 10 Good
5. Understand the problem 1 - 5 Practice More
6. Design a plan
7. Understand the problem
8. Design a plan
9. Carry out the plan
10. Carry out the plan

42